Rudy Giuliani & Donna Hanover: Divorce by Press Conference

What Happened

Rudolph Giuliani was America's most famous mayor, the tough-talking Republican who cleaned up New York City's crime and later became 'America's Mayor' after September 11, 2001. Donna Hanover was an accomplished journalist and television personality who had supported Giuliani's political career while maintaining her own broadcasting career. They married in 1984 and had two children.

By the late 1990s, the marriage was visibly deteriorating. Reports surfaced in 1997 of Giuliani's close relationship with his communications director Cristyne Lategano, followed by his open relationship with Judith Nathan beginning in 1999. Giuliani was seen dining with Nathan in Manhattan restaurants while still married, making no effort to hide the relationship from the press or public.

On May 10, 2000, Giuliani held a press conference at which he announced his intention to separate from Hanover. The problem: he had not told Hanover first. She learned of her husband's plan to leave their marriage from television coverage of the press conference. Hanover's spokesperson called the announcement 'deeply painful' and noted she had received no prior warning. The scene of a mayor announcing the end of his marriage to the press before informing his wife became an enduring symbol of political callousness.

The divorce was finalized in July 2002 after Giuliani left office. Hanover was awarded $6.8 million, custody of their two children, and the right to exclusive use of Gracie Mansion through the end of Giuliani's term. Giuliani married Judith Nathan in 2003, but that marriage also ended in an acrimonious divorce in 2019. Giuliani's subsequent financial and legal troubles, including a $148 million defamation judgment, have left him unable to pay even his own legal bills.

Legal Breakdown: Unilateral Public Announcements

What This Means for Your Divorce