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Emily Duddy Kicks Off Black Widow 14.1 High Run Invitational Cancer Fundraiser on July 5th – 6th

Emily Duddy

Bobby Chamberlain and his Legends of Pocket Billiards has announced “The Black Widow 14.1 High Run Invitational”, a new fundraiser to raise money for cancer awareness and cancer research. 

This yearlong fundraiser will highlight the top female players in the sport of billiards as they attempt to beat Jeanette Lee’s high run record of 152 consecutive balls. 

The fundraiser kicks off on July 5th and 6th when WPBA touring pro Emily “The Billiards Bombshell” will be making her attempt to beat the record at the Street Lights Billiards Academy in Alexandria, Virginia. 

“I am thrilled to be included as a pro player in the Black Widow 14.1 Invitational to raise money in support of cancer research & treatment. To be the first player to kick off the event is an exciting honor. I am a good friend of Jeanette Lee & have supported many events during her fight against cancer. It’s amazing how well she is doing & I’m sure this event means a lot to her. 

The event is personally meaningful to me because, like many of us, cancer has effected my friends and family. I dedicate this event to my uncle Don Duddy who passed in 2021, my good friend Deborah Napier who passed in 2022 & my mom who survived Stage 4 cancer after years of treatment. 

As a New Yorker I am a big straight pool player very excited for female pros to showcase the game of 14.1 to a wider audience!” said Duddy about her involvement in this event. 

When asked about what prompted Chamberlain to create this event, he said the idea came as a tribute to his sister. “My sister passed away from Cancer ten years ago. She was my best friend. Had she got checked out she would have beaten Cancer. Cancer awareness is very important.” he explained. 

Fans who are interested in supporting this event and Duddy’s attempt to break the record are urged to donate $1 a ball for her highest run. Donations can be made online on the fundraiser page in conjunction with The V Foundation organization. 

Fans can also purchase raffle tickets for a chance to win a beautiful Volturi case designed to commemorate this historic event.  More information on the raffle, as well as streaming coverage of Duddy’s attempts, can be found on the Legends of Pocket Billiards Facebook page.  

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An Open Letter from the Black Widow to Her Fans

Jeanette Lee

I want to thank all of my fans for the positive response to my 30 for 30 documentary, “Jeanette Lee Vs”, on ESPN.  It is obvious that you liked it.  It was also gratifying to hear so many kind words and expressions of support.

Now, I am proud and excited to report that we are in the process of formalizing an agreement with a major publisher to produce the definitive Jeanette Lee autobiography.

We thought we would take advantage of the movie to help enhance the value and depth of the autobiography.  Obviously, I will be touching on much more aspects of my life and include many more stories that the constraints of a one-hour movie just would not allow.  So, with the movie fresh in your mind, please tell us what parts you like or what parts you would like to know more about.  What moved you….what left you wishing for more….

Please hit the attached link form and it will take you to a form for you to submit your ideas , suggestions and preferences.  Thank you for participating and helping make the book the best it can be.  As always, thanks for your support.  It means the world to me.

Sincerely,

Jeanette Lee

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Jeanette Lee Vs Excerpt – Leading the Charge

AzBilliards and Accu-Stats Video Productions have been given the opportunity to share selected excerpts from the upcoming documentary Jeanette Lee Vs, which will premiere on Tuesday December 13th at 8pm EST on ESPN.

This documentary tells the story of Jeanette Lee, from her beginnings in the world of billiards, through her diagnosis with scoliosis and eventually her ongoing fight with cancer.

In this excerpt, the focus is on the WPBA and how it helped build ESPN.

Immediately following the premiere of the documentary, the American Poolplayers Association will be conducting an online interview with Jeanette and a number of special guests on their Facebook and YouTube pages. Jeanette will be joined by producers from the film along with Tom George, Mike Panozzo, Maki Hsieh (the Executive Director of the Asian American Hall of Fame who will speak about the impact of the film on Asian Americans particularly women) and Jonathan Karron (Chief Marketing Officer of The V Foundation for Cancer Research).

