Former NYC Mayor Bill DeBlasio Announces Start of Open Marriage With Wife

After 29 years of marriage, former mayor Bill de Blasio and his wife Chirlane McCray reportedly revealed on Wednesday that they are divorcing in order to date other people without having to separate or file for divorce, effectively entering into an open marriage.

The decision, according to the pair, was made after a heart-to-heart conversation around two months ago where they spoke about why they weren’t “lovey-dovey anymore.”

They did acknowledge that the marriage had begun to fall apart earlier, particularly during the then-mayor’s unsuccessful 2020 presidential campaign.

Bill de Blasio, the former New York City mayor, and Chirlane McCray are separating. They are not planning to divorce, they said, but will date other people and continue to share the Park Slope townhouse. https://t.co/PWXZAJ6sMp
— The New York Times (@nytimes) July 5, 2023

De Blasio, 62, acknowledged that it’s “kind of true” that his absurdly lofty ambitions serve as a distraction.

Additionally, De Blasio cited his eight years as mayor.

Both seemed anxious to start dating, with McCray playfully requesting that her phone number be published in the Times.

The former first couple of New York City claimed that separation talks started in early May, despite the fact that their problems date back considerably longer.

McCray had been identifying as a lesbian when they first met, De Blasio said. He said that he had always had his reservations about their connection because of reality.