Ashley Biden, daughter of former President Joseph R. Biden Jr. and former first lady Jill Biden, has now reportedly filed for divorce from her husband, Dr. Howard Krein, after more than 13 years of marriage, marking a significant personal change for a member of one of America’s most politically prominent families.
Court records from the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas show the proceedings were filed against Dr. Krein on Monday. The filings did not disclose the details of the divorce or the complaint.
Moments after the paperwork was submitted, Ms. Biden, 43, took to Instagram with a post that appeared to frame the development as a moment of personal reinvention. “New life, new beginnings means new boundaries. New ways of being that won’t look or sound like they did before,” she wrote, pairing the caption with Lauryn Hill’s “Freedom Time.”
Ms. Biden, the only daughter of the former president, has kept a lower profile than many in her family, often working in advocacy and nonprofit leadership rather than in politics.
Yet, as with other members of the Biden family, her private life has occasionally intersected with the public stage.
Her marriage to Dr. Krein, a well-connected Philadelphia plastic surgeon and ear, nose and throat specialist, began in 2012 after the two started dating in 2010, reportedly introduced by her late brother, Beau Biden.
The wedding, held at St. Joseph on the Brandywine Roman Catholic Church in Greenville, Del., was a high-profile family affair, covered by People magazine and other outlets.
The church, long attended by the Bidens, is also where Beau Biden is buried — a poignant tie between family celebration and family loss.
At the 2024 Democratic National Convention, Ms. Biden publicly recalled her wedding day and her father’s words before walking her down the aisle.
“Before he walked me down the aisle, he turned to me and said he would always be my best friend,” she told the crowd. “All these years later, Dad, you are still my best friend.”
For conservatives who have often criticized the Biden family for projecting an image of unity and moral authority while facing a series of personal and political controversies, the divorce represents another reminder that the family’s carefully cultivated public persona does not always reflect the complexity of private life.
The Bidens have long emphasized their closeness as a family, using personal stories — including weddings, losses, and moments of joy — as part of their political narrative.
Dr. Krein, who has kept his own profile largely professional, has not publicly commented on the divorce.
His marriage into the Biden family had at times drawn attention because of his professional ties and the ethical questions raised when relatives of public officials maintain careers in industries regulated by federal agencies.
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