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Jeanette Lee Vs Excerpt – Not in Remission

AzBilliards and Accu-Stats Video Productions have been given the opportunity to share selected excerpts from the upcoming documentary Jeanette Lee Vs, which will premiere on Tuesday December 13th at 8pm EST on ESPN.

This documentary tells the story of Jeanette Lee, from her beginnings in the world of billiards, through her diagnosis with scoliosis and eventually her ongoing fight with cancer.

In this excerpt, Jeanette talks about finding out she was not in remission.

Immediately following the premiere of the documentary, the American Poolplayers Association will be conducting an online interview with Jeanette and a number of special guests on their Facebook and YouTube pages. Jeanette will be joined by producers from the film along with Tom George, Mike Panozzo, Maki Hsieh (the Executive Director of the Asian American Hall of Fame who will speak about the impact of the film on Asian Americans particularly women) and Jonathan Karron (Chief Marketing Officer of The V Foundation for Cancer Research).

 

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Jeanette Lee Vs Excerpt – Billiards Becomes Family

AzBilliards and Accu-Stats Video Productions have been given the opportunity to share selected excerpts from the upcoming documentary Jeanette Lee Vs, which will premiere on Tuesday December 13th at 8pm EST on ESPN.

This documentary tells the story of Jeanette Lee, from her beginnings in the world of billiards, through her diagnosis with scoliosis and eventually her ongoing fight with cancer.

In this excerpt, the focus is on how the billiards world has come together like family for Jeanette.

Immediately following the premiere of the documentary, the American Poolplayers Association will be conducting an online interview with Jeanette and a number of special guests on their Facebook and YouTube pages. Jeanette will be joined by producers from the film along with Tom George, Mike Panozzo, Maki Hsieh (the Executive Director of the Asian American Hall of Fame who will speak about the impact of the film on Asian Americans particularly women) and Jonathan Karron (Chief Marketing Officer of The V Foundation for Cancer Research).

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Jeanette Lee Vs Excerpt – Jeanette Announces Cancer

AzBilliards and Accu-Stats Video Productions have been given the opportunity to share selected excerpts from the upcoming documentary Jeanette Lee Vs, which will premiere on Tuesday December 13th at 8pm EST on ESPN.

This documentary tells the story of Jeanette Lee, from her beginnings in the world of billiards, through her diagnosis with scoliosis and eventually her ongoing fight with cancer.

In this excerpt, Jeanette’s family talks about her fight with cancer.

Immediately following the premiere of the documentary, the American Poolplayers Association will be conducting an online interview with Jeanette and a number of special guests on their Facebook and YouTube pages. Jeanette will be joined by producers from the film along with Tom George, Mike Panozzo, Maki Hsieh (the Executive Director of the Asian American Hall of Fame who will speak about the impact of the film on Asian Americans particularly women) and Jonathan Karron (Chief Marketing Officer of The V Foundation for Cancer Research).

 

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Jeanette Lee Vs Excerpt – Diagnosed With Scoliosis

AzBilliards and Accu-Stats Video Productions have been given the opportunity to share selected excerpts from the upcoming documentary Jeanette Lee Vs, which will premiere on Tuesday December 13th at 8pm EST on ESPN. 

This documentary tells the story of Jeanette Lee, from her beginnings in the world of billiards, through her diagnosis with scoliosis and eventually her ongoing fight with cancer. 

In this excerpt, Jeanette talks about her diagnosis and treatment for scoliosis.

Immediately following the premiere of the documentary, the American Poolplayers Association will be conducting an online interview with Jeanette and a number of special guests on their Facebook and YouTube pages. Jeanette will be joined by producers from the film along with Tom George, Mike Panozzo, Maki Hsieh (the Executive Director of the Asian American Hall of Fame who will speak about the impact of the film on Asian Americans particularly women) and Jonathan Karron (Chief Marketing Officer of The V Foundation for Cancer Research). 

 

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Jeanette Lee Vs Excerpt – Becoming The Black Widow

AzBilliards and Accu-Stats Video Productions have been given the opportunity to share selected excerpts from the upcoming documentary Jeanette Lee Vs, which will premiere on Tuesday December 13th at 8pm EST on ESPN. 

