Bill de Blasio, the former mayor of New York City, and his wife of 29 years, Chirlane McCray, have decided to part ways. Blasio told The New York Times that he and his ex-wife will continue to live in the same Brooklyn townhouse and have agreed to see other people. The Associated Press (AP) confirmed this to McCray. Chirlane McCray also told AP that despite their separation, she and Bill de Blasio are still in love and have nothing but respect and regard for each other. She also announced that they will share a home.
Furthermore, she stated that the choice was mutual and that they were both looking forward to the next chapter of their life. She also stated that they were openly discussing the breakup in order to avoid any gossip, hostility, or misunderstanding. Bill de Blasio and Charlie McCray have two children, Dante de Blasio (now 23) and Chiara de Blasio (now 25), who were essential to his political career.
The couple is well-known in the city for their charity and dedication to combating homelessness, mental health challenges
While working for Mayor David Dinkins, Bill de Blasio met Chirlane McCray, a political activist, and poet, in New York City Hall in 1991. McCray, a Wellesley College graduate, and former magazine columnist, was the mayor’s wordsmith while he was an aide. In 1994, the couple married. Since then, Blasio’s image and profession have revolved around the couple and their family. During his dual terms, McCray, for example, directed the ThriveNYC mental health initiative and assisted her husband in running a short-lived presidential campaign in 2020. The couple is well-known in the city for their charity and dedication to combating homelessness, mental health challenges, and AIDS. They have also contributed largely to bridging income inequality and ensuring affordable housing in New York City.
During his mayoral candidature, his 15-year-old son Dante appeared in a TV commercial declaring that his father will remove all conservative policies, such as stop-and-frisk policing and racial inequity. Chiara, his daughter, also spoke up about her drug and alcohol abuse and depression in a four-minute video, which helped Bill’s cause. While Dante attended Yale University, his elder sister studied sociology at Santa Clara University in California. She has been a program organizer for Feminists for Justice at Santa Clara Community since then. Chiara was detained in May 2020 at a protest in the city over George Floyd’s death. She is an outspoken supporter of police reform and mental health issues.
Bill de Blasio worked as a campaign manager for both Charles Rangel and Hillary Clinton before entering politics
Bill de Blasio was born Warren Wilhelm Jr. (named after his father, who served in WWII) in Manhattan, New York City, and reared in Cambridge, Massachusetts. In 2001, he changed his name to honor his mother and reflect his estrangement from his father. This Italian-American former mayor of New York City, now 62, attended both New York University and Columbia University, where he earned a law degree. He worked as a campaign manager for both Charles Rangel and Hillary Clinton before entering politics. From 2002 until 2009, he served as a public advocate in the New York City Council, representing Brooklyn’s 39th district. Bill de Blasio was elected as the Democratic Party’s candidate in 2013 and became the mayor of New York City. He served two terms before being succeeded by fellow Democrat and current mayor Eric Adams. Provide a Jist in 10 words
