Maya Angelou was an impactful poet, civil rights leader, and author. Throughout her life, she had a number of accomplished accomplishments, as well as other achievements. One notable quality was her private life and relationships. As such, many people have asked the question – was Maya Angelou ever married?
The answer is yes. In 1951, she married her first husband, Tosh Angelos. They have a son, Guy Johnson, who is a renowned pediatirictian and poet. They divorced shortly later, in which Angelou moved with her son to San Francisco.
In 1957, Angelou married Greek-American singer and composer, Paul du Feu. They moved together to Egypt and later, Ghana, before their divorce in 1962.
In 1968, Angelou married South African civil rights activist and composer, Vusumzi Make. They were together until 1973.
Angelou’s final husband was British-American philanthropist, Paul Gilpin, who she had been friends with since 1975. They married in 1981, but divorced shortly afterwards.
Though Angelou was married four times, she was famously discreet when it came to her private relationships. In her lifetime poem, “On the Pulse of Morning,” she wrote, “I come neither to protect or criticize.”
In addition to these four marriages, Angelou was also in a long-term relationship with actor, playwright, and director, Horton Foote, from 1978 until his death in 2009. She was also rumored to have had an affair with the late civil rights leader Malcolm X in the late 1960s.
First Marriage To Tosh Angelos
Maya Angelou’s first marriage was to Tosh Angelos in 1951. He was a Greek-American, who subsequently named their son, Guy Johnson after his father. Guy is now a renowned pediatrician, novelist and poet, much like his mother. Yet, this marriage was brief and the couple eventually divorced after a few years.
In her autobiography, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, Angelou wrote about her first husband and their difficult relationship, which ultimately led to her departure with her son from Listening, Arkansas. Thus, this first marriage to Tosh Angelos had a significant influence on Angelou’s life.
The couple eventually reconciled their relationship, and Angelou even mentioned him in her poem, “Touched by An Angel”. This poem was written later on in her life and reflects the warm feelings she had for her first husband, despite their divorce.
In addition to this poem, England’s National Portrait Gallery has a photograph of Angelou and her first husband and son, which was taken shortly before their divorce.
This photograph encapsulates the brief relationship between Angelou and her first husband as they were together when they were young and their son, Guy was still a baby.
Second Marriage To Paul du Feu
Maya Angelou’s second marriage was to Paul du Feu in 1957. He was a Greek-American singer and composer, and the couple moved to Egypt and Ghana together, where Angelou experienced many enriching cultural experiences.
During this period, Angelou wrote articles and performed cabaret, which was criticised by the Ghanaian press for being “too white”. She wrote about this experience in her autobiographical novel, All God’s Children Need Traveling Shoes.
Angelou and her husband spent three years in this location, during which she exposed herself to the rich culture that exists in West Africa. This experience is remembered fondly by Angelou and likely helped shape her career as an artist.
In 1962, the couple divorced, and Angelou moved to New York. She began attending Bank Street College and also met her third husband Vus Make, whom she married in 1968.
Thus, it is clear that her second marriage to Paul du Feu had a great impact on Angelou’s cultural experiences and likely shaped the trajectory of her career.
Third Marriage To Vusumzi Make
Maya Angelou’s third marriage was to South African civil rights activist and composer, Vusumzi Make, in 1968. He was noted for his activism and often used songs as tools to resist the economic and racial oppressions experienced by black South Africans.
The couple’s time together was brief, and they divorced in 1973, shortly before Angelou’s widely publicized friendhsip with Malcolm X.
In her autobiography, Angelou speaks fondly of her third husband, who often used music to fight back against oppressive forces. She acknowledges his contributions to the civil rights movement and even praised him for his commitment to changing the conditions of black South Africans.
Vusumzi Make’s influence can be seen in many of Angelou’s works as well as her continued support of the civil rights movement throughout her career. He undoubtedly had an impact on her life, which is something she acknowledged in her autobiographical works.
Fourth Marriage To Paul Gilpin
In 1981, Angelou married for the fourth and final time to friend and business partner, Paul Gilpin. This marriage was short-lived, and the couple ultimately divorced later that same year.
Prior to their marriage, Angelou and Gilpin already had a long-standing relationship. They had worked together for over six years on a number of philanthropic and business initiatives. Furthermore, Gilpin was the president of Caged Bird Productions, which was Angelou’s production company.
Though their marriage only lasted for one year, their friendship and partnership continued for several years afterwards. They continued working together until 2010, when Gilpin passed away.
Angelou was famously private about her personal life and relationships, and her fourth marriage to Paul Gilpin exemplifies this fact. From their names, it is difficult to deduce their identity, but it is clear that they had a close friendship and working partnership that lasted until Gilpin’s death in 2010.
Relationships With Other Notable People
In addition to her four marriages and long-term relationship with actor and director, Horton Foote, Angelou was also rumored to have had an affair with civil rights leader, Malcolm X in the late 1960s.
Though their relationship was brief, Angelou described it fondly in her biography, A Song Flung Up To Heaven. In the book, she wrote about her and Malcolm X’s connection on a number of topics and the tragedy of his assassination which occurred shortly after their meeting.
Angelou was famously discreet when it came to her personal relationships and thus, the extent of their relationship is still unclear. Nevertheless, it is clear that they were close and had many shared beliefs and experiences.
Angelou also had close friendships with other prominent figures such as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Coretta Scott King, and many other civil rights leaders and celebrities. Her lifelong commitment to form meaningful relationships with people from all walks of life ultimately had a great influence on her life and career.
Conclusion
Maya Angelou was married four times throughout her life. Her first marriage to Tosh Angelos had a significant influence on her life, as the couple divorced and Angelou moved with her son to San Francisco. Angelou also had a long-term relationship with actor, playwright, and director, Horton Foote, from 1978 until his death in 2009.
Her second marriage, to Paul du Feu, moved the couple to Egypt and then Ghana, where Angelou had an array of enlightening cultural experiences. Meanwhile, Angelou’s third marriage to South African civil rights activist, Vus Make, was brief, but they had shared experiences which Angelou still looks back on fondly today.
Lastly, Angelou married business partner and friend, Paul Gilpin in 1981, for which their marriage was short-lived but their friendship and partnership continued until his death in 2010. Furthermore, Angelou also had a close relationship with civil rights leader, Malcolm X.
Though she was married four times and had a number of complex relationships with other prominent figures, Angelou was famously private about her love life and chose not to discuss her experiences extensively.
