Josephine Baker: Four Marriages, the Rainbow Tribe, and a Life Beyond Convention

What Happened

Josephine Baker's first marriage, at age 13, was to Willie Wells — a union born of poverty in the slums of St. Louis. It lasted only weeks. Her second marriage to Willie Baker in 1921, at age 15, was equally brief, but she kept his name for the rest of her life. These early marriages reflected the desperate circumstances of a young Black woman in segregated America, not genuine adult partnerships. By 19, Josephine had already fled to Paris, where she became the most celebrated entertainer in Europe.

Her third marriage, to French industrialist Jean Lion in 1937, was more significant. The marriage finally gave Josephine French citizenship — something she had desperately wanted as an escape from American racism. However, the marriage was unhappy and they divorced in 1940. Her fourth and final marriage, to French bandleader Jo Bouillon in 1947, was her longest and most ambitious partnership. Together, they purchased the Château des Milandes in the Dordogne region and embarked on their most remarkable project: adopting twelve children from around the world.

Josephine called these twelve adopted children her 'Rainbow Tribe' — children from Japan, Korea, Colombia, Finland, France, Algeria, Ivory Coast, Venezuela, Morocco, and other countries, representing different ethnicities and religions. She wanted to prove that 'children of different races and religions could still be brothers.' The enormous cost of maintaining the château and supporting twelve children strained the marriage. Jo and Josephine divorced in 1961, and the financial burden eventually became unsustainable.

By 1969, Josephine had lost Les Milandes to creditors and was evicted from the property. Princess Grace of Monaco offered her a villa in Roquebrune, where she lived with her children until her death in 1975. Josephine Baker's four marriages trace the arc of an extraordinary life: from child bride in the slums to international icon who used marriage, divorce, and family to challenge the world's assumptions about race, nationality, and belonging.

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