Who is Dr Howard Krein? Ashley Biden files for divorce from plastic surgeon husband

Ashley Biden, daughter of former U.S. President Joe Biden, has officially filed for divorce from her husband of 13 years, Dr. Howard Krein. The divorce was filed on Monday, August 11, 2025, in Philadelphia, as reported by The Philadelphia Inquirer.

The news was quietly confirmed through court records—but Ashley marked the moment with a symbolic (now deleted) Instagram Story. In the clip, she gave a thumbs-up while walking through a park to the sound of Beyoncé’s “Freedom.”

Ashley and Krein: A High-Profile Yet Private Union

Ashley, 44, and Howard Krein, 59, married in 2012 at the church in Greenville, Delaware, where she was baptized. Their wedding was a mix of personal family traditions and public interest, given her father’s position as Vice President at the time.

Krein, a well-known plastic surgeon and otolaryngologist, works at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia. The couple lived there during their marriage.

Ashley has a Master’s degree in Social Work from the University of Pennsylvania and has long worked on criminal justice reform. Despite her famous background, she mostly stayed out of the spotlight.

Social Media Posts Hint at New Beginnings

After the filing, Ashley shared a quote on Instagram: “New life, means new boundaries. New ways of being that won’t look or sound like they did before.”

She paired it with Lauryn Hill’s song “Freedom Time.”

Though the Instagram post was later removed, it gave a clear signal—Ashley is moving on with confidence and purpose.

A Biden Family Moment

Ashley and Howard were last seen publicly together during President Biden’s national address in June 2024, when he announced he would not seek re-election. The couple stood alongside Jill Biden, Hunter Biden, and other family members in the Oval Office.

In her 2024 Democratic National Convention speech, Ashley shared warm memories of her father planning her wedding reception at the family lake house: “He was riding around in his John Deere 4-wheeler, fixing the place settings… very emotional.”

Biden Family Ties

Ashley is Joe Biden’s only child with First Lady Jill Biden. She is the half-sister of Beau and Hunter Biden, from Joe’s first marriage. Beau, who introduced Ashley to Krein, passed away in 2015 after a battle with brain cancer.

Public Defense of Her Father

Earlier this year, Ashley came out strongly in defense of her father after CNN’s Jake Tapper aired a segment about Biden’s health and released his book “Original Sin: President Biden’s Decline…”.

Ashley responded indirectly with a beach photo of her and her parents, writing: “I am so grateful. Too grateful to be angry about all this bullshit.”

“The ONLY coverup of this family is a BEACH coverup!!!”

She praised her father’s commitment: “Dad gave his ALL to America… The man has led his life by ACTIONS, not words.”