What was Bessie Smith's relationship status?

Bessie Smith was known to have had several relationships throughout her life, both with men and women. She was famously partnered with dancer Ma Rainey for a time, but her most notable relationship was with her husband, Jack Gee, whom she married in 1923. Their marriage was tumultuous, marked by infidelity and financial struggles, leading to their separation in the late 1920s. Despite their separation, they remained legally married until Smith's death in 1937.