Cheryl Saban (/səˈbɑːn/; born April 30, 1951) is an American psychologist, author, television writer, and philanthropist. She is a former Senior Advisor to the United States Mission to the United Nations. She is the author of several children's books, a novel, self-help books, numerous gift books, and many teleplays.

Early life and education

Cheryl Saban was born as Cheryl Lyn Flor^[1] on April 30, 1951, in San Diego, California.^[2] Her father worked for the local telephone company.^[3] Saban worked as a telephone solicitor, waitressed at a barbecue-pit restaurant, and worked summers as a lifeguard at a Navy training center.^[3]

Saban attended San Diego State University.^[3] In 2005 she earned a doctorate in psychology from California Coast University.^[4]

Career

Saban started her career as a model in San Francisco, California in 1973 and Los Angeles in 1975.^[3] She recorded her first album in 1978 under the name Flower.^[3] In April 1979, Playboy included her in a nude pictorial titled “Disco Queens".^[3]

Saban accepted a job as an assistant for Israeli-American Haim Saban, a millionaire who later became her husband, in 1986.^[3] She wrote for television multiple times, including 19 episodes of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, produced by Saban. She is the author of four children's books, a thriller, and several self-help books.^{[citation needed]}

Saban was nominated as Senior Advisor to the United States Mission to the United Nations by President Barack Obama in September 2012.^[5]

Philanthropy

Saban is the president of Saban Family Foundation.^[2] She and her husband both donate through the foundation, which typically focuses on children, education and women's health. Through a $10 million donation, Saban established the Cheryl Saban Self-Worth Foundation for Women & Girls in 2009.^[2] The foundation will provide micro-financing programs to women in the U.S. and in Israel.^[3]

Saban is on the board of directors of the Clinton Foundation.^[6] She received an honorary doctorate from the Ben-Gurion University of the Negev in Israel in 2014.^[7] As of May 2018, they are supporting the building of a museum in Los Angeles.^[8]

Los Angeles Free Clinic

In 1968, Los Angeles Free Clinic opened at 115 North Fairfax Avenue, Los Angeles.^[9] The Los Angeles Free Clinic is the longest continually running free clinic in the nation.^[10]

In her years of financial difficulty, Cheryl Saban was a patient of the Los Angeles Free Clinic. Later, with her husband, they donated $10 million, and in 2008, it was renamed the Saban Free Clinic.^[11][12] now Saban Community Clinic of Beverly Hills,^[13] Rampart Village, Hollywood, Melrose, and Blessed Sacrament.^[14]

Personal life

Saban has been married three times. She married her first husband, Ray Lenhart, at the age of 20.^[4] They had two daughters, Tifanie Lenhart Chaney and actress Heidi Lenhart Stills, and divorced soon after.^[4] She later married and divorced Bobby Ocean. He was a music producer, and struggled to provide for her children.^[3]

Saban married her third husband, Egyptian-born Israeli-American billionaire Haim Saban in 1987.^[15] They had two children through a surrogate (Saban had previously had a hysterectomy): son Ness (Hebrew for Miracle) and daughter Tanya. Ness was the eighth surrogate-born baby in the world and Tanya was the fortieth.^[16] Although Cheryl is a Lutheran, she agreed to raise the children Jewish. The family always puts up a Christmas tree and celebrates Shabbat weekly. Saban told the rabbi who married them: "Think of me as a Christian who believes in Judaism.”^[3] They reside in Beverly Hills, California.^[2]