Chirlane McCray clearly wanted out and enjoyed rubbing de Blasio’s nose in it
In a nearly three-hour interview with an ingratiating New York Times, the former New York City mayor and his wife of 29 years revealed they were splitting up in order to date “other people’’ — although neither spouse plans to divorce or move out of their Brooklyn house.
But while the pair took pains to appear jolly about their change in relationship status, Bill de Blasio, 62, showed that he was always insecure about his union with Chirlane McCray, 68.
In fact, the city’s ex-first lady deeply resented that her hub’s political career eclipsed her own. She also was fond of torturing her man with her well-publicized declaration of homosexuality.
“For the guy who took the chance on a woman who was an out lesbian and wrote an article called ‘I Am a Lesbian’ [for Essence magazine] . . . there was a part of me that would at times say, ‘Hmmm, is this like a time bomb ticking? Is this something that you’re going to regret later on?’ ” he admitted. “So I always lived with that stuff.”
McCray, for her part, seemed thrilled with the marital bust-up and enjoyed rubbing her hubby’s nose in it for all the world to hear. “I just want to have fun,’’ she chirped, clearly relieved to be freed from any requirement of sexual fidelity.
It almost makes me feel sorry for Gotham’s worst-ever leader. Almost.
De Blasio and McCray claim that the decision came mutually about two months ago as the pair discussed why they were not “lovey-dovey anymore.” They also said the marriage started crumbling years earlier — especially during the then-mayor’s insane 2020 run for the White House.
“I thought it was a distraction,” McCray said of the failed presidential bid.
But it seems more likely de Blasio was blindsided by the love of his life.
De Blasio, who was born Warren Wilhelm Jr., an inconvenient moniker for someone aspiring to elective office in a city with a large Jewish population, appeared ready to concede that his wife’s ambitions were trounced by his mayoralty.
This, despite the fact that McCray’s ThriveNYC mental-health initiative is widely considered an epic disaster, with the organizer unable or unwilling to account for some $1 billion in expenditures, according to a report.
Blame game
Still, McCray ridiculously blamed the lack of “infrastructure” for the failure. She appeared intent on blaming de Blasio for their broken coupling.
Her bitterness was palpable. The Times even stressed the way the marriage between McCray, who is African American, and de Blasio was promoted to show that de Blasio was not “some boring white guy,” as their biracial daughter, Chiara, now 28, was quoted as saying. The couple also has a son, Dante, 26.
The two joked about being ready and willing to stick their toes in the dating pool, though I think McCray is a bit more eager to test the waters.
Perhaps sensing the explanation for their bizarre marriage won’t be accepted by too many observers — or even by her own husband — McCray popped out of her Park Slope house Wednesday morning to chipperly address reporters. Announcing that she and her hub are still “very much in love’’ — a protestation likely to convince no one — McCray maintained that she and de Blasio hope to serve as “a model’’ for other doomed duos. Seriously?
“We came to this decision together, and I think it’s the right decision for us,” she said, though no one was asking. Please.
And these freaks are allowed to have kids?
