Who Is Tracy Chapman's Husband? All We Know About The Star's Partner

Many who have known Tracy Chapman since the 1980s are not surprised by her sexual orientation. However, a new generation of fans may be interested in discovering who Tracy Chapman's spouse is. Well, the American singer-songwriter has never been married but may be in a long-term relationship with actress Guinevere Turner. Read the juicy details about their romance below.

Tracy Chapman remains a timeless musical icon. Her 1988 debut album sold over a million copies within two weeks of its release. Since then, Chapman's soulful voice, thought-provoking lyrics, and candid social criticism have left a lasting imprint on the global music industry. While her career is a huge success, find out if the same can be said about her love life with Guinevere Turner.

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Who is Tracy Chapman's partner?

Tracy Chapman's wife is believed to be Guinevere Jane Turner, an openly lesbian American actress, screenwriter, and film director.

How old is Tracy Chapman's husband?

Actress Guinevere Turner is 56 as of 2024. She was born on 23 May 1968 in Boston, Massachusetts, USA.

Guinevere Turner's family, childhood, and education

Guinevere is the oldest of six children. She grew up in several communes around the United States, with over 100 devotees of American musician Mel Lyman.

Her mother, Bess, joined The Lyman Family (also known as The Fort Hill Community) when she was 19, a college drop-out, alone and pregnant with Turner. She didn’t know where to go, and returning home was not an option.

The Lyman Family lived in isolation, away from civilization, which they believed to be evil and capable of contaminating their souls.

Also, the family tended to separate children from their biological parents; hence, Turner only lived with Bess when she was 3. Children were homeschooled or made to work the sorghum fields on the Family Farm in Kansas.

Punishments were harsh and arbitrary and could involve getting locked in a closet or being shunned. On top of that, Turner’s 13- and 14-year-old friends were being groomed for marriage to adult men.

At 11, Guinevere Turner's mother left the cult, and as a result, Guinevere and her four-year-old half-sister Annalee were expelled from The Lyman Family.

The three moved to upstate New York with a man named F.P. He had violent outbursts, treated Bess and her daughters like servants, and sexually abused Turner.

Turner had enough of F.P.'s abuse and decided to move in with her boyfriend and his father. At 18, she considered rejoining the group. However, she chose to attend Sarah Lawrence College in Yonkers, New York, where she kissed a girl for the first time and realized she was gay.

When did Tracy Chapman and Guinevere Turner meet?

Reports claimed Chapman was introduced to Turner by a mutual friend in early 2010, and the stars hit it off immediately. They attended the Frameline Film Festival in San Francisco, California, together in June when Turner promoted her film The Owls.

Afterward, the couple made their relationship public at Los Angeles' Outfest Gay and Lesbian Film Festival in July 2010. At that time, they were planning on moving in together and were looking for a house, but they hadn't decided where to make their permanent residence in San Francisco and Los Angeles.

Who are Guinevere Turner's children?

The actress does not have children. She has been quoted on her IMBD biography saying:

One of the many things I love about being female is that I am absolutely 100% positive that I don't have any kids.

What does Tracy Chapman’s partner do for a living?

Guinevere Turner is an actress, screenwriter, and film director. Her career debuted in 1994 when she co-wrote, co-produced, and starred in the Go Fish film with her then-partner, Rose Troche.

Turner also made several guest appearances on The L Word TV drama series between 2004 and 2005 as Gabby (Alice Pieszecki's ex-girlfriend).

In 2005, she wrote BloodRayne and was nominated for a Golden Raspberry Award for the Worst ScreenPlay. All her work in film and TV is as follows:

What is Guinevere Turner’s net worth?

According to a publication by Idolnetworth, Guinevere Turner has an estimated net worth of $9 million. She has garnered considerable wealth from working as an actress, screenwriter, and film director since 1994. Meanwhile, Guinevere Turner's partner, Tracy Chapman, has an estimated net worth of $6 million.

When did Tracy Chapman come out?

Chapman has never announced her sexuality but also never pretends to be anything other than a queer Black woman. Her love life confirms the American folk singer is gay.

Before her long-term relationship with Guinevere, Tracy was romantically linked to Rose Troche, an American director/producer between 1993 and 1996, and Australian-American actress Portia de Rossi from 1998 to 2000.

Alice Walker and Tracy Chapman's relationship

The country music star is also said to have dated The Color Purple author Alice Walker in the mid-1990s. Alice was almost 50, and Tracy was nearly 30. After decades of speculation, Walker briefly acknowledged the relationship in a 2006 interview with The Guardian, where she said:

It was delicious, lovely, and wonderful, and I totally enjoyed it. I was completely in love with her, but it was not anybody's business but ours.

