Bill de Blasio and his wife, Chirlane McCray, a writer, and activist, have decided to go their separate ways after 29 years of marriage. The two recently confirmed their breakup after several decades together, with an interview with The New York Times, published on July 5, 2023, announcing that they are going through a separation and dating other people without plans to divorce officially. de Blasio, 62, and McCray, 68, shared that while they were grateful for the experience of serving as former mayor of New York City, it took a toll on their marriage due to de Blasio’s schedule. “Everything was this overwhelming schedule, this sort of series of tasks,” de Blasio told The New York Times. “And that kind of took away a little bit of our soul.”
McCray admitted that the spark was blown out of their relationship and decided to approach the topic of separation while binge-watching television when her husband asked her why she isn’t “lovey-dovey anymore.” That evening marked their decision to split after examining what they weren’t receiving from their partnership.
“You can feel when things are off, and you don’t want to live that way,” de Blasio said, while McCray stated, “You can’t fake it.”
Married in 1994, the pair now share two children, daughter Chiara, 28, and son Dante, 25 — and plan to continue living together in their Park Slope townhouse in Brooklyn, New York. Although the couple tries to discover what makes them individually happy, they are figuring out the process together.
“I can look back now and say, ‘Here were these inflection points where we should have been saying something to each other,’” he said during the interview. “And I think one of the things I should have said more is: ‘Are you happy? What will make you happy? What’s missing in your life?’”
While we’re sad these two are separating, we understand their need to hold space for each other to work through their individual needs. Check out their relationship timeline below for a look back at better times.
Former NYC Mayor Bill De Blasio and First Lady Chirlane McCray attended BAM’s 30th Annual Tribute To Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. at BAM Howard Gilman Opera House on January 18, 2016 in New York City and snuck in a kiss.
Who doesn’t love a New Years Eve kiss to bring in the fresh year? Former York City Mayor Bill de Blasio shared a midnight kiss at Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve at Times Square on December 31, 2017 in New York City.
The couple attended the 60th Annual GRAMMY Awards at Madison Square Garden on January 28, 2018 in New York City.
They both attended the 2019 ESSENCE Festival Presented By Coca-Cola at Ernest N. Morial Convention Center on July 06, 2019 in New Orleans, Louisiana.
The pair hosted a Halloween Party for children at Gracie Mansion in New York City, New York on October 25, 2019.
They attended “Hometown Heroes” Ticker Tape Parade on July 07, 2021 in New York, New York, and shared a sweet moment on stage.
Chirlane McCray and Bill de Blasio, and son, Dante de Blasio, attended the “2021 Soul Train Awards” Presented By BET at World Famous Apollo on November 20, 2021 in New York City.
The couple danced onstage after the ball drop during the Times Square New Year’s Eve 2022 Celebration on January 01, 2022 in New York City.
