NEW YORK (1010 WINS/WCBS880) -- Bill de Blasio and Chirlane McCray are separating, but they'll still live together at their Brooklyn home while dating other people.
The former New York City mayor, 62, and first lady, 68, had a revelation about their relationship while binge-watching TV two months ago, the New York Times reported Wednesday. The ensuing soul-searching led to their decision for a "trial separation."
In a candid interview at their Park Slope townhouse on Tuesday, the couple told the Times that they don't plan to divorce but agreed a separation is necessary after taking stock of their 29-year marriage.
"You can't fake it," McCray said.
"You can feel when things are off," de Blasio added, "and you don't want to live that way."
They agreed that de Blasio's eight years as mayor likely led to this outcome, especially the COVID-19 pandemic, which hit just as de Blasio was starting to see a therapist in 2020. "It made me emotionally very needy," he said.
De Blasio's long-shot bid for president in 2019 was also a factor, they said.
McCray said she believes the unsuccessful White House run was just a "distraction" for her husband, to which he conceded, "kind of true."
"For the time being," the pair will share the home where they raised their two children, who are now adults.
"One of the things we’re saying to the world is we don’t need to possess each other," de Blasio said of the split.
The former mayor shared the Times story on Twitter shortly after its publication.
"Even at this moment of change, this is a love story," he wrote.
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