June Baranco is an American artist and milliner who became widely known through her marriage to broadcaster Bryant Gumbel. Their relationship lasted for decades and ended in a highly publicized divorce in 2001. However, her story extends beyond that marriage.
Baranco studied fine art at Louisiana State University and later developed a creative career that included painting and hatmaking. Her professional profile shows a long-running interest in visual art, design, and craftsmanship.
Who is June Baranco?
June Baranco, also known professionally as June Gumbel, was Bryant Gumbel’s first wife. A 1997 biographical profile described her as an artist and noted that she maintained a studio at the family’s Westchester home. The same source says she had studied at LSU and later worked as a Delta flight attendant.
Her own Geaux Chapeaux profile presents her as a fine artist and milliner. It says she earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts from LSU in painting and drawing and has worked in oil, pastel, printmaking, drawing, pottery, stained glass, and clothing design.
Reliable public sources do not establish a precise birth date for Baranco. Several biography websites repeat one, but the evidence is not strong enough to treat that date as verified.
Her early life and education
Much of Baranco’s childhood remains outside the reliable public record. Her professional profile does, however, connect her to Baton Rouge and to Louisiana State University.
A 2014 article based on reporting from The Advocate says Baranco completed her fine-arts degree at LSU in 1971. It also describes her as a Baton Rouge native and explains that she continued painting while developing her interest in millinery.
Historical biographical material also says Baranco worked as a Delta flight attendant. That detail matters because it shows she had her own professional life before Bryant Gumbel became a major national television personality.
Marriage to Bryant Gumbel
Baranco met Bryant Gumbel in Chicago in 1968, according to a 1997 biographical account. She was visiting a friend while studying at LSU. Gumbel had not yet become the nationally recognized broadcaster audiences would later know.
The couple married on December 1, 1973. They later had two children, Bradley Christopher Gumbel and Jillian Beth Gumbel. Contemporary profiles described Baranco as an artist and mother during Gumbel’s rise in television.
Their marriage lasted more than two decades. By 1997, the Los Angeles Times described Gumbel as having been married to Baranco for 23 years and noted that the couple had two children.
Why did June Baranco and Bryant Gumbel divorce?
The divorce became a major media story because the proceedings lasted about four years and included allegations of infidelity. In January 2001, ABC News reported that Gumbel agreed to adultery as the grounds for the divorce.
Those reports reflected the positions and allegations involved in a contentious legal dispute. They should not be treated as a complete account of private events that the public cannot independently verify.
The divorce was finalized in August 2001. ABC News reported that the settlement details were sealed. The report also said the New York Post reported that Baranco received the couple’s Upper East Side apartment, their Westchester estate, and half of Gumbel’s then-estimated $20 million worth.
Because the settlement itself was sealed, those financial terms should be understood as contemporary press reporting rather than a publicly available financial disclosure.
June Baranco’s career as an artist and milliner
Baranco’s creative work provides an important part of her biography that many relationship-focused profiles overlook.
Her professional biography at Geaux Chapeaux describes her as an accomplished fine artist. It says her work has appeared in New York, California, Connecticut, Louisiana, and Great Britain. The profile also lists memberships and professional involvement with several art organizations.
Her interest in hats eventually became a more focused business. According to a 2014 article published through the Geaux Chapeaux site and based on The Advocate reporting, Baranco became frustrated by the lack of distinctive headwear when shopping for her daughter Jillian’s 2011 wedding. She decided to design a headpiece herself.
That experiment grew into Geaux Chapeaux, a Westchester County design studio specializing in handmade hats, headpieces, and bridal millinery. The company says its designs draw on Baranco’s Southern background and her long interest in hats.
Her work therefore offers a more complete view of her life. She was not simply a television personality’s spouse. She studied art, raised a family, continued painting, and developed a separate creative business.
What is known about June Baranco today?
Baranco has kept much of her personal life away from the public eye. Public sources document her artistic work and the Geaux Chapeaux brand, but they do not provide a reliable, detailed account of her current private life.
That limited public record is important. There is no strong evidence that supports an exact current age, private residence, or a confirmed post-divorce marriage. Those details should not be filled in with repeated claims from low-quality biography sites.
Her professional work, however, remains easier to document. Geaux Chapeaux continues to identify June Gumbel as its artist and milliner, while its news archive includes past features and industry activity.
Frequently asked questions
Who is June Baranco?
June Baranco is an American artist and milliner best known publicly for her former marriage to broadcaster Bryant Gumbel.
Was June Baranco married to Bryant Gumbel?
Yes. They married on December 1, 1973, and their divorce was finalized in August 2001.
How many children do June Baranco and Bryant Gumbel have?
They have two children: Bradley Christopher Gumbel and Jillian Beth Gumbel.
What did June Baranco study?
Baranco earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Louisiana State University in painting and drawing.
Was June Baranco an artist?
Yes. Historical profiles and her professional website document her work as a fine artist.
What is Geaux Chapeaux?
Geaux Chapeaux is a design studio associated with June Gumbel that creates handmade hats, headpieces, and bridal millinery.
When did June Baranco and Bryant Gumbel divorce?
Their divorce became final in August 2001 after a lengthy public dispute.
Did June Baranco remarry?
Reliable public sources reviewed for this article do not establish that she remarried after her divorce from Bryant Gumbel.
Is June Baranco’s net worth known?
No reliable public financial disclosure establishes June Baranco’s personal net worth. Online estimates should not be treated as verified figures.
Where is June Baranco now?
Her private life is not well documented. Her public professional record connects her with fine art and millinery through Geaux Chapeaux.
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