‘The Chocolate Bunny’ reflects on an adventurous life in new memoir

Published 4:47 pm Friday, February 28, 2020

“Playboy Bunny, model, Hollywood actress, mafia moll, lover to some of the screen’s most glamorous leading men, Francesca Emerson has done it all,” reads the header of Emerson’s memoir, “The Chocolate Bunny”.
Within the autobiographical account of her storied life, Emerson gives readers a look into her life as poor kid from Harlem who came to live a life of adventure.
“I’m a jack of all trades,” said Emerson. “I get bored easily, so I’m always moving on to the next thing.”
Emerson said she was inspired to write her memoir after years of telling stories at parties.
Stories within her memoir include encounters with the likes of Warren Beatty, Jack Lemon and Michael Douglas, being serenaded by Leonard Cohen in a Los Angles Cafe and realizing her boyfriend was in the mafia.
“My journey has made me the person I am,” said Emerson. “ If I could do it all again I’d do it the same way.”
Emerson hopes her story inspires other women to be the best they can be and not be ashamed of who they are.
Emerson was signing copies of her memoir on Thursday afternoon at Gallery 905.
Emerson lives in Australia with her husband most of the time, but comes to her home in Selma for quiet breaks in her adventurous life.
Emerson found the house while visiting the Queen City with her father.
“When he sat down on the front porch in a rocking chair I knew there was something special about it.”
Six weeks later, Emerson bought the house, rented a truck and drove across the country from Los Angeles to Selma.
“My daughter said, ‘I didn’t know you knew how to drive a truck,’” said Emerson. “But the Time I got to Texas I was a truck-drivin mama.”

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