Myrna Colley-Lee, known as Morgan Freeman's ex-wife, is a distinguished American costume designer with a career spanning more than five decades. She married Freeman in 1984 and filed for divorce in 2007, but her professional achievements in the Black Theatre Movement define her legacy.
Early Life and Education
Born in Hamlet, North Carolina, in 1941, Colley-Lee earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Women's College of the University of North Carolina and a Master's degree in scenic and costume design from Temple University in Philadelphia. Before dedicating herself to costume design, she worked as an art supervisor at Charlotte-Mecklenburg School and as a social worker.
She also spent time in Liberia, West Africa, where she contracted malaria, an experience that strengthened her resilience and broadened her cultural perspective.
Career in Costume Design
Colley-Lee began her design career in the late 1960s and has since designed costumes and scenic concepts for more than 70 productions across over 50 national venues and regional theatres. Her notable works include The Piano Lesson, Forest City, Wedding Band: A Love/Hate Story in Black and White, The Ballad of Emmett Till, Ain't Misbehavin', Gee's Bend, Two Trains Running, Radio Golf, Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, Fences, and Bus Stop.
She has worked with prestigious theatres including the Goodman Theatre, Steppenwolf Theatre, Cleveland Playhouse, and St. Louis Repertory Theatre. Her screen credits include Frederick Douglass: An American Life (1985) and an appearance on 60 Minutes.
Philanthropy and Civic Engagement
Colley-Lee has held faculty or staff positions at Smith College, The Kennedy Centre's American College Theatre Festival, and the Design and Management Institute of the National Arts Consortium in New York. She serves as a Commissioner for the Mississippi Arts Commission and is on the boards of the Charleston Arts Revitalisation Effort and the Rock River Foundation.
She is also a member of the National Museum of Women in the Arts in Washington, D.C., and the Black Theatre Network in St. Louis, Missouri.
Marriage to Morgan Freeman
Colley-Lee met Freeman in 1976 during an off-Broadway play, when he was struggling with alcohol and troubles in his first marriage. They married on 16 June 1984 at Freeman's parents' home off Highway 35 northwest of Charleston. The couple lived quietly in Tallahatchie County, Mississippi.
In a 2005 CBS News interview, Colley-Lee described Freeman as "more full of himself. He's self-absorbed," when asked if he was a narcissist.
Divorce and Aftermath
The couple separated in December 2007, and the divorce petition was filed in July 2008. The legal proceedings were sealed, and neither party disclosed the specific grounds. Allegations of extramarital affairs, including with schoolteacher Mary Joyce Hays and passenger Demaris Meyer, were never verified. Meyer denied any romantic involvement, noting the couple was already legally separated at the time of Freeman's 2008 car accident.
The divorce was finalised on 15 September 2010. Freeman's attorney William R. Wright said, as reported by WTHR News: "It was done without a trial. Everybody is glad it's over."
Personal Life and Net Worth
Colley-Lee had no biological children but was close to Freeman's children, particularly his step-granddaughter E'dena Hines. Her exact net worth is unconfirmed due to sealed court records, but some celebrity net worth websites estimate it at around $160 million. Her income sources include decades of professional work, a possible divorce settlement (reports range from $100 million to $400 million, though unverified), and philanthropic board memberships.
Art Collection and Current Status
Her personal art collection, Reflections: African American Life from the Myrna Colley-Lee Collection, has been exhibited publicly, featuring 50 works by artists such as Romare Bearden, James Van Der Zee, Elizabeth Catlett Mora, Eudora Welty, and Betye Saar. She continues to maintain a private profile and remains active in arts philanthropy in Mississippi.
