Betty Boop is often remembered as the cheeky, flapper-era animated icon, but her origins are rooted in a largely untold story.
Long before she became the face of the Jazz Age, the real inspiration behind the character was a Black performer named Esther Lee Jones, affectionately known as Baby Esther.
Born in Chicago in 1919 or 1920, Baby Esther was a child prodigy who wowed audiences with her unique scat singing and playful dance moves by the age of four.
Her signature baby voice—complete with “boop-boop-a-doop” sounds—captivated crowds, particularly at Harlem’s famous Cotton Club.
Esther’s performances were so memorable that she toured Europe in 1929, even performing for royalty.
However, much of Esther’s fame was short-lived, as her act was co-opted by Helen Kane, a white performer, who replicated Esther’s signature “baby voice” and style.
In a common practice of the time, white performers often borrowed (and sometimes outright stole) the acts of Black entertainers without recognition or compensation.
Kane’s adoption of Baby Esther’s style eventually led to her filing a $250,000 lawsuit against Max Fleischer, the creator of Betty Boop, claiming he had based the character on her persona.
In a stunning twist, Fleischer defended the creation of Betty Boop by presenting evidence that the character was inspired by several women, including Esther.
Archive footage of Baby Esther performing was used as proof that the “boop-boop-a-doop” phrase existed long before Kane’s rise to fame.
As a result, Kane lost the case, and Betty Boop’s place in history as the Jazz Age icon was solidified. Yet, despite this victory, Baby Esther never received the credit, royalties, or compensation she deserved.
Her story—like many Black artists of the time—remains largely forgotten, but her influence on one of animation’s most iconic characters cannot be overstated.
While Betty Boop may have been whitewashed over the years, the truth remains: without Baby Esther’s Black artistry, Betty Boop would not exist.
