Ashley Biden, the daughter of former President Joe Biden and former First Lady Jill Biden, has filed for divorce from her husband, Dr. Howard Krein, after 13 years of marriage. The 44-year-old submitted the paperwork on Monday, August 11, 2025, at the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas. A representative for Ashley Biden confirmed the filing to reporters.
The former first daughter wasted no time in sharing her feelings about the split on social media. Right after filing the divorce papers, she posted a photo on her Instagram Stories showing herself walking through a park while giving a thumbs-up. The post featured Beyoncé’s song Freedom playing in the background, sending a clear message about her state of mind.
According to Page Six, Ashley also shared a quote that seemed to reflect her new chapter in life. The message read: “New life, new beginnings mean new boundaries. New ways of being that won’t look or sound like they did before.” She paired this quote with Lauryn Hill’s song Freedom Time, which further emphasized her sense of renewal and independence.
The couple’s wedding was a major political event
Ashley Biden and Dr. Howard Krein first met in 2010 when her late brother Beau Biden introduced them. Beau Biden, who died of brain cancer in 2015 at age 46, played an important role in bringing the couple together. After dating for about two years, Krein proposed to Ashley in October 2011 on a cliff in Big Sur, California.
Their wedding took place in June 2012 at St. Joseph on the Brandywine Roman Catholic Church in Greenville, Delaware. This was the same church where Ashley was baptized as a child. The ceremony combined both Catholic and Jewish traditions to honor both families’ backgrounds. At the time, Joe Biden was serving as Vice President under Barack Obama.
Ashley Biden has filed for divorce from her husband of 13 years, Howard Krein, in Philadelphia.
— Breitbart News (@BreitbartNews) August 12, 2025
On social media, she posted an image of herself walking through a park to the song “Freedom” by Beyoncé.
“New life, new beginnings means new boundaries. New ways of being that won’t… pic.twitter.com/74krie2gtp
The wedding reception was held at the Biden family’s lakeside home in Wilmington, Delaware. About 200 family members and close friends attended the celebration. Joe Biden personally helped set up the reception and was very emotional about walking his youngest daughter down the aisle. He had told reporters before the wedding that he wanted to practice walking up and down the aisle so he could “handle it” on the big day.
Dr. Howard Krein is 59 years old and works as an otolaryngologist and plastic surgeon. He is a professor at Thomas Jefferson University and practices at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia. Krein also served as Chief Medical Officer at StartUp Health, a health technology company. The couple lived in Philadelphia and did not have any children together, unlike many other high-profile couples.
The reason for the divorce has not been made public, making this one of 2025’s biggest celebrity breakups, as divorce records are not available to the public in Philadelphia. The couple was last seen together in public during July 2024, when they appeared in the Oval Office during President Biden’s televised address announcing his decision not to seek reelection. Ashley has largely stayed out of the political spotlight throughout her father’s career, focusing instead on her work as a social worker and activist.
