After 13 years of marriage, Ashley Biden, daughter of President Joe Biden, has filed for divorce from Dr. Howard Krein, who responded by hiring celebrity divorce attorney Cheryl L. Young — famed for securing major wins in Kate Gosselin’s high-profile split — signaling a potentially tense and strategic legal battle that marks a dramatic fall from the couple’s once-promising union.

The marriage of Ashley Biden — daughter of U.S. President Joe Biden — and Dr. Howard Krein, a respected ear, nose, and throat surgeon, is headed for an official and possibly high-profile breakup.

On Monday, August 11, 2025, the former first daughter filed divorce papers in the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas, marking the end of a 13-year union that had once blended political prestige with medical prominence.

Just two days later, court filings revealed that Krein had retained one of Pennsylvania’s most notable divorce attorneys, Cheryl L. Young — the same legal powerhouse who represented reality TV star Kate Gosselin in her famously messy 2009 split from Jon Gosselin.

Cheryl L. Young, who advertises her expertise in representing “high net-worth professionals,” quickly filed a counterclaim on Krein’s behalf, signaling that this divorce could involve more than just quietly signed papers.

Young’s history of high-stakes family law cases — including securing the Gosselin family home, primary custody of eight children, and a rebranded reality series for Kate — has already sparked speculation over what might be at stake for Krein and Biden.

Ashley Biden, 44, and Krein, 58, first met in 2010 through her late brother, Beau Biden, who introduced the two during Joe Biden’s tenure as vice president.

After two years of dating, they married in June 2012 in Wilmington, Delaware, in a ceremony that blended political gravitas with personal intimacy.

Over the years, Krein was seen occasionally alongside the Biden family during key public moments — from Joe Biden’s presidential campaign trail to formal White House events.

But behind the polished public appearances, the couple’s private life remained mostly shielded from public view.

That changed abruptly this week. The timing of the divorce filing raised eyebrows when, on the same day, Ashley posted Beyoncé’s empowerment anthem Freedom to her Instagram Story — a move many followers interpreted as a subtle message about breaking away from the marriage.

Krein’s decision to hire Young has added a dramatic twist, reminding observers of the explosive Gosselin divorce that played out on reality TV and in tabloids for months.

At the time, Kate and Jon Gosselin’s split became a media spectacle, with Young navigating a contentious battle that resulted in Kate’s clear legal victories.

The parallels have fueled rumors that Krein is preparing for a strategic and potentially combative legal process.

Professionally, Krein’s résumé is as impressive as it is varied. In addition to his surgical practice specializing in facial plastic and reconstructive procedures, he is a professor at Thomas Jefferson University and the chief medical officer for StartUp Health, a health tech firm.

Biden, meanwhile, has pursued a career as a social worker and fashion designer, known for her advocacy work and public appearances during her father’s presidency.

Neither Biden nor Krein has publicly addressed the reason for their split, and requests for comment from both parties have gone unanswered.

Friends close to the couple have described the separation as “long in the making,” but details remain sparse.

Political insiders note that the Biden family is fiercely protective of its privacy, particularly given the intense media attention that has surrounded the president’s adult children in recent years.

Still, the involvement of a lawyer with such a notorious track record suggests that what happens next could play out in ways that are anything but quiet.

Legal experts point out that high-profile divorces involving substantial assets and public figures often hinge on more than property division — reputation, privacy, and control of the narrative can be equally valuable.

The couple’s marriage was once seen as a rare blend of two high-achieving but relatively low-profile public figures

. Now, with court filings in motion and a legal heavyweight entering the ring, the story of Ashley Biden and Howard Krein’s split is rapidly evolving into one of the most closely watched divorces of the year — one that could rival even the most headline-grabbing celebrity breakups.

Whether the proceedings remain a dignified legal process or spiral into a Gosselin-style public drama remains to be seen, but one thing is certain: the coming weeks will reveal much more about the end of a marriage that began in the glow of political and personal promise, and is now heading into the glare of courtroom scrutiny.