The Untold Story of James Brown's Former Wife

June 2024 · 6 minute read

Deidre Jenkins is the former wife of James Brown, the legendary American funk musician. Deidre Jenkins and James Brown got married in 1970, but their marriage could not stand the test of time as they divorced in 1981. 

Deidre Jenkins has been able to gain a spot in the limelight thanks to her ex-husband, who successfully carved a niche in the music industry. Her marriage to the singer, which spanned about nine years, came to an end due to domestic violence after welcoming two children together.

Summary of Deidre Jenkins’s Bio

How Old is Deidre Jenkins?

Deidre Jenkins’s age is not known, as her month, date, and year of birth are scarce. All that is known about her birth is that she was born in the United States, but there are no records of the exact place where she was born. Nothing is known about her ethnicity, and her zodiac sign cannot be determined due to the scarcity of birth details. Deidre Jenkins is a reserved person, and as such, many details about her background are available.

Based on this, the names and occupations of her parents are scarce. There are also no details on if she is a lone child or whether she has siblings or not. Further details on where she spent her childhood were not known, but she grew up somewhere in the United States. Other details about her education have remained vague, as the name, location, and level of education were not mentioned.

When Did Deidre Jenkins Meet James Brown?

Deidre Jenkins met James Brown in the 1960s and eventually tied the knot on October 22, 1970. Though the type of wedding ceremony that they had is not known, it was witnessed by their family and friends. Other details about where they had their wedding and if there were notable people in attendance were not mentioned. Meanwhile, nothing is known about when they started dating or how long they dated before tying the knot.

Their marriage, which lasted nine years, had them flaunt each other at notable events. Deidre Jenkins and James Brown also supported each other and welcomed two daughters, which they cherished.

What Happened Between Deidre Jenkins and James Brown?

Deidre Jenkins and James Brown’s marriage came to an end in 1979 as a result of domestic violence. The estranged couple, who seemed like the perfect match due to the public show of their love, experienced lots of troubles in their closet. According to Deidre Jenkins’ daughter, Yamma Brown, she revealed that her father often abused their mother while they were still together.

Yamma Brown further published a memoir known as Cold Sweat: My Father James Brown and Me where she talked about the impact of the abuse that her mother went through at the hands of her father in her childhood. The singer’s daughter revealed that her parents’ angry voices often echoed all over the house while she would run and take cover under the bed or closet. Though her father never laid a finger on them, they felt the pain of his abuse as he often used her mother as a punching bag, which often left bruises on her body.

The last feather that broke the horse’s back was a fatal beating that their mother received from their father in their presence. This made Deidre Jenkins leave the singer for good and further filed a divorce, which was finalized on January 10, 1981. Further details on whether the divorce was messy or amicable as well as the divorce settlement are not known. Meanwhile, their marriage was Deidre Jenkins’s first, while Janes Brown’s second.

James Brown was previously married to Velma Warren in 1953, but their marriage crashed in 1969. After his marriage to Deidre came to an end in 1981, he got married to Adrienne Rodriguez in 1984, but it did not withstand the test of time and ended in 1996. The singer did not remarry after his failed third marriage and died of a heart attack and fluid in his lungs at 73 years old in a hospital in Atlanta on December 25, 2006.

Meet Deidre Jenkins’s Children With James Brown

Deidre Jenkins and James Brown welcomed two children into their marriage. Here is all to know about their children – Deanna Brown Thomas and Yamma Brown.

Deanna Brown Thomas

Deanna Brown Thomas is the first child of Deidre Jenkins and one of the older children of James Brown. She was born in 1969 in Queens, New York, United States, and is 54 years old. Though the names of the schools that she attended are scarce, she is well-read.

Just like her father, Deanna Brown Thomas has achieved lots of success in her career as a humanitarian, actress, TV personality, and entrepreneur. While her father was alive, she served under him, learning everything about music, which made her father entrust most of his investments into her hands. She has worked with different radio channels like Clear Channel, Radio One, and CBS Affiliate WRDW.

Due to her passion for broadcasting, her father purchased two radio stations, WERD in Atlanta, Georgia, and WAAW in Augusta, Georgia, of which she serves as a Program Director and On-Air Personality in the latter. As an actress, she has appeared in two on-screen projects: New York Undercover and Blues Brothers. She is also involved in the work of charity and has contributed immensely to many charity events.

Yamma Brown

Yamma Brown is the second child of Deidre Jenkins and James Brown, born in 1972 in Augusta, Georgia, United States. She earned a pre-pharmacy degree from the University of Maryland before earning a Doctor of Pharmacy from Mercer University’s College of Pharmacy. With her medical background, she has worked as a clinical pharmacist in various hospitals like Barnes Healthcare Services, Soleo Health, Kaiser Permanente, and more.

She is also an author, radio personality, founder of Daughter of Soul Productions, and Vice President of the James Brown Family Foundation. Yamma Brown is also happily married to
Darren-Anthony Lumar, though it is not known if they have welcomed any children or not.

Where is James Brown’s Ex-wife Now?

There is no credible information on where James Brown’s ex-wife is. Since her divorce from the singer, she has maintained a relatively low profile, making nothing known about her whereabouts. With her low profile, it is impossible to know what she does for a living at the moment or if she found love again or remarried.

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