Despite everything, our marriage couldn’t withstand the strains that kept surfacing. By the sixth year, his behavior signaled he might be leading a double life. We tried counseling, and for a while, it seemed like we had repaired the fractures in our relationship. I told him plainly: if he ever betrayed me again, I would leave.
Eventually, he did betray me again—and the world found out before I did. I learned about his infidelity through tabloid headlines, which felt like living in a nightmare. Knowing your husband has a double life is unbearable, and it shattered the trust I had in him.
After so much heartbreak, we mutually decided to end our 17-year marriage in 2011. We aimed to keep it civil, but it was still marked by deep pain. Even though we separated as a couple, we remained connected through our daughter. We also chose to continue some of our philanthropic work together, hoping to do good despite our personal losses.
It wasn’t easy for our daughter, who had to endure a very public divorce. “People forget there’s a family behind those headlines,” she once shared. The split created a painful distance between her and her father, and for a long time, there was barely any communication. As the years passed, wounds began to heal, and they slowly found their way back to each other, though the emotional scars remain.
Later, in a TikTok video, my daughter asked us both who ended the marriage. I calmly pointed to him. “Your dad didn’t realize you stop dating when you get married,” I said, half-jokingly, but the hurt was still there underneath the humor.
When asked if I still love him, I answered honestly. “Yes, I love him. He’s the father of my child, my friend, and he’ll always have a piece of my heart.”
Our story is full of both love and heartbreak. It’s a reflection of how complicated relationships can be—how forgiveness takes time, and how selflessness can leave a lasting impact, even when it isn’t fully reciprocated. Despite the betrayals and pain, I hold onto the idea that time can offer solace, and that some bonds can never truly be broken.