Celebrity News
Black History Captured on Film: Josephine Baker – The Original Celebrity Reality Star
Josephine Baker used her life to build a brand, “her life was her stage.”
American-born dancer Josephine Baker redefined beauty as a Black entertainer in France during the roaring twenties, she created a brand around her persona and possessed control over her image. The Black Venus captured the essence of the French nightlife, with her famous banana skirt hypnotizing viewers across Europe.
She received 40,000 love letters and 2,000 marriage proposals, Baker was in high demand. Although her body was how she gathered the crowd, Baker captured their attention by her vivacious lifestyle up until her life ended on April 12, 1975. Baker made Black culture attractive, during a time where the collective community was considered unfavorable.
Born in June 1906 in St. Louis, Missori, Freda Josephine McDonald grew up in humble beginnings. She began touring with a dance group when she was 16, Baker eventually moved to New York in 1923, making her mark as one of Broadway’s Chocolate Dandies. There she became aware of her personal image and its charm on her viewers.
A couple of years passed, Baker found herself performing at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées in France. In the La Revue Nègre, she introduced her Danse Sauvage and stole the hearts of all French men in the room, in her time of fame, her legacy went viral, spreading across the world.
Besides her curves, dance moves, and “dark skin,” the banana skirt Baker wore during her performance was provocative and brought attention to a new fetish–the rear end. The skirt would see many different renditions over a 10-year span.
Baker was fully aware of the viewer’s desire of her, she intentionally played into the “exotic” fantasy that was growing around Black culture. Her consciousness was described as having a “third eye,” by seeing herself as a brand.
She sold ‘Bakerskin;’ a skin darkening lotion and ‘Bakerfix,’ a pomade that made a lot of her wealth besides her music-hall performances. Baker played up her “exotic” role, dancing with carefully placed necklaces and pearls, causing a scene wherever she went. When reflecting on her life, one of Bakers’ sons, Jean-Paul Baker said, ” Her Life was her Stage.”
French critics would define her style as “priminitive,” Baker responded in her autobiography. She acknowledged that she was tickled by the reports about her show, “Primitive instinct? Madness of the flesh? Tumult of the senses? ‘The white imagination sure is something,’ Baker continued, “when it comes to Blacks.” Baker was painted to be seen as coming from the jungle, but the American dancer knew she was from Missouri. (Rose, Jazz Cleopatra, 81.)
The St. Louis native didn’t hide from the injustices happening domestically and internationally, she refused to perform in states that had segregated audiences, carried out espionage activity for the French resistance, and hid Jewish refugees when they were under siege. Baker received French merit, which included the Medaille de la Resistance and the Legion d’Honneur.
Baker created her own life, living in a 24-room mansion with a pet cheetah named Chiquita. She adopted 12 children, each having a different ethnic background, Baker called them her ‘Rainbow tribe.’ She created a life of her own, her legacy and political influence continue to echo in fashion and the freedom to portray sensual personas in present-day; for example, she was the inspiration behind Rihanna’s 2014 “naked dress” Riri wore during the CFDA Fashion Awards. Baker showed the real power behind female celebrities taking hold of their image and narrating their own intimate stories.
Ryan Coogler, the acclaimed director of Black Panther and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, has confirmed that Hollywood legend Denzel Washington will join the cast of Black Panther 3. This announcement came during Coogler’s appearance on the 7PM in Brooklyn with Carmelo Anthony podcast, where he revealed that he has written a role specifically for the two-time Oscar winner, whom he regards as “the greatest living actor.”
Washington first hinted at his involvement in the Marvel project during a November 2024 interview on the Today show in Australia, generating excitement among fans. Coogler, who has long admired Washington, expressed his enthusiasm about their upcoming collaboration, noting their close relationship and Washington’s cultural significance. “Denzel is family at this point,” he said in the interview.
Although Marvel Studios has not officially announced Black Panther 3, the franchise’s success, having grossed over $2 billion globally from its first two films, makes a third installment a logical step. The film is still in early development, and while there is no confirmed release date, Coogler hinted that it’s “not long” away, potentially targeting a 2028 release following Avengers: Secret Wars.
Speculation about Washington’s role is abundant, with fans suggesting he could portray a new Wakandan character, a historical figure like Bashenga, or even a multiverse variant of T’Challa or T’Chaka. The emotional connection to the late Chadwick Boseman, who credited Washington’s mentorship for his career, adds significant weight to this casting choice.
Halle Berry and Van Hunt went public with their relationship in September 2020. After five years of dating, Hunt, a Grammy-winning musician, proposed to the Oscar-winning actress, but Berry has not yet accepted.
Berry’s decision to decline Hunt’s proposal, at least for now, stems primarily from her history with marriage. The actress has been married three times previously—to former MLB player David Justice (1993–1997), singer Eric Benét (2001–2005), and actor Olivier Martinez (2013–2016). She also shares a daughter, Nahla, 17, with ex-boyfriend Gabriel Aubry, and a son, Maceo, 11, with Martinez. Hunt has been married once and has a teenage son, Drake.
During the Today interview, Berry explained, “Well, I’ve been married three times. Van has been married once, and so no, we don’t feel like we have to get married to validate our love in any way. We don’t.”
While Berry has not accepted Hunt’s proposal, she has not ruled out marriage entirely. In the same interview, she expressed that she believes Hunt is the right partner for her, stating, “I think we will get married just because, out of the people I’ve been married to, this is the person I should have married.” She added that any future marriage would be a choice made out of desire for expression, not obligation, and hinted at a potential wedding “soon.”
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