In a shocking turn of events, legendary entertainer Josephine Baker was arrested in Montreal, Canada, on June 15, 1960. The 54-year-old star of the Folies Bergère was accused of smuggling over $100,000 worth of stolen clothes and music into the country from the United States. The charges stem from a long-standing feud between Baker and her former agent, William Taub, a New York impresario who filed a lawsuit against her in the United States. Taub claimed that Baker and her associate, Hollywood director Stephen Papich, had stolen $106,963 worth of costumes, clothes, including a luxurious mink jacket, and sheet music and orchestrations that Baker uses in her act. The items, rented for performances, allegedly had to be paid for if taken outside the United States.
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Key Facts
- State: National
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Era: Historical
- Source: Library of Congress — Chronicling America ↗
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