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| - A long-standing rumor alleging a romantic relationship between actor Morgan Freeman and his step-granddaughter, actress E'Dena Hines, has periodically resurfaced since 2009. Initially published by the tabloid outlet the National Enquirer (archived), the claim emerged without substantiated evidence but gained traction through subsequent tabloid reporting, public speculation — and a murder trial.
Despite Freeman's strong denial and the absence of corroborative proof, this allegation continues to crop up and cloud the memory of Hines, who was killed in 2015.
For example, an Instagram post from August 2024 summarized the claim's backstory while highlighting an article published by The New York Post in 2018, detailing the alleged affair and subsequent court case relating to Hines' death at the hands of her boyfriend, Lamar Davenport, who was found guilty of first-degree manslaughter.
The initial June 2009 story by the National Enquirer claimed Freeman, then in his 70s, was romantically involved with Hines, who was 27 at the time. Hines was not Freeman's biological granddaughter; rather, she was the daughter of Deena Adair, who was the daughter of Freeman's first wife, Jeanette Adair Bradshaw, from a previous relationship.
The tabloid speculated about a decade-long affair that allegedly began when Hines was a teenager and was apparently revealed during divorce proceedings between Freeman and his second wife, Myrna Colley-Lee, who together raised Hines in their home. According to the Enquirer:
"Myrna said E'dena told her that when she was a teenager, she and Morgan went to dinner at a friend's house one evening. Both had been drinking, and when they returned home, Morgan attempted to have sex with her. They stopped just short of having intercourse," the source, a close family insider, told The ENQUIRER.
Freeman released a statement in 2012, published by entertainment news outlet TMZ, condemning the allegations:
"The recent reports of any pending marriage or romantic relationship of me to anyone are defamatory fabrications from the tabloid media designed to sell papers. What is even more alarming is that these fabrications are now being picked up by the legitimate press as well."
TMZ also published a denial from Hines, who described the reports as hurtful:
"These stories about me and my grandfather are not only untrue, they are also hurtful to me and my family."
The Death of E'Dena Hines
On Aug. 16, 2015, Davenport stabbed Hines 25 times in a public attack in Manhattan. Although Davenport was acquitted of murder, he was convicted of the lesser charge of manslaughter and sentenced to 20 years in prison.
The unsubstantiated rumor of the familial affair again resurfaced during Davenport's trial in 2018 when his legal team alleged that Hines had confided in Davenport about an inappropriate relationship with Freeman. According to the New York Post, defense attorney Beth Unger claimed Hines had shared details with her boyfriend and others about a "sexually inappropriate" relationship with Freeman.
The murder trial reignited interest in the 2009 claims, with tabloid outlets including the Daily Mail and National Enquirer revisiting the story.
The allegations of an affair between Freeman and Hines lack credible evidence, and remain unsubstantiated. The National Enquirer's original story was rooted in speculation owing to comments by an anonymous source, and the claims raised during the murder trial relied on hearsay. Both Freeman and Hines consistently denied any inappropriate relationship.
Snopes has previously reported on Freeman, including the unsubstantiated claim he said a second Donald Trump presidency would be "good for the country," and a photograph that authentically shows a young Freeman holding a sign that said: "I'm Just a Clown Who's Feelin' Down."
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