Chance the Rapper and Kirsten Corley announce divorce after five years of marriage
Following a “period of separation,” Chance the Rapper and his wife, Kirsten Corley, are officially parting ways.
After five years of marriage, Chance the Rapper and his wife, Kirsten Corley, have decided to “part ways.” The couple announced the news in a joint statement posted to their Instagram stories, in which they revealed that the decision had followed a “period of separation.”
“We came to this decision amicably and with gratitude for the time we spent together,” they added. “God has blessed us with two beautiful daughters who we will continue to raise together.”
With plans to co-parent 7-year-old Kensli and 4-year-old Marli, the couple ultimately asked for privacy and respect as they navigate this transition. Chance and Corley first met as preteens at his mom’s office party in 2003, where the rapper recalls seeing her and friends dancing to Destiny’s Child’s “Independent Women Part 1.”
“I knew I was gonna marry that girl, and I ain’t wanna jump the gun,” he said, reminiscing that his father encouraged him to join Corley on the dance floor at the time. “I shook my head with anxiety, moved to the back of the crowd, and never even introduced myself,” he recalled.
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Reconnecting in 2012 at the South by Southwest Film Festival in Austin, Texas, the couple began dating. After six years together and welcoming their first child, the couple got engaged in 2018.
“16 years later, it’s happening. This weekend is the time, and the place is my wedding,” he said, per People magazine ahead of his wedding. “I’m gonna dance with my wife because this is my destiny.”
Despite the couple’s efforts to keep their home life private, their low-key relationship gained public attention last April when a clip of Chance went viral. While celebrating his 30th birthday, the rapper was called out for what some deemed inappropriate behavior, as he danced with another woman during Jamaica’s carnival in a sexually suggestive manner.
Following her husband’s viral video, Corley reportedly posted a Maya Angelou quote about the struggle to “grow up” on her Instagram stories. While some fans speculate the incident was likely the catalyst of their eventual breakup, as previously reported by theGrio, the couple has experienced some ups and downs through their years together.
Through it all, the Grammy award-winner credits his wife for some of the changes he’s seen within himself.
“My wife literally saved my life by becoming celibate and going and getting baptized,” he once said, per theGrio. “I had to do a lot by myself. Then when my girl was gracious enough to have me back, it changed my whole life. Now I know exactly where it all comes from.”
