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Al Franken (D-MN) (R) celebrates with his wife Franni Franken in front of his home June 30, 2009 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Republican incumbent Norm Coleman conceded the election today following the Minnesota Supreme Court's ruling that Franken is the winner of the state's Senate race, after the results were contested for nearly eight months. Jeffrey Thompson/GETTY

Minnesota Sen. Al Franken was accused of sexual assault Thursday in a personal essay by a Los Angeles radio host. Franken, a Democrat, has been married to his wife Franni Bryson since 1975.

Bryson and Franken married in 1975 and have two children together. They met while he attended Harvard University and she attended nearby Simmons College. She had not yet responded to the allegations against her husband.

The allegations against Franken came in the form of a personal essay by news anchor Leeann Tweeden published by her employer KABC, a Los Angles-based news radio station. Tweeden claimed Franken, a former comedian and SNL writer, kissed her without her consent and groped her in 2006 on a United Service Organizations (USO) tour. The USO is a nonprofit that provides entertainment for the U.S. military.

Tweeden alleged that while she and Franken were rehearsing a skit for a USO tour, Franken grabbed her, kissed her and forced his tongue into her mouth. Tweeden claimed that Franken then treated her poorly after she resisted the kiss and on the return flight home groped her. A photograph was taken of what Tweeden claimed was Franken touching her.

“You knew exactly what you were doing. You forcibly kissed me without my consent, grabbed my breasts while I was sleeping and had someone take a photo of you doing it, knowing I would see it later, and be ashamed,” wrote Tweeden. “While debating whether or not to go public, I even thought to myself, so much worse has happened to so many others, maybe my story isn’t worth telling? But my story is worth telling …I’m telling my story because there may be others.”

Franken responded to the allegation Thursday on KMSP, a Minneapolis based Fox News affiliate.

“I certainly don’t remember the rehearsal for the skit in the same way, but I send my sincerest apologies to Leeann,” Franken said. “As to the photo, it was clearly intended to be funny but wasn't. I shouldn't have done it.”

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