A Biden Divorce in Philadelphia

Joe Biden’s youngest daughter Ashley Biden has filed for divorce against her husband, Philadelphia plastic surgeon Howard Krein. (Photos via Getty Images and a Jefferson promotional video.)

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Ashley Biden Files for Divorce Against Philadelphia Plastic Surgeon Howard Krein

When you want a nose job in Philadelphia, one of the top doctors you can call is Howard Krein of Jefferson Facial Plastics. He’s the director of Jefferson’s Herbert Kean Center for Facial Aesthetics. And this woman couldn’t be happier with the work that Krein did on her nose. But one woman none too happy with the good doctor is his wife of thirteen years, Ashley Biden. The youngest daughter of Joe Biden has filed for divorce in Philadelphia, as discovered by the Inquirer.

In 2012, the New York Times documented their nuptials, back when Krein was 45 and Biden was 30. So did People magazine, which is where then-Vice President Biden was quoted as saying, “He’s getting a helluva woman.”

Sadly, divorce records are not public in Philadelphia, so we don’t know if there are any juicy details. We also don’t know who gets to keep the Society Hill home where they’ve lived together for years, a house that Krein purchased in 2013 for just over $1 million, a pretty modest figure as far as plastic surgeons married to United States Vice President daughters go.

Ashley Biden, a Penn grad, has for the most part stayed out of the limelight, save for the time that she introduced dear old dad at the 2024 Democratic National Convention. She was also there last July (with Krein at her side) when Joe Biden announced that he would not continue with his campaign for presidency following his disastrous performance at the debate with Donald Trump. As for Krein, he raised some eyebrows during the COVID pandemic, because he was advising Joe Biden on the pandemic while investing in COVID-19 startups.

The Race for DA

During the May primary in Philadelphia, 53,849 Democrats voted for Pat Dugan to be the Democratic candidate for district attorney in this November’s general election. Of course, that didn’t mean much, since 97,636 voted for incumbent Larry Krasner. Then Philly GOP’ers floated the idea that Dugan should run against Krasner as a Republican in November, which he could only do if he received enough write-in votes from Republicans in the primary. (Keep in mind that in the primary, you can only vote for a candidate from your registered party unless you cast a write-in vote, in which case you can vote for pretty much anyone.) He did.

Dugan said he wouldn’t accept the Republican nomination if he received it. But now he’s changed his mind and will challenge Krasner as the Republican candidate in the general, in which any voter can vote for whomever they want, party be damned. Should be interesting, given how many people can’t stand Krasner, and a vote for Dugan is clearly more a vote against Krasner than a vote for Dugan. Philadelphia hasn’t had a Republican district attorney since 1991. For more on Dugan, read this Philly Mag profile, which ran before the primary.

Back to School?

Well, maybe not in Philadelphia. A teacher strike looms.

By the Numbers

$45.5 million: What a developer just paid for three Jersey Shore resorts — two on the Atlantic City Boardwalk, one in Brigantine — in a bankruptcy sale. The buildings represent close to 800 units, which the developers can sell as condos or rent as hotel rooms or apartments. Throw in a bucket of Johnson’s popcorn and a trashy boardwalk t-shirt, and I’m in!

2: Days left for the state to fund SEPTA before the agency institutes drastic cutbacks. The Pennsylvania House passed a transit budget on Monday. But in case you need a Pennsylvania civics reminder, that means nothing unless it can get through the GOP-led State Senate, which has thus far been refusing to act in favor of SEPTA. I say we take all of those opposed to the funding and make them inhale the pungent odor of urine on the Broad Street Line platforms until they cave.

17.37 percent: Drop in Philly homicides year to date compared to the same time period in 2024. And keep in mind that last year saw a near record-low number of homicides. But, hey, Washington D.C. has seen a similar drop in crime and Trump has now federalized the D.C. police force and is deploying the National Guard there. So what do I know?

Local Talent

Jason Kelce and Travis Kelce already do mad amounts of traffic with their award-winning podcast, New Heights. But Wednesday’s episode might actually break the internet. That’s because Pride of Berks County Taylor Swift (aka Travis Kelce’s gal) will be the featured guest. I hear that Travis and Taylor do a lot of flirting on the episode, which was recorded in recent days, and that Taylor Swift uses the occasion to announce her upcoming album, The Life of a Showgirl. The episode lands at 7 pm Wednesday. Do with this information what you will.