Ashley Biden, the daughter of former President Joe Biden, has filed for divorce from her husband Dr. Howard Krein after 13 years of marriage. The filing came after she publicly accused him of having an affair through a social media post that was quickly deleted.
The 44-year-old social worker submitted divorce papers in the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas on Monday, ending a marriage that had previously kept her out of the spotlight, marking the end of her marriage to the 59-year-old plastic surgeon and ear, nose, and throat doctor. Court documents show that Biden is seeking spousal support and an equal division of property acquired during their marriage.
Early Sunday, the day before filing for divorce, Ashley posted a photo on her Instagram Story showing two people walking hand in hand from behind. The image showed a dark-haired man wearing a white polo shirt with dark pants and sneakers alongside a woman with dirty-blond hair wearing a black strapless dress. She captioned the post ‘my husband and his girlfriend holding hands’ with a heart emoji and set it to the tune of Notorious B.I.G. and Lil’ Kim’s Another, a song about cheating, joining other celebrity cheating scandals that shocked fans. The post was quickly deleted, and while the message was clear, Krein was not clearly identifiable in the photo.
Ashley Biden celebrates divorce filing with social media posts
Shortly after filing the divorce papers, Ashley appeared to celebrate the news by posting additional content to her Instagram Story. She shared a photo of herself walking through a park while giving a thumbs-up gesture, with Beyoncé’s song Freedom playing in the background.
She also reposted a quote that read, “New life, new beginnings means new boundaries. New ways of being that won’t look or sound like they did before.” This post was accompanied by Lauryn Hill’s Freedom Time. These posts, which have since expired, seemed to signal her emotional state following the split from her husband.
Biden family drama intensifies: Ashley's divorce from Howard Krein over infidelity mirrors the affair allegations from Jill's ex-husband about her start with Joe. Personal chaos in power circles often masks deeper strategic vulnerabilities – watch for political fallout. https://t.co/KlnMdg3jie
— The Intelligencer (@Intelligencer41) August 12, 2025
In her divorce filing, Ashley stated that she lacks “sufficient property to provide for her reasonable needs and is unable to sustain herself through appropriate employment in accordance with the standard of living established during the marriage.” She is requesting that Krein pay her legal fees as part of the proceedings. However, court documents also indicate that she is “willing to negotiate a fair and reasonable settlement of all matters,” suggesting she hopes to avoid a lengthy court battle. Divorce complaints in Philadelphia are not publicly accessible, so specific details about the reasons for their separation remain private.
Marriage began through family connection
Ashley and Howard met in 2010 through her late brother Beau Biden, who introduced them while he was hospitalized after suffering a stroke. Former President Biden once recalled how the meeting happened: “When Ashley walked in the room panicked about her brother and jumped in bed with him and ‘Beau, you OK honey?’ this guy was at the foot of the bed visiting. And after it was all over, Howard walked up to Beau and said, ‘Beau, you think you could set me up with your sister?'”
The couple began dating in 2010 and got engaged in 2011. They married in June 2012 at St. Joseph on the Brandywine Roman Catholic Church in Greenville, Delaware, the same church where Ashley was baptized. The wedding combined Ashley’s Catholic faith with Howard’s Jewish roots, with about 200 guests attending the ceremony. A reception was later held at the Biden family’s lakeside home in Wilmington.
At the time of their wedding, Joe Biden was serving as Vice President under Barack Obama. He gave his approval of the match, telling People magazine, “This is the right guy. And he’s getting a helluva woman.” Biden also admitted he was emotional about his daughter’s wedding, saying, “I kept telling Ash, we’ve got to open up the church and practice walking up and down the aisle so I can handle it.” Ashley spoke about her father’s emotional reaction at the 2024 Democratic National Convention, recalling how he set up the entire reception himself, riding around on his John Deere four-wheeler to fix place settings and arrange plants. The couple did not have any children together during their 13-year marriage.
