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Six Female Entertainers You Didn't Know Were Spies

A smiling woman in a brown outfit and another holding a whisk, both in different settings.

You would think being in the limelight would disqualify you for living a double life – think again. These six women in the entertainment industry were secretly spies on the side.

A woman sings on stage with a band, surrounded by microphones and musical instruments.

Josephine Baker was the most famous black female entertainer of the 1930s and 1940s. She served the Allies by harboring German refugees and eliciting military secrets from high-ranking Axis officials.

Before Audrey Hepburn stole the hearts of thousands of fans, she helped the resistance movement in her home country of Nazi-occupied Netherlands. She performed in black evenings and delivered resistance news as a child.

A woman in a vintage outfit with fur details and a floral necklace, smiling.

Alice Marble was a famous tennis player who agreed to play in Switzerland to entice her ex-boyfriend to contact her. He was in league with the Nazis, so she risked her life to gain information for the Allies.

Mata Hari was a seductress who solicited her services to high-ranking officers during WWI. She was executed by the French after it was discovered she had sold secrets to the enemy.

A smiling woman holds flowers, waving to a crowd, with a man in a suit beside her.

Marlene Dietrich was investigated by the FBI under suspicion of espionage for her native Germany. However, she loved America and proved it by being a spy for the Allies in WWII.

Julia Child worked for the OSS before she became famous for making delicious dishes on television. She worked behind the scenes and helped developed an anti-shark repellent for the government.