When Jari Hannu Bouillon was growing up, his mother was one of the most famous women in the world. Josephine Baker had shot to fame in the 1920s in Paris as a dancer, singer and actress. She also worked as a spy during the Second World War and was a fierce civil rights activist. By the 1950s she was living in a 15th-century castle in France with her 12 adopted children. They were from all over the world and meant to be a symbol of racial harmony and 'true brotherhood'. But, eventually, Josephine Baker couldn't sustain her expenses and she was evicted from the chateau. Luckily a friend, Princess Grace of Monaco, helped her find a new place to live. Jari didn't stay there for long. When Josephine found out he was gay, she held a family vote and it was decided that he should be sent to Argentina to live with his father. Jari was able to reconcile with his mother before her death in 1975. Many years later he was contacted by a journalist who said his Finnish birth family was looking for him.

Professor Matthew Pratt Guterl wrote a book called Josephine Baker and the Rainbow Tribe about the family. He was interested in the story because he is an academic who teaches Africana Studies and American Studies, but also because he has a personal connection to the story. Matthew grew up in a large multiracial adoptive family too.

Get in touch: [email protected]

Presenter: Emily Webb

Producer: Saskia Edwards

Picture: Josephine Baker with some of her adopted children in France in the 1950s, including Jari (front row, second from right)

Credit: A. Schorr/Ullstein Bild via Getty Images