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Born in St. Louis, Missouri, she renounced her U.S. citizenship and became a French national after her marriage to French industrialist Jean Lion in 1937. She raised her children in France. Baker aided the French Resistance during World War II.
Feb 8, 2024 · Quick Facts. FULL NAME: Freda Josephine Baker. BORN: June 3, 1906. BIRTHPLACE: St. Louis, MO. DEATH: April 12, 1975 (age 68) SPOUSE: Willie Wells (m. 1919-1919), William Howard Baker (m....
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She was married and divorced three more times: to American Willie Baker in 1921 (whose last name she chose to keep), Frenchman Jean Lion in 1937 (from whom she attained French citizenship), and French orchestra leader Jo Bouillon in 1947 (who helped to raise her 12 adopted children).
The start of World War II put Josephine’s future performances on hold. By that time, she had married her third husband, a French-Jewish sugar broker named Jean Lion. The couple later divorced in 1941, but in that time, Josephine came to represent much of what Hitler and the Nazis despised.
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Oct 21, 2019 · Baker became a French citizen in 1937 when she married industrialist Jean Lion, though throughout her life she was rumored to have affairs with women (including one rumored affair with Frida Kahlo). Reports alternate whether or not Baker was open about her sexuality during her lifetime.
- Elyssa Goodman
Jun 27, 2018 · She married Jean Lion, a French industrialist. She had a miscarriage in 1938, and Lion divorced her in 1940, during the early months of World War II . When Germany occupied Belgium, Josephine became a Red Cross nurse, watching over refugees.
Aug 8, 2022 · Baker’s situation was more honorable. In 1937, as the bride of the French industrialist Jean Lion, she cast off her U.S. citizenship and renounced her flashy life style.
