Al Franken Cancels Miami Book Fair Appearance

MIAMI, FL — Mired in a groping scandal, embattled Democratic Sen. Al Franken has pulled out of a planned appearance at the Miami Book Fair this weekend. News anchor Leeann Tweeden of 790 KABC talk radio, published a story Thursday accusing the former comedian and SNL star of kissing and groping her without her consent while on a USO tour in 2006. Shortly after the allegations were made public, multiple lawmakers called for an investigation into Franken's actions, which the senator said he will support.

See also Al Franken Groping Scandal: Accuser Accepts Senator's Apology

"Due to circumstances beyond our control, Sen. Franken has canceled his appearance at the Miami Book Fair," event spokeswoman Allison Horton told Patch on Friday.

Franken, now a Minnesota Democrat, was a professional comedian at the time, and he and Tweeden were scheduled to do a skit together in which they were supposed to kiss, she writes. She says she wasn't planning on kissing him and would turn her head away at the last moment. But before they were to go on stage, Franken insisted on a practicing the kiss, according to Tweeden's account. She wrote that she allowed the practice kiss, but didn't agree to what ended up happening during the surprise rehearsal.

Franken is the author of the #1 New York Times Bestseller "Al Franken, Giant of the Senate," which he describes as the story of an award-winning comedian who decided to run for office and then discovered why award-winning comedians tend not to do that.

"He was scheduled to speak Sunday, Nov. 19 at 6:30 p.m.," Horton added. The annual literary event is one of the largest in the country.

Franken's book also recounts how several of his past remarks about sex, including a joke about rape, came up during his campaign in 2008.

Also See: Senator Franken Accepts Ethics Probe After Accusation

Patch editor Cody Fenwick contributed to this report.

Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images