While their relationship was private, Walker asserted it was common knowledge to the people in her neighborhood. In the 1990s, both of them desired to keep their relationship private.

Alice spoke about Chapman on camera for the first time in 2022 to Gayle King while promoting her memoir, Gathering Blossoms Under Fire: The Journals of Alice Walker. While referring to Chapman, she said:

If she didn't want people to know, we should not have dated.

Did Tracy Chapman date Rebecca Walker?

There's no confirmed evidence of a romance between Rebecca Walker, an out bisexual, and Chapman. However, rumors claim she dated Tracy before her mum, Alice Walker, stole the singer. Mind you, Rebecca and Tracy are peers in age, while Alice and Chapman are two decades apart.

YouTuber GABI U.K. explained how Rebecca and Chapman’s brief relationship ended with Celie and Mister's toxicity. The toxicity allegedly drove Chapman to write the track from her album, Telling Stories.

In January 1996, Spike Lee and Chapman invested $60,000 in Rebecca and Angel Williams' Brooklyn-based cybercafé, Kokobar.

When Rebecca and Williams failed to repay Chapman on time, she sued Williams and Kokobar and sent sheriff's deputies and lawyers to seize $1,500 in cash, 25 chairs, five tables, two coffee urns, and a partridge in a pear tree.

The disagreement allegedly occurred at the end of Tracy and Rebecca's relationship. Some believe the seizure was done by an ex attempting to wash her hands of the Walker family.

More rumors claimed Rebecca’s then-girlfriend wrote a letter cussing Chapman out because of the shuttered Kokobar storefront.

Is Tracy Chapman married or have children?

It is unclear whether Chapman has ever been married since she keeps most of her personal life private. However, she has been in a relationship with actress Guinevere Turner since 2010. Additionally, the Fast Car hitmaker has no children, and neither does her partner, Guinevere Turner.

How old is Tracy Chapman?

Tracy Chapman is 60 years old as of 2024. She was born on 30 March 1964 in Cleveland, Ohio, United States.

What is Tracy Chapman famous for?

The American singer-songwriter is widely known for her hit singles, Fast Car (1988) and Give Me One Reason (1995).

Why did Tracy Chapman quit singing?

Chapman did her last tour in 2009 and has not released any originals since 2008. She left the spotlight because she was uncomfortable with being a celebrity. Tracy told the Irish Timesin 2015:

Being in the public eye and under the glare of the spotlight was, and it still is, to some extent, uncomfortable for me, but there are some ways by which everything that has happened in my life has prepared me for this career. But I am a bit shy.

Did Tracy Chapman retire from music?

Chapman has not retired from music. In November 2020, she appeared on the Late Night with Seth Meyers show, performing Talkin About a Revolution. Tracy also did a surprise performance of the lesbian anthem, Fast Car, at the 2024 Grammys alongside country artist Luke Combs. It was her first public performance in many years.

Is Fast Car a lesbian anthem?

Chapman has never out rightly stated that her 1988 hit single has a lesbian meaning, but the queer subtext attached to the song is undeniable. The track was monumental in the late ‘80s and quickly became a queer hit amongst lesbians.

Where does Tracy Chapman live now?

She lives a tranquil life in San Francisco, but the exact location of her home remains closely guarded. After her spectacular performance at the 2024 Grammys, many San Franciscans were surprised to learn she lives in their city.

Some imagine Tracy Chapman's house as a chic urban loft with floor-to-ceiling windows offering breathtaking views. In contrast, others speculate it may be nestled away in a secluded area surrounded by nature.

Facts about Tracy Chapman's partner

• Guinevere Turner's maternal grandmother, Elizabeth Hobbs Turner, served in the US Marine Corps in 1944 during World War II.
• In 2019, she published an essay in The New Yorker titled My Childhood Cult detailing her early life with the Lyman Family.
• After four years, When the World Didn't End, was published and dedicated to Guinevere Turner's sister, Annalee. The memoir expanded on Turner's youth and adolescence in an abusive household.
• She describes her relationship with her mother as civil. Nevertheless, she is close with half-siblings from her mum: Annalee (a graphic designer), Julie (an executive assistant and Turner's unofficial social media manager), and Benjamin (a paralegal).
• Turner enjoys crocheting and makes scarves, sweaters, vests, and hoodies for the Griffith Park Bear.
• She lives in New York and Los Angeles.

Actress Guinevere Turner is publicly considered Tracy Chapman's partner. Although they have never announced being legally married, many perceive their over-a-decade relationship as more of a non-official marriage.

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