Ashley Biden, the daughter of former President Joe Biden, has filed for divorce from her husband, Dr. Howard Krein, after more than 13 years of marriage, according to court records. The 44-year-old former first daughter submitted the paperwork Monday in Philadelphia’s Court of Common Pleas, as reported by The Post. On the same day, Biden shared an Instagram post showing her walking through a park and giving a thumbs-up, set to Beyoncé’s song “Freedom.” The post included a quote: “New life, new beginnings, means new boundaries. New ways of being that won’t look or sound like they did before.”
The cause of the separation has not been publicly disclosed. Two years after her late brother Beau Biden introduced them, Biden and Krein were married in Greenville, Delaware, in June 2012. Ashley had publicly acknowledged her wedding while introducing her father at the 2020 Democratic National Convention, noting how involved he was in the celebration. “He was riding around in his John Deere 4-wheeler, fixing the place settings, arranging the plants, and he was very emotional,” she said. Meanwhile, Joe Biden is facing scrutiny over his use of the autopen to sign legal documents, which has drawn criticism from House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer. Comer suggested that the practice could call into question some of Biden’s pardons and executive orders, arguing that staff failed to prove he fully understood each document he signed.
Legal experts, including former Harvard Law professor Alan Dershowitz, noted that the Constitution requires bills to be “signed,” raising potential issues if an autopen was used in place of a personal signature. Democrats and Republicans alike have debated Biden’s mental fitness, especially after a notably halting 2024 debate performance. Special Counsel Robert Hur’s 2025 report highlighted Biden’s memory lapses regarding major events, including the death of his son Beau. Despite this, Biden defended his decisions, stating he personally made every pardon decision, even if aides handled individual approvals.
