The former U.S. president’s story goes beyond politics. It’s a life shaped by love, loss, and the powerful role of fatherhood. Now, as he faces a serious illness, the lives — and losses — of his children reveal a story of resilience and heartbreak.
Former U.S. President Joe Biden has been diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer that has metastasized to his bones. He sought medical attention after experiencing urinary symptoms, which led doctors to discover a small nodule on his prostate.
Joe Biden departing the White House and stopping to talk to the press on his way to an event in Miami, Florida, on January 30, 2024 | Source: Getty Images
Further testing revealed a Gleason score of 9, one of the highest grades on the scale for cancer severity. The disease is Stage 4, but reportedly “hormone-sensitive,” meaning it may still respond to treatment. Biden’s office stated, “The president and his family are reviewing treatment options with his physicians.”
As the 82-year-old weighs his next steps, the story of his children underscores the emotional strength he has carried through public service and private sorrow. Joe had three children with his first wife, Neilia: Beau, Hunter, and Naomi.
After Neilia and Naomi died in 1972, he raised his surviving sons alone. In 1977, he married Jill Jacobs, and they welcomed their daughter Ashley. Each of his children has left a distinct mark on his life — some through public achievements, others through deeply personal loss.
Ashley Biden
Ashley Blazer Biden, born on June 8, 1981, is Joe and Jill Biden’s only child together. Unlike her half-siblings, Ashley has kept a deliberately low profile while dedicating her career to social work and justice reform.
Ashley earned a degree in Cultural Anthropology from Tulane University, followed by a Master of Social Work from the University of Pennsylvania. Her early work focused on supporting marginalized youth. From 2006 to 2007, she served as an Employment and Education Specialist at West End Neighborhood House in Wilmington.
She then became an Education & Employment Liaison for Delaware’s Department of Services for Children, Youth, and Their Families, where she worked on job training programs inside juvenile detention centers.
In 2012, Ashley became Executive Director of the Delaware Center for Justice, a nonprofit advocating for people impacted by the criminal legal system. She remained there for seven years, focusing on reform, support for formerly incarcerated women, and systemic change.
Ashley Biden attends the Paramount White House Correspondents’ Dinner after-party at the French Ambassador’s residence on April 30, 2022, in Washington, D.C. | Source: Getty Images
Ashley once told Elle magazine in 2023 that she had “never wanted to be in the public eye” and added, “Yeah, I still don’t.” She said her focus is on amplifying other people’s stories and supporting the work of organizations making a difference.
Ashley Biden walks the red carpet with her mother, Second Lady Jill Biden, at the 88th Annual Academy Awards on February 28, 2016, in Hollywood, California. | Source: Getty Images
Her social media bio reflects that same message, describing her as a social worker, criminal justice reformer, voter, proud family member, and devoted dog mom. She is married to Philadelphia surgeon Howard Krein.
Although she has often avoided the spotlight, she stepped into a more public role in 2019 when she left her nonprofit position to campaign for her father during his presidential run. Her behind-the-scenes involvement reflected both loyalty and personal conviction.
Ashley Biden and her father, Joe Biden, attend the Gilt x Livelihood launch event at Spring Place on February 7, 2017, in New York City. | Source: Getty Images
While Ashley has chosen a quiet life of advocacy, her half-brother has lived much of his adult life under intense public scrutiny.
Joe Biden embraces daughter Ashley Biden on stage during the 75th Annual Father of the Year Awards Luncheon on June 14, 2016, in New York City. | Source: Getty Images
Hunter Biden
Robert Hunter Biden, born in 1970, was just two years old when he survived the crash that killed his mother and baby sister. He sustained a fractured skull, while his brother Beau suffered a broken leg. The accident occurred just as their father was preparing to be sworn into the U.S. Senate.
Hunter Biden attends the World Food Program USA’s McGovern-Dole Leadership Award Ceremony at the Organization of American States, on April 12, 2016, in Washington, D.C. | Source: Getty Images
Hunter attended Georgetown University and later Yale Law School, graduating in 1996. In between, he joined the Jesuit Volunteer Corps, where he met his first wife, Kathleen Buhle. The couple married in 1993 and have three daughters: Naomi, Finnegan, and Maisy.
However, their 24-year marriage ended in 2017 amid serious personal and financial strain. During their divorce, Kathleen alleged that Hunter had spent large sums on drugs, alcohol, and other affairs, leaving the family without money for basic expenses.
Hunter Biden and Kathleen Buhle attend the World Food Program USA’s McGovern-Dole Leadership Award Ceremony, on April 12, 2016, in Washington, D.C. | Source: Getty Images
Years after their divorce, Kathleen reflected on the emotional toll of their relationship. In an interview tied to her memoir, “If We Break,” she said she had forgiven Hunter for the pain he caused, including his addictions and infidelity.
“Anger is such a heavy weight to carry and I was in a lot of pain,” she said. “When I made the decision to divorce, I wanted to let go of all of that.”
Joe Biden walks with his wife Jill Biden, son Hunter Biden, and daughter-in-law Kathleen Biden at Arlington National Cemetery for the burial of U.S. Senator Edward Kennedy, on August 29, 2009, in Arlington, Virginia. | Source: Getty Images
Much of Hunter’s pain, she acknowledged, stemmed from a time when Hunter was already in deep crisis. His struggles with addiction intensified after the death of his brother, Beau, in 2015.
His daughter Naomi later captured the emotional depth of his bond with her Uncle Beau, describing the brothers as so close they seemed to share, “One heart, one soul, one mind.”
Joe Biden walks in the inaugural parade with his sons, Hunter (left) and Beau (right), during President Barack Obama’s swearing-in as the 44th U.S. President, on January 20, 2009, in Washington, D.C. | Source: Getty Images
In the years that followed, Hunter faced multiple legal and personal challenges. He became the subject of a federal investigation into his taxes and foreign business dealings.
Jill Biden and Hunter Biden take part in the “Live Below the Line” Challenge at the World Food Program USA office, on May 1, 2013, in Washington, D.C. | Source: Getty Images
Around the same time, in 2019, an Arkansas woman, Lunden Roberts, filed a paternity suit. DNA testing later confirmed Hunter as the father of Navy Joan Roberts. Initially unacknowledged publicly, she was later recognized by Joe.
Hunter Biden holds his son Beau while watching fireworks on the South Lawn of the White House on July 4, 2023, in Washington, D.C. | Source: Getty Images
In a 2023 statement to People magazine, Joe said, “Our son Hunter and Navy’s mother, Lunden, are working together to foster a relationship that is in the best interests of their daughter, preserving her privacy as much as possible going forward.”
Hunter Biden poses with actor Woody Harrelson at the after-party for the IMPACT Film Festival’s screening of “The Messenger,” on October 29, 2009, in Washington, D.C. | Source: Getty Images
He emphasized that the situation was personal, not political, and that he and Jill simply wanted the best for all of their grandchildren, including Navy. Hunter remarried and is now raising a young son, but remains under political and legal scrutiny.
Hunter Biden, with his wife