Chiara and Dante de Blasio: Bill de Blasio's children gained attention during his election campaign
NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: Former NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio, 62, and his lesbian wife Chirlane McCray, 68 have separated after 27 years of marriage. The couple has not divorced but will share the Brooklyn home and they are allowed to date different people.
The couple's choice to split came two months ago, on what the Times described as "another stale Saturday night of binge-watching television at their Brooklyn home', when the former mayor asked his wife, "Why aren't you lovey-dovey anymore?"
The couple separated the same evening when they talked about their relationship
The couple moved on quickly and separated the same night after having a conversation about their relationship which they have been avoiding till the very day it happened. Reportedly, the cracks in the marriage began to appear a couple of years ago especially when the then-mayor had a disastrous run for the White House, as reported by New York Times.
They listed Covid and the stress of the former mayor's obligations during his tenure from 2014 to 2021, as the reason behind the breakdown of their marriage. Early in 2020, just as the virus began to spread over New York City, Blasio started therapy, but his efforts to better himself were thwarted by the pandemic.
Earlier this month, the former mayor of New York was fined about $475,000 by city officials for abusing his personal police detail while running unsuccessfully for president in 2020. This is the largest fine the city's watchdog has ever imposed as per Daily Mail. He was charged with using his NYPD security detail for 31 out-of-state visits related to his campaign in 2019. De Blasio has challenged the penalty as per the report.
Who are Bill de Blasio's children?
The now-former couple is parents to Chiara, 25, and Dante, 26. At the time when De Blasio was the mayor of the city, her 25-year-old daughter Chiara was arrested for alleged unlawful activity in Manhattan. She was among the 100 people arrested as they clashed with the cops over George Floyd's death.
She reportedly didn’t tell authorities who she was when she got arrested, as per New York Post. "I love my daughter deeply, I honor her," De Blasio said at the time. "She is such a good human being, she only wants to do good in the world, she wants to see a better and a more peaceful world. She believes a lot of change is needed," he added. Her LinkedIn profile says she works as a Program Coordinator of Feminists for Justice at Santa Clara Community Action Program.
Bill de Blasio and his wife Chirlane McCray's son Dante de Blasio was first introduced to most New Yorkers when he appeared in a campaign ad for his father’s 2013 mayoral campaign, at age 15. Dante's unique afro hairstyle became an iconic symbol during his campaign, solidifying his status as a prominent political figure. He garnered recognition not only for his charismatic speeches but also for his unwavering commitment to social justice causes, with a specific emphasis on promoting racial equality and advocating for police reform. After attending Brooklyn Technical High School, Dante continued his education at Yale University, where he pursued his academic interests.
'Somebody had called the police on me'
Although Dante has generally kept his personal life private, he has occasionally appeared in public alongside his family, demonstrating his deep-rooted dedication to serving the public and making a positive impact on society. In an Op-ed in 2019, he detailed the fear he caused as a young black man while interacting with police one night at 18 when he went to visit her sister in San Jose. "Somebody had called the police on me," said Dante.