Former New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio made an announcement on Wednesday, revealing that he and his wife of 29 years, Chirlane McCray, will be separating while choosing to remain married and living together.
According to a report from 100 Percent Fed Up, the couple has decided not to pursue a formal divorce but will instead continue their marriage while exploring relationships with other people.
“For the guy who took the chance on the woman who was an out lesbian and wrote an article called ‘I Am a Lesbian,’ there was a part of me that would at times say, ‘Hmmm, is this like a time bomb ticking? Is this something that you’re going to regret later on?’ So I always lived with that stuff,” de Blasio said.
“Everything was this overwhelming schedule, this sort of series of tasks. And that kind of took away a little bit of our soul,” he added.
As attacks on Asian American communities continue, we’re asking New Yorkers to show up for their neighbors and intervene when witnessing hateful violence or harassment. I know that can be frightening when you aren’t sure what to do or say, but you can learn.— Chirlane McCray (@NYCFirstLady109) March 6, 2021
McCray publicly identified as a lesbian in the 1990s before her marriage to de Blasio.
De Blasio attributed some of the challenges in their relationship to the demands of his role as mayor of New York City, stating that the overwhelming schedule and constant tasks took away from their connection and sense of self.
McCray, who is 68 years old, also spoke about the unconventional nature of their separation in an interview with The New York Times, expressing her desire to have fun.
“This is a big change for us, but Bill and I are still very much in love. We came to this decision together, and I think it’s the right decision for us.” McCray said.
“It’s one thing to make a decision, it’s another thing to think… figuring out how it plays out, and we will be talking about that over the next months. I hope that we can be a model for how couples can communicate honestly about what their needs are and to conduct themselves when they find it’s time to move in another direction. I think that’s important,” she added.
In 2020, de Blasio appointed McCray to serve on New York City’s “Coronavirus Racial Inequality” task force, with the aim of ensuring that the city emerges from the pandemic as a more just and equitable society.
In March 2021, McCray made headlines when she suggested that New Yorkers should intervene in potential hate crimes through what she called “vigilante activity.”
She claimed that “As attacks on Asian American communities continue, we’re asking New Yorkers to show up for their neighbors and intervene when witnessing hateful violence or harassment. I know that can be frightening when you aren’t sure what to do or say, but you can learn.”
