Heather French Henry

Who is Heather French Henry?

Heather Renee French Henry is a Miss America title holder, personality and fashion designer.

Raised in Maysville, Kentucky, Heather French Henry graduated from the University of Cincinnati College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning. She competed in pageants through her teens, including the Miss Ohio pageant. She competed in the Miss Kentucky Pageant four times before winning the title on her fifth attempt in 1999. She won the 2000 Miss America pageant in September 1999, the first Kentuckian to do so. Her platform for her reign was raising awareness of homeless veterans; her father was a wounded veteran of the Vietnam War. She has received numerous awards for her work with veterans.

On October 27, 2000, she married Kentucky Lieutenant Governor Steve Henry in Louisville, Kentucky. The couple have two daughters, Harper Renee and Taylor Augusta.

In October 2003, French Henry struck and subsequently killed Karola Stede, 44, a native of Germany and mother of four who was crossing against the traffic light in a Louisville intersection. French said that the accident deeply affected her, and she subsequently recounted her story in venues such as The Oprah Winfrey Show.