![]() I kind of fell into this job by accident. Aaaannnddd that’s about where the similarities ended between us.īack in the day of Asian Ave and ICQ chat, I used to work in a pool hall after graduating from high school. I looked up to her and spent every day after high school in various pool halls working on my game because I wanted to be the next Black Widow. She ruled the green felt and the fans loved her. If you grew up in the 90’s and ever followed women’s professional billiards, her name and her nickname, the Black Widow, should be familiar to you. I’m talking about the other Black Widow, Jeanette Lee. If you think this is some fluff piece about Natasha Romanova because I love her, you’re only half wrong. Every move she makes is calculated and is a result of brilliant strategy. She stalks her prey with agility, athleticism and cunning. ![]() Mere mortals walk this earth but not her. I am still dedicated to beating this thing and, if I do, the fans who responded will be a big part of the reason why.The Black Widow. The notes and well-wishes that came through GoFundMe were incredibly warm and encouraging. “They say that a positive outlook helps you beat cancer. “The billiards community really responded with an intensity that is both shocking and gratifying,” she added. I can now concentrate solely on fighting the disease secure in the knowledge that my girls, Cheyenne, Chloe and Savannah, will be well taken care of.” “As we approach our goal of $250,000, we have decided to end the campaign. “I am absolutely humbled and overwhelmed by the amount of support I have been getting.” she said. Lee has expressed her gratitude on a number of occasions, appearing live, once, at one of the fundraisers and audio-visually at others, and as the fund-raising campaign approaches its $250K goal, she has expressed it again. “It would be a powerful and compelling story of an Asian-American woman at a particularly poignant time.” “The market seems fertile for a true story of female empowerment in a male-dominated segment,” noted George. ![]() A lot of options are under discussion including a documentary and a dramatic feature or limited series, something roughly analogous to a billiards version of “The Queen’s Gambit”. “The press coverage has been stunning,” said George, “and has led to some very interesting opportunities for Jeanette, including the possibility of a biopic on her life story.”Īccording to George, sports marketing juggernaut, Octagon will be developing and packaging the film. It got international coverage in the Philippines, India and Hong Kong, among others. The story was picked up by, among others, the NY Post, TMZ, Deadspin, Yahoo Sports and included a feature in the NY Times and an upcoming full feature in Sports Illustrated. The surgeon’s commentary is that it went “as well as could be expected.” All are hopeful for a period of remission after she completes her 6th round of chemo in early June.Ĭoncern over Jeanette’s condition has spawned incredible press coverage. According to her agent, Tom George, Lee is handling chemo very well and is “baldly beautiful.” The chemo has had an obvious positive effect on reducing her cancer burden and she also came through major surgery, (her 20th!!!) like a champ. On the medical front, there is cause for optimism. Matchroom Billiards, Venom and others also contributed. ![]() The industry stepped up, as well Cuetec created and donated 50 custom cues. Most of the gifts, however, were of the $10 to $20 variety, and several donations were from ad hoc events and fundraisers around the country (Charlotte, NC/ Upstate NY/Muncie, IN and Montana, to name a few) that donated their ‘pooled’ contributions. Over 3,100 people have donated, including large donations from, but by no means limited to Johnny Morris, the owner of Bass Pro Shops, for whom Jeanette was a long-time celebrity spokesperson, donated $50,000, NASCAR legend Tony Stewart donated $10,000 and Chinese media personality Yue-Sai Kan gave $5,000. The fund will come to a close on June 20th, having generated over $240,000 in donations. It was followed by a series of benefit tournaments, the first of which Lee was able to attend. The pool community responded quickly, with APA’s Jason Bowman and Billiards’ Digest publisher Mike Panozzo hosting A Night to Celebrate the Black Widow, which streamed live, three weeks after the creation of the Legacy fund. A GoFundMe campaign – The Jeanette Lee Legacy Fund – was launched on February 2 to help the pool’s most recognizeable icon, the Black Widow, by assisting her in covering medical bills as she battles stage 4 ovarian cancer and as a legacy to cover the day-to-day needs and college expenses of her children.
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