This documentary tells the story of Jeanette Lee, from her beginnings in the world of billiards, through her diagnosis with scoliosis and eventually her ongoing fight with cancer. 

In this excerpt, Jeanette talks about the origins of her well known nickname “The Black Widow”.

Immediately following the premiere of the documentary, the American Poolplayers Association will be conducting an online interview with Jeanette on their Facebook and YouTube pages. Make sure to tune in to listen to Jeanette’s thoughts on the documentary.

 

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ESPN Films’ Latest 30 for 30 “Jeanette Lee Vs.” About “The Black Widow” of Billiards Premieres December 13 at 8 p.m. ET

ESPN will debut the next installment in the Peabody and Emmy award-winning 30 for 30series, “Jeanette Lee Vs.” on December 13 at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN. Directed by Ursula Liang (“9-Man,” “Down a Dark Stairwell”), the documentary recounts the rise of Jeanette Lee, the billiards player nicknamed “The Black Widow,” who at her peak became, improbably, one of the most recognizable figures in sports. The film will be made available on ESPN+ immediately after its premiere, along with the rest of the 30 for 30 library.

She was like nothing else her sport had seen. A vision of confidence, even swagger, as she stalked the billiards table. Dressed, always, in her signature color, with a two-fingered glove on her bridge hand and a stony, icy glaze that never seemed to change. The 30 for 30 film returns with Lee to her origins, Brooklyn, New York, where as the young child of Korean immigrants, she suffered from scoliosis, a painful spinal condition that required surgery. Lee rebelled as a teenager, and fell in love with billiards one night when she walked into a pool hall in Manhattan. Within a few years, she was playing tournaments and headed towards the professional circuit. Soon, women’s billiards was a mainstay on the fledgling ESPN2 network, and Lee’s unapologetic approach to self-promotion made her a television star.

Even as Lee became one of the top-ranked pool players in the world, her back issues never entirely went away. Then in 2021 came something more frightening: a diagnosis of ovarian cancer. As the film illustrates through extensive access to her life today, it’s a struggle she continues to fight, now as a single mom with the support of her children and extended family. It’s a poignant coda to a story about a woman who’s been battling her whole life and who remains one of the more distinctive stars to ever emerge on the sports landscape.

Said Liang: “This is a challenging moment in the U.S. for Asian Americans; the community is on edge and increasingly targeted in bias incidents. There couldn’t be a better time to bring Jeanette’s pioneering, maverick journey to the forefront. She is inspiring at every turn and an icon to many. I’m honored to tell her story and introduce her to new audiences. She battled fierce opponents, trying times, debilitating pain, personal demons and persistent criticism, but remains a singular presence from a breakout era of pool—an unforgettable figure, the Black Widow.”

The documentary is executive produced by ESPN Films in association with Words + Pictures, founded in early 2021 by Connor Schell. From Words + Pictures, Schell and Libby Geist are executive producing. This is the second collaboration between ESPN Films and Words + Pictures as part of an ongoing deal between the two companies. Phil de Picciotto, Jason Weichelt and Tom George are also serving as executive producers.

Advance press screeners, additional information, including film clips and director statements and bios, are available upon request. Follow 30 for 30 on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

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Jeanette Lee Documentary World Premiere Scheduled

Jeanette Lee

The World Premiere of the Jeanette Lee documentary, “Jeanette Lee Vs” has been announced to take place at the DOC NYC film festival on Saturday, November 12th and Tuesday November 15th. 

The DOC NYC festival is one of the most important documentary film festivals in the country and Jeanette Lee Vs has not only been accepted to be shown, but is scheduled at the largest theatre (The SVA Theatre) during a primetime slot of 7:15 on Saturday night. 

Jeanette Lee is scheduled to attend the premiere of this much talked about documentary and the screening will be followed by a Q&A with Director Ursula Liang, Producer Cora Atkinson, and Editor Michelle Chang. 

Fans who can’t make it to New York for the screening in person, are invited to take part in the online screening premiere period that runs from Sunday November 13th until Sunday November 27th. 

All of the details are available at the DOC NYC website at https://www.docnyc.net/film/jeanette-lee-vs/

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