Actors - Janet Jones

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	Actors - Janet Jones

Janet-Marie Jones (born January 10, 1961 in Bridgeton, Missouri) is an American actress, dancer, and aerobics instructer, but is best known for marrying former ice hockey star Wayne Gretzky.

Entertainment career

She performed as a dancer in Annie (1982), Staying Alive (1983), and Snow White Live (1980), and had a bit role in The Beastmaster
(1982). Her big break came in The Flamingo Kid
(1984). Later in 1986, she appeared in American Anthem, co-staring gymnast Mitch Gaylord. In 1987, she appeared in a semi-nude pictorial in that March's Playboy.

Four months before her wedding, Police Academy 5 (1988) was released. Other credits include A League of Their Own
(1992), and hosting a infomercial for Jackie Chan's Cable Flex. She has produced a series of workout videos called "The Firm." She and daughter Paulina are featured in the upcoming movie Alfa Dog.

Personal life

She was engaged to tennis star Vitas Gerulaitis for three years, before he broke the engagement. He later died of carbon monoxide poisoning in 1994. She also dated actors Bruce Willis and Nels Van Patten, son of Dick Van Patten.

Jones met Gretzky when he was a judge on Merv Griffin's show Dance Fever in 1984. They ran into each other at a Los Angeles Lakers game in 1987; Gretzky told Howard Stern's radio audience that they consummated their relationship that night. On July 17, 1988 they were wed at a lavish ceremony at St. Joseph's Basilica in Edmonton; Jones was four months pregnant with Paulina. The nuptials were dubbed "The Royal Wedding" by the press and broadcast live across Canada. Janet and Wayne have four other children: Ty, Trevor, Tristan, and Emma. Her widowed mother, Jean, has been the Gretzkys' nanny since 1988.

Link to "Tocchet-gate" scandal

On February 7, 2006, Jones and a half-dozen NHL players were among those implicated in a New Jersey-based sports gambling ring allegedly financed by Phoenix Coyotes assistant coach Rick Tocchet. Coyotes' general manager and Gretzky's former agent, Michael Barnett, admitted to police placing a bet on the Super Bowl with Tocchet.

Tocchet and a New Jersey state trooper were charged with promoting gambling, money laundering and conspiracy. The NHL said that the bets, which exceeded $1.7-million, were not placed on its games.

Gretzky told reporters that Jones "would sit down at some point and answer questions that everybody has for her and be her own person." , then added: "The reality is, I'm not involved, I wasn't involved and I'm not going to be involved. Am I concerned for ? Sure there's concern from me. I'm more worried about them than me." But further reporting by the Newark Star-Ledger newspaper revealed on February 9, 2006, that New Jersey State Police wiretaps have Gretzky on tape speaking about the ring. Police sources told the Star-Ledger that there is no evidence that Gretzky made any bets, but were attempting to find out if he placed any through his wife. He told reporters: "I didn't bet. Didn't happen. It's not going to happen, hasn't happened; it's not something that I've done." Jones released a statement: "At no time did I ever place a wager on my husband's behalf." Lawyers for the couple later announced that neither Gretzky or Jones would face criminal charges.

Information came out that seems to contradict Gretzky's assertions. In the Spring of 2000, Gretzy, Jones, their children and her mother were registered at The Ocean Club on Paradise Island, Bahamas, along with other NHL notables. Gretzky and his wife frequented the Casino at Atlantis, owned by Sol Kerzner. This casino is also popular with other sports stars, like Michael Jordan.

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