Esperanza Baur | |
|---|---|
 Baur and John Wayne in 1946 | |
| Born | Esperanza Díaz Ceballos 17 July 1920 Mexico City, Mexico |
| Died | 10 March 1961 (aged 40) Mexico City, Mexico |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1937–1943 |
| Spouse | |
Esperanza Baur Díaz (born Esperanza Díaz Ceballos; 17 July 1920 – 10 March 1961) was a Mexican actress and the second wife of actor John Wayne.
Born Esperanza Díaz Ceballos, nicknamed "Chata", she appeared in a small number of Spanish language films, both in leading and supporting roles.
Esperanza met John Wayne in 1941 in Mexico City while he was vacationing there.[1] At the time, he was still married to his first wife, Josephine Alicia Saenz, but that marriage ended 25 December 1945. Esperanza and John were married on 17 January 1946, in Long Beach, California.[1][2]
Their marriage was rocky and volatile from the start because she was reportedly jealous of his devotion to his work and to his four children; they had no children of their own. "Our marriage was like shaking two volatile chemicals in a jar", Wayne said. Esperanza accused Wayne of having an affair with Gail Russell, his leading lady in Angel and the Badman, which he denied. There were charges and counter-charges of unfaithfulness, drunken violence, emotional cruelty, and "clobbering". Wayne described his wife as a "drunken partygoer who would fall down and then accuse him of pushing her."[1] Esperanza was accused of having an affair with hotel heir Nicky Hilton during divorce proceedings.[3] They separated in May 1952;[4] in the end the marriage lasted eight years, coming to an end on 1 November 1954.[5]
Esperanza died of a heart attack in 1961.[5]
