June Baranco: The Remarkable Story of Bryant Gumbel’s Ex-Wife, Art Career and Family Life

June Baranco is an American fine artist and milliner best known as the first wife of television journalist Bryant Gumbel. Although her marriage brought her public attention, she has built a creative career through painting, drawing, and handmade hat design.

She married Gumbel in 1973, and the couple had two children before their divorce was finalized in August 2001. Their separation attracted considerable media coverage, but her professional life tells another important part of her story.

From her upbringing in Louisiana to her fine-art education and the development of Geaux Chapeaux Millinery, June has maintained a connection with creativity throughout her life.

This biography explores her background, marriage, children, divorce, artistic achievements, and publicly documented activities in recent years.

Quick Bio

Field	Details
Full Name	June Baranco
Also Known As	June Gumbel
Profession	Fine artist and milliner
Nationality	American
Raised In	Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA
Education	Louisiana State University
Qualification	Bachelor of Fine Arts (1971)
Former Spouse	Bryant Gumbel
Marriage	December 1, 1973
Divorce	August 2001
Children	Bradley and Jillian Gumbel
Business	Geaux Chapeaux Millinery
Known For	Fine art, handmade hats, and marriage to Bryant Gumbel

Who Is June Baranco?

June Baranco is a professionally trained artist whose public biography connects television history, family life, and traditional craftsmanship.

Many people recognize her name because of Bryant Gumbel, who became a prominent American television personality through NBC’s Today and other broadcasting programmes.

However, her involvement in the arts began long before she developed her millinery business.

She studied fine art, experimented with different artistic materials, and maintained her creative interests during her marriage.

Her later work as a hat designer brought those interests together in a practical form. Through Geaux Chapeaux, she developed distinctive headwear using traditional techniques and carefully selected materials.

Early Life and Family Background

June grew up in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where Southern customs and clothing traditions influenced her interest in fashion and design.

Her early exposure to sewing came through her aunt Eura, who was a seamstress. She taught June how to sew by hand while she was still a child.

According to a 2014 interview published by The Advocate, her parents, Jeannie and Joseph Baranco, gave her a sewing machine for her tenth birthday.

That childhood experience became particularly meaningful when she later began designing hats professionally.

Education at Louisiana State University

June attended Louisiana State University, where she studied fine art and developed her skills in painting and drawing.

She graduated in 1971 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree.

Her education gave her experience with visual composition, colour, texture, and artistic expression. These skills would eventually become important in her approach to millinery.

Her professional background also includes work in oil painting, pastels, printmaking, pottery, stained glass, and clothing design.

June Baranco and Bryant Gumbel’s Marriage

June Baranco and Bryant Gumbel met in 1968 while she was visiting a friend in Chicago.

At the time, June was studying at Louisiana State University. A 1997 biographical profile of Gumbel also records that she later worked as a Delta flight attendant.

Their relationship began before Bryant became a nationally recognized television broadcaster.

The couple married on December 1, 1973.

Life During Bryant Gumbel’s Television Career

Bryant Gumbel became one of America’s best-known morning television presenters after joining NBC’s Today as a co-host in 1982.

His growing broadcasting career brought public attention to the family.

The couple maintained a family home in Westchester County, New York, while Bryant worked in television.

A contemporary biographical account from 1997 describes June as an artist who maintained her own studio at their home.

This detail is important because it shows that artistic work was already part of her life during the marriage, rather than an interest she discovered only after the divorce.

June Baranco and Bryant Gumbel’s Children

June and Bryant Gumbel have two children together:

• Bradley Gumbel: Their son, who was mentioned in contemporary reports about the family.
• Jillian Gumbel: Their daughter, whose wedding preparations later influenced June’s move into professional hat design.

The children grew up during a period when their father was a prominent figure on national television.

Despite the publicity surrounding the marriage and divorce, detailed information about their adult personal lives has remained relatively limited.

Jillian has a particularly interesting connection to her mother’s creative career.

While shopping for accessories for Jillian’s 2011 wedding, June encountered bridal headpieces that she considered expensive and insufficiently original. That experience encouraged her to begin making her own designs.

Why Did June Baranco and Bryant Gumbel Divorce?

June Baranco and Bryant Gumbel’s marriage ended after nearly 28 years.

Their separation became a widely reported legal dispute involving allegations about marital infidelity and disagreements over financial matters.

News coverage at the time reported that June had accused Bryant of having relationships outside their marriage.

Those accusations were part of the publicly reported dispute and should not be confused with independently established findings about every allegation.

When Was Their Divorce Finalized?

The couple’s divorce was finalized in August 2001 in Westchester County, New York.

Contemporary reporting by ABC News and the Associated Press described the proceedings as the conclusion of a dispute lasting approximately four years.

The details of the final settlement were sealed.

Some newspaper reports discussed possible property arrangements and financial figures, but those reports do not provide a complete, publicly verified account of the agreement.

Therefore, any precise claim about how much June received should be treated cautiously.

After the divorce, she continued to pursue her own creative interests and eventually developed a business connected to her longstanding passion for fashion and handmade accessories.

June Baranco’s Career as a Fine Artist

June’s artistic identity is an important part of her biography.

