Jessica Seinfeld (born Nina Danielle Sklar , September 12, 1971 in Oyster Bay, Long Island, New York) is the wife of comedian Jerry Seinfeld, author of a cookbook for preparing food for children, and founder of Baby Buggy, a New York City Charitable organization.
Early life
Sklar grew up in Burlington, Vermont. Her father, Karl, designs computer systems and databases in Burlington. Her mother, Ellen, is the coordinator of volunteer programs at Vermont's Department of Corrections. She graduated from the University of Vermont, and worked in public relations for Golden Books Entertainment, as well as for Tommy Hilfiger.
Personal life
In June 1998 she married Eric Nederlander, a theatrical producer and Broadway scion. Shortly after returning from a three-week honeymoon in Italy, she met Jerry Seinfeld at a Reebok Sports Club. She filed for divorce from Nederlander in October 1998. She married Seinfeld on December 25, 1999. Comedian George Wallace was the best man at the wedding.
The Seinfelds have three children, one daughter and two sons. Daughter Sascha was born on November 7, 2000 in New York City, son Julian Kal on March 1, 2003 in New York City, and Shepherd Kellen was born on August 22, 2005 at New York's Cornell Medical Center.
In 2001, Seinfeld launched Baby Buggy, a charity that provides clothing and gear for the infants and young children of low-income women. The organization has delivered over 2,500,000 essential items to thousands of families through its network of over 50 qualified social service partners.
Cookbook controversy
In 2007, Seinfeld published the cookbook Deceptively Delicious , which contains strategies and recipes for making healthy food appealing to young children. She was featured on The Oprah Winfrey Show , and the book reached Number 1 on Amazon.com, Number 2 on the USA Today best-seller list, and Number 1 on the The New York Times Advice, How-To and Miscellaneous list.
The book stirred controversy when it was alleged that more than a dozen of the same recipes in Seinfeld's book appeared in another author's cookbook, The Sneaky Chef by Missy Chase Lapine, published earlier that year and also a best seller.
Some of the unusual combinations appearing in Lapine's recipes — such as spinach in brownies, avocado in chocolate pudding, and sweet potato in grilled cheese sandwiches — also appear in Seinfeld's book. Lapine had twice unsuccessfully shopped her manuscript to Seinfeld's publisher (HarperCollins) only months before it chose to publish Seinfeld's instead. In response to the accusations, Seinfeld said: “I don’t need to copy someone’s idea. I’ve got enough going on in my life.” On her website she added, “I have never claimed that the idea of hiding healthy food in more "kid-friendly" dishes is one that started with me - I certainly know that it was around when I was a child. But the ideas for my book, and for every recipe in it, were my own.”
On January 7, 2008, Lapine sued Jerry and Jessica Seinfeld for defamation, plagiarism, or copyright and trademark infringement in the Manhattan, U.S. District Court. In separate court papers, lawyers for Jessica Seinfeld accused Lapine of falsely claiming she invented the idea of hiding fruits and vegetables in children's meals when "countless prior works utilized this very same unprotectable idea," including a 1971 book. They called the lawsuit "opportunistic."
The suit includes claims of defamation against Jerry Seinfeld. In an appearance on Late Show with David Letterman , Mr. Seinfeld called Lapine a "wacko" and said his wife was being accused of "vegetable plagiarism." In response, Mr. Seinfeld’s lawyers stated his status as a public figure "does not mean he loses his First Amendment rights of free speech."
On September 10, 2009, the federal judge on this case threw out the plagiarism claims. Lapine's attorney has indicated that she plans to appeal the dismissal. The defamation charges against Jerry Seinfeld have not yet been adjudicated.
References
- ^ WEDDINGS; Jessica Sklar, Eric Nederlander - New York Times
- ^ Seinfeld, Sklar Tie Knot - Jerry Seinfeld : People.com
- ^ Seinfeld: And Baby Makes Three - Jerry Seinfeld : People.com
- ^ Jerry Seinfeld's a Daddy Once More - Jerry Seinfeld : People.com
- ^ A boy for Jerry - People - Entertainment - theage.com.au
- ^ Jerry Seinfeld & Wife Welcome Third Child - Birth, Jerry Seinfeld : People.com
- ^ USATODAY.com - Seinfelds push Baby Buggy
- ^ Cookbook author says Seinfeld book 'Deceptively' similar - USATODAY.com
- ^ How to Get Junior to Eat His Veggies Turns Out to Be (Too) Common Knowledge - New York Times
- ^ A Message from the Author
- ^ An Author Sues the Seinfelds, for a Cookbook and for Barbs
- ^ a b Seinfeld sued over 'three-named assassin' line
- ^ Jerry Seinfeld Defends Wife Against 'Vegetable Plagiarism' Claim - Scandals & Feuds, Jerry Seinfeld, Jessica Seinfeld : People.com
- ^ http:
Amazon.com: Chocolate Bar: Recipes and Entertaining Ideas for Living ...
I love fondue and the authors' idea for a fondue party would be ... This review is from: Chocolate Bar: Recipes and Entertaining Ideas for Living the Sweet Life (Hardcover)
Baked Sweet-Potato Fries
Life Coaches; Career + Money; Eat Well. Seasonal Foods ... Delicious Recipes; Green Living Ideas; get the newsletter ... Put sweet potatoes in a microwave-safe container, cover ...
Canadian Living: Recipes, health, and relationship advice.
Canadian Living is the ultimate source of relevant ... handy tips guaranteed to help you rev up your sex life ... and Wine-Poached Pears for dessert. More » See all entertaining
Decorating Ideas - Texas Citrus/ Rio Star Grapefruit and Sweet Oranges ...
Recipes; Healthy Living; Parent's and Teachers; Shippers ... Entertaining. At TexaSweet, we believe life is sweet, and Texas Citrus can make it even ... This interesting display idea can also ...
Amazon.com: Chocolate Bar: Recipes and Entertaining Ideas for Living ...
This item: Chocolate Bar: Recipes and Entertaining Ideas for Living the Sweet Life by Matt Lewis ... I love fondue and the authors' idea for a fondue party would be ...
Roasted Sweet Potato Soup with Curried Apples
Delicious Recipes; Green Living Ideas; get the newsletter ... For adventurous cooks: Ideal for entertaining: Family friendly ... The roasted sweet potatoes are loaded with beta ...
Simply Stated - Blogs - Holidays & Entertaining - Real Simple
Easy Entertaining Idea: Scrap It! Posted on Sep 9, 2008 3:44:44 AM ... Between the blossoming flowers, budding plant life, and ... Daily Recipe Newsletter (see sample) Ask Real Simple (see ...
Design*Sponge » entertaining
new: recipes! new: videos! about; contact; press; advertising ... be joining us once a month with wedding-inspired entertaining ... so emily's column will focus on bringing that idea to life ...
Entertaining Canada SweetHome
20+ recipes for the grill, 10 outdoor entertaining essentials and 5 cool cocktails ... To access City Living Content, you need to pick ... of this site where it says "Show me sweet stuff
Simply Stated - Blogs - Holidays & Entertaining - Real Simple
Categories: Food & Recipes | Home ... watch the results (which is a great idea!), so here are a few fun, election-themed entertaining ... REAL LIFE. Episode Guide; Browse by Topic ...