Jeanette Adair Bradshaw: Morgan Freeman’s First Ex-Wife, Biological Mother of Morgan, and Deena, Freeman’s Sole Adopted Child
Morgan Freeman married (and divorced) twice. He also has four adult children and more than 10 grandkids.
That’s quite the family, but today, I just want to focus on his first wife, Jeanette Adair Bradshaw, and her two daughters.
Jeanette Adair Bradshaw’s Background
Jeanette Adair is quite a private person—so much so that it’s hard to find any definitive info about her age, birthplace, education, or career.
But some people believe was born in 1940, which would make her around three years younger than her ex-husband, Morgan Freeman.
10+ Years With Morgan Freeman
According to report , Jeanette Adair Bradshaw and Morgan Freeman got together in 1967 and married on October 22 that same year. Other sources, however, suggest that the two dated for five years before tying the knot.
Either way, most people believe that Jeanette stood by her husband while he was trying to make his way to stardom.
Unfortunately, Bradshaw and Freeman split ways after more than 10 years of marriage, officially divorcing in 1979. It’s not clear why they decided to part ways. Of course, some tabloids believe that there was some infidelity involved, but I would take these rumors with a grain of salt.
What Happened After the Breakup？
After the split, Jeanette has largely stayed out of the public eye. So, it’s hard to say if she remarried or not.
Morgan Freeman, on the other hand, remarried five years after his divorce from Jeanette Bradshaw. His second wife was the custom designer Myrna Colley-Lee.
Now, this relationship lasted longer than Freeman’s first marriage. Still, it ended with a separation in 2007—this time, the divorce brought along even more rumors.
You see, right before the two got divorced, Freeman was involved in an accident, but he wasn’t alone in the car. A younger woman, Demaris Meyer, was there with him. It didn’t take the tabloids long to speculate that Meyer was Freeman’s mistress.
However, Meyer quickly shut down these claims, denying that there ever was a romantic relationship between her and the critically acclaimed actor. She wanted to make it clear that she wasn’t the reason behind Freeman’s second divorce.
Jeanette Adair Bradshaw’s Daughters and Granddaughters
When Jeanette Adair Bradshaw met Morgan Freeman, she had one daughter, Deena, from a previous relationship. However, Freeman adopted Deena as soon as he could. Apparently, there were some legal hiccups at the time.
It’s worth noting that Freeman, too, had two boys (Alfonso and Saifoulaye) from previous relationships when he met Bradshaw. But he wasn’t involved in their lives at the time, so they weren’t part of the Bradshaw-Freeman household.
Later on, the couple had a daughter and named her Morgana.
Let’s take a closer look at Freeman’s relationships with Bradshaw’s daughters and granddaughters:
Morgana and Alexis
Jeanette Bradshaw gave birth to her only child with Freeman in 1971.
Morgana Freeman has made several appearances on the red carpet with her father, from the AFI Life Achievement Award to the premiere of “Oblivion.” So, it doesn’t seem like they’re estranged at all.
Plus, she’s credited on the movie “Death of a Prophet,” which her father starred in as Malcolm X.
Morgan Freeman also has a good relationship with Morgana’s daughter, Alexis. The Hollywood star took his (and Bradshaw’s) granddaughter to the Chaplin Award Gala, and she had really good stuff to say about him.
He even took a private jet to surprise Alexis during her graduation from O’Connell Center in Gainesville. It’s not clear if Jeanette Bradshaw was there as well, but I like to believe she made it!
Deena and E’dena
Now, if you recall, Deena was Bradshaw’s first daughter whom Freeman adopted after the two got married.
Deena Adair, much like her father, took a career in Hollywood. But she didn’t act. Instead, she shines in the hair and makeup department behind the scenes. In fact, she worked with her father more than once.
Deena had a daughter of her own, E’dena Hines. Although E’dena was biologically Deena’s daughter and Jeanette’s granddaughter, she was raised in Morgan’s house with his second wife, Myrna.
Sadly, E’dena lost her life in a violent incident. As it happens, her boyfriend at the time was charged with murder and sentenced to 20 years in prison.
Both Morgan Freeman and Deena Adair (who was apparently estranged from her daughter) spoke up about their grief. And I can only assume that Jeanette Adair Bradshaw was also shocked to the core by what happened to her granddaughter.
Final Thoughts
Long story short? Lots of celebrity spouses steal the spotlight (and keep it even after breakups), but not Jeanette Adair Bradshaw. She mostly keeps to herself and enjoys a low-profile life as far away from the spotlight as possible.
