Former Wife of Actor Morgan Freeman

Jeanette Adair Bradshaw | Biography

Married Morgan Freeman in October 1967

• By Anil Pradhan
• Update : April 20, 2022

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Jeanette Adair Bradshaw is the former wife of renowned American actor Morgan Freeman.

Who is Jeanette Adair?

Jeanette Adair Bradshaw is an American woman and a famous family member. She gained global recognition after her marriage with the American actor Morgan Freeman. However, as of 2022, she has no relationship with him as the pair divorced 43 years in 1979. Furthermore, as of 2022, her net worth has not been disclosed. 

Her Ex-Husband Morgan Freeman Has Worked in Over 50 Movies & TV Shows

Jeanette married her now former husband, Morgan Freeman, on 22 October 1967. While no reliable internet sites have yet published information about their first meeting and love life, the pair were married for 12 years. From their marriage, they became parents to their two children, Deena and Morgana Freeman. The couple legally separated on 18 November 1979.

Morgan Freeman is a veteran American television and film actor, director, producer, and voice-over artist. He is a Tennessee native-born on 1 June 1937 to his father Morgan Porterfield Freeman and mother, Mamie Edna. Moreover, he is the youngest born child and has three brothers above him.

Morgan's entertainment career began in the early 1960s. He commenced with an uncredited part in the 1964 film The Pawnbroker. In the years to follow, he had several other uncredited appearances in films like A Man Called Adam (1966), Where Were You When The Lights Went Out? (1968), etc. Later, in 1971, he landed his first credited role in a film as Afro in Who Says I Can't Ride a Rainbow! (1971 film). It followed his career's breakout TV role in the kids' show The Electric Company. He appeared as various characters in around 780 episodes of the show from 1971 to 1977.

As of January 2022, the veteran actor's career spans over 58 years and is still active in the industry. To date, he has around 139 acting credits, 20 production credits, and over 300 credits as a guest and TV show host.

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Morgan's list of most notable acting works includes Texas (1981 TV series), Street Smart (1987 film), The Civil War (1990 TV series), Chain Reaction (1996 film), Deep Impact (1998 film), The Dark Knight (2008 film), The Dark Knight Rises (2012 film), Angel Has Fallen (2019 film), etc. His most recent big-screen appearance was in the 2021 film Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard. Moreover, he has several movies set to release in 2022 like Muti, Sniff, Hate to See You, etc. They all are currently in the post-production stage. 

Mother of Two Daughters

Despite being the first wife of a veteran American actor, only a few details about Jeanette's early life are available on the internet. The only information available about her family is after her marriage to Morgan.

She is the mother of her two daughters, Morgana, and Deena Freeman. Morgana was born to Morgan Freeman, while Deena was from her previous relationship. However, Morgan took Deena under him as his daughter after her marriage. Jeanette's first marriage details have not been published in authentic media outlets.

Freeman & Jeanette Divorced After Twelve Years of Marriage

Jeanette's first marriage with Morgan Freeman ended after two children and 12 years together. Reportedly, their relationship started having problems when Morgan's career was on the rise and demanded too much of his life. Moreover, he developed an alcohol addiction to cope with his situation, leading to the pair's divorce in 1979.

While both of them remained quiet regarding the reason behind their separation, according to Distractify, the outlet revealed, "Several online tabloids suggest that Morgan's infidelities might have been the reason behind the downfall of their marriage."

Following their divorce, Jeanette has married no one and has kept her profile low, away from the limelight. On the other hand, Freeman married Myrna Colley-Lee, his second wife, in 1984. Freeman's daughters and grandchildren were close to her, and the two even reared his step-granddaughter, E'Dena Hines. 

However, the two divorced in 2010, after a marital relationship for over two and half decades. The reason behind their separation was infidelity.

According to May 2021 reports from The Things, "[Myrna] and Morgan Freeman were caught up amid a legal battle for three very long years. However, Morgan Freeman continued to deny allegations of infidelity, and Myrna Colley-Lee stood steadfast in her expectations for what she felt she was owed after 26 years of marriage."

Granddaughter's Murder

Jeanette had a granddaughter, E'Dena Hines. She was born to Deena Freeman, Morgan Freeman's stepdaughter. In 2015, E'Dena was stabbed to death outside her house in Manhattan. The person who stabbed her was her 33 years old boyfriend Lamar Davenport. 

A witness, George Hudacko, claimed that Davenport slew E'Dena Hines while he attempted to perform an 'exorcism' on her in the middle of a New York street. The then 65-year-old witness heard the woman cry, witnessed the attack from his window, and then dialed 911.

Hudacko said the assailant screamed: "Get out, devils! I cast you out, devils! In the name of Jesus Christ, I cast you out!" as he carried the attack," as he conducted the assault.
The witnesses even claimed that Davenport stabbed her multiple times after she stopped breathing.

Reportedly, he was high on drugs during the time of the murder. Later, Davenport faced a second-degree murder charge and received a sentence of 25 years imprisonment.

Alleged Relationship of Morgan Freeman & E'Dena Hines

Rumors regarding Freeman's alleged affair with Hines have been circulating since 2009 when The National Enquirer initially broke the story. The reports claimed that they have been dating for almost a decade.

The reports also stated that the couple was serious about their love and even going to marry. 

"The recent reports of any pending marriage or romantic relationship of me to anyone are defamatory fabrications from the tabloid media design[ed] to sell papers," Morgan Freeman told CNN at the time. "What is even more alarming is that these fabrications are now being [picked up] by the legitimate press as well."

Even though they were not blood relatives, Freeman has known Hines since she was a young child and had been a part of her life for years. 

During his first marriage to Jeanette Adair-Bradshaw, Freeman adopted her biological mother, Deena Adair, and then raised Hines with his second wife, Myrna Colley-Lee.

According to defense counsel, Freeman's step-granddaughter revealed to her boyfriend-turned-killer that the actor had been in a covert sexual relationship with her before she was slain, confirming year-old accusations about the romance.

"E'Dena Hines disclosed to Lamar Davenport and others that her grandfather engaged in a sexually inappropriate relationship with her," Davenport's lawyer, Beth Unger, stated in the court in April 2018.

While his defense counsel didn't go into depth, they did submit testimony from a therapist who alleged Davenport confessed to frequently battling with Hines about infidelity. They also blamed each other for being disloyal.

"Lamar admitted to me that they had a violent relationship," noted Dr. Jeremy Colley. "[Their] disagreements could be emotionally intense."

Freeman's Son Alfonso Appeared With His Father In 'The Shawshank Redemption'

Alfonso was born in 1959. He is the son of the actor's romance with Loletha Adkins, albeit the couple divorced after the child was born.

In The Shawshank Redemption, Morgan (Ellis "Red" Redding) enlisted the help of his son Alfonso. Alfonso played the role of one of the prisoners praising the arrival of "Fresh Fish" at the movie's start.

Deena Has Worked As A Hairstylist On Various Television Shows

Morgan adopted his first wife's daughter Deena, whom she had welcomed from a prior relationship, during his first marriage to Jeanette. She worked as a hairstylist for several high-profile movies, including the 2012 comedy The Magic of Belle Isle.

She has even worked in the make-up department for some of his father's productions, such as The Nutcracker and The Four Realms (2018).