Ashley Biden, the daughter of former U.S. President Joe Biden, has begun the process of divorcing her husband, Dr. Howard Krein, a renowned plastic surgeon. The couple, who have been married for over a decade, are parting ways according to recent court filings. The 44-year-old former first daughter filed the divorce papers in the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas earlier this week.
On the same day, Biden posted a photo on her Instagram Story, depicting her walking in a park and giving a thumbs-up. The image was set to the tune of Beyoncé’s song “Freedom.” She also shared a quote that suggested a fresh start: “New life, new beginnings means new boundaries. New ways of being that won’t look or sound like they did before.”
The specific reasons for the couple’s split have not been revealed, as divorce records in Philadelphia are not available to the public. Biden and Krein tied the knot in June 2012 in Greenville, Delaware, two years after being introduced by Biden’s late older brother, Beau Biden.
Krein proposed to Biden on a cliff in Big Sur, California, in late 2011, after receiving her father’s blessing. At the time, Biden was serving as vice president and expressed his approval of Krein, stating, “This is the right guy. And he’s getting a helluva woman.”
The wedding ceremony was held at the St. Joseph on the Brandywine Roman Catholic Church, where Ashley was baptized. The event was attended by approximately 200 guests. Biden briefly mentioned her wedding during her introduction of her father at the Democratic National Convention last year, sharing anecdotes about her father’s involvement in the wedding preparations.
Krein, 59, is an otolaryngologist and plastic surgeon at Thomas Jefferson University Hospitals in Philadelphia. Prior to their separation, the couple resided in Philadelphia. They do not have any children. Efforts to reach Ashley Biden’s attorney for comment were unsuccessful.