Her professional profile describes experience across several creative disciplines, including oil painting, pastels, drawing, printmaking, pottery, and stained glass.

Rather than concentrating on only one medium, she explored different ways of creating visual work.

Her official biography states that her art has been exhibited in New York, California, Connecticut, Louisiana, and Great Britain.

Art Organizations and Professional Involvement

Her professional biography also identifies connections with organizations including the Salmagundi Club, the Portrait Society, and the Katonah Museum Artist Association.

These associations reflect her involvement in artistic communities beyond her former husband’s television career.

Her experience in fine art helped shape her later approach to hat design, where colour, proportion, materials, and decorative composition are equally important.

Geaux Chapeaux: June Baranco’s Handmade Hat Business

One of June’s most distinctive professional achievements is Geaux Chapeaux, a millinery studio associated with Westchester County, New York.

Millinery is the art and craft of designing, constructing, and decorating hats and headpieces.

Her business specializes in handmade designs, including decorative hats, formal headwear, and bridal accessories.

How Did Geaux Chapeaux Begin?

The idea developed around 2011, when June accompanied her daughter to a bridal salon.

She was disappointed by the available headwear and decided to explore making original pieces herself.

Drawing on her childhood sewing experience, she began examining vintage hats to understand their construction.

She also collected traditional millinery materials and equipment, including decorative ribbons, fabrics, lace, feathers, and hat blocks.

Her interest gradually developed into a professional design practice.

By 2014, she was showcasing her creations at a fashion-related event associated with Louisiana State University’s museums.

What Makes Her Hat Designs Distinctive?

Geaux Chapeaux combines vintage-inspired styling with individual craftsmanship.

The studio’s designs incorporate materials such as felt, straw, fabric, tulle, feathers, and decorative trims.

Many pieces reflect an appreciation for traditional hat-making techniques.

The name also acknowledges June’s Louisiana background. The word “geaux” is a playful Louisiana-style spelling of “go”, while “chapeaux” is French for hats.

This connection between Southern heritage, artistic education, and handmade fashion gives her business a recognizable creative identity.

Where Is June Baranco Today?

As of October 2026, June Baranco remains publicly associated with her work as an artist and milliner.

Geaux Chapeaux continues to maintain an online professional presence, with news and information about its designs.

The studio published updates during 2024 and 2026, providing evidence of ongoing public-facing professional activity.

In November 2024, its website discussed June’s entry in the Mildred Blount Hat Competition, inspired by historical fashion.

In March 2026, the business reported that one of its creations had been featured at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture. This is a statement published by the studio rather than an independently confirmed institutional announcement.

The business also published material about occasion hats in May 2026.

These updates offer a more reliable picture of her recent professional interests than speculative accounts about her private circumstances.

Her studio is associated with Westchester County, but its business location should not automatically be treated as confirmation of her current residential address.

June Baranco’s Net Worth and Financial Information

Interest in June’s finances is partly connected to her former husband’s successful television career and their widely reported divorce.

However, there is no dependable public financial statement establishing her personal net worth.

Her ownership of a creative business does not establish the amount of her personal wealth.

Similarly, unconfirmed reports about the divorce settlement should not be used to calculate her present financial position.

For that reason, assigning a specific net-worth figure would be speculative.

A Life Beyond Her Former Marriage

June Baranco’s story includes much more than her relationship with a famous television presenter.

Her artistic education, childhood sewing experience, and later work in millinery show a continuing interest in creativity across different stages of her life.

Although the divorce brought significant media attention, her professional record provides another way to understand her achievements.

Her work illustrates how traditional craftsmanship can be adapted into contemporary design while maintaining a connection to personal history and cultural influences.

Conclusion

June Baranco is remembered by many as Bryant Gumbel’s former wife, but her professional background offers a broader picture.

From studying fine art at Louisiana State University to developing Geaux Chapeaux, she has pursued creative interests across painting, design, and traditional millinery.

Her marriage, family history, and divorce explain much of the public interest in her name. Her artistic work, however, remains an important part of her individual story.

Also Read: Marina Warner: Her Remarkable Life, Books and Lasting Influence

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is June Baranco?

June Baranco is an American fine artist and milliner best known as Bryant Gumbel’s former wife. She is also associated with Geaux Chapeaux, a business specializing in handmade hats and headpieces.

When did June Baranco marry Bryant Gumbel?

June married Bryant Gumbel on December 1, 1973. Their marriage lasted until their divorce was finalized in August 2001.

How many children does June Baranco have?

June has two children with Bryant Gumbel: Bradley Gumbel and Jillian Gumbel. Her daughter’s wedding preparations in 2011 helped inspire her later hat-design business.

What does June Baranco do professionally?

She is a fine artist and milliner. Her professional background includes painting, drawing, printmaking, and the creation of handmade hats through Geaux Chapeaux Millinery.

Did June Baranco remarry after Bryant Gumbel?

Reliable public information reviewed for this biography does not establish whether June remarried following her 2001 divorce. Her current relationship status should not be assumed.

What is June Baranco doing now?

Recent public information about her professional work comes from Geaux Chapeaux Millinery. The studio published updates in 2026, while information about her day-to-day private life remains limited.