‘One of the Hardest Summers:’ Ashley Biden Speaks Out on Divorce And Dad’s Cancer Battle
The former first daughter got candid on social media about her personal struggles.
The Hapa Blonde/The Hapa Blonde/GC Images
Former President Joe Biden’s daughter, Ashley Biden, shared a candid confession about her personal struggles after a high-profile divorce and her father’s battle with cancer.
She reflected on her summer in a post which started, “August 2025. The Summer of 2025 was one of the hardest summers of my life.”
Ashley Biden's struggles also include her father's battle against prostate cancer.
Chip Somodevilla/Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
The 44-year-old divorcee posted on Instagram a series of photos showcasing selfies, a full moon, and pictures of her loved ones, including her father Joe.
“I have been preparing for the fall (my fav season) and now ready for the RISE,“ she said. ”Grateful for the support of friends and family. Grateful that i took the time/space to grieve, process, and heal. Grateful for peace of mind, new beginnings, new seasons, and a rediscovered strength and love for myself.”
Ashley concluded her caption with the hashtag “sturgeonmoon2025,″ a name for the August full moon, and a sequence of colorful emojis.
Howard Krein and Ashley Biden divorced this year after 12 years of marriage.
Anadolu/Salih Zeki Fazlioglu/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images
Ashley also reposted on her Instagram story a quote that read, “I got you... is a love language.”
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In the past few weeks, Ashley underwent a public split with plastic surgeon Howard Krein after 13 years of marriage.
According to The Philadelphia Inquirer, Ashley filed for divorce on Aug. 11, and reposted a quote on her Instagram the same day. “New life, new beginnings means new boundaries. New ways of being that won’t look or sound like they did before.”
The split got messier when Ashley posted an Instagram story of Krein with another woman, captioned, “My husband and his girlfriend holding hands.” The photo was taken down soon after.
Ashley Biden frequently takes to social media to reflect and share her thoughts.
Alex Wong/Alex Wong/Getty Images
In May, the former president was diagnosed with an “aggressive” form of prostate cancer that had spread to his bones.
Shortly after his announcement on May 19, the 82-year-old ex-president posted on Instagram a selfie of himself and his wife, Jill Biden, along with a cat. He captioned the post, “Cancer touches us all. Like so many of you, Jill and I have learned that we are strongest in the broken places. Thank you for lifting us up with love and support.”
Ashley frequently shares monthly recaps to her 26,500 followers on Instagram. Except for July, the social worker posted reflective moments for April, May, and June.
In her May recap post, following her father’s diagnosis, Ashley wrote, “Heartbroken yet HOPEFUL. MAY I have the courage to handle all that life throws at me (us)...life is tough my darling, but so are YOU.”
In June, she wrote, “Birthday month filled with check-ups and check-ins...Laughter is the best medicine + our health is the real wealth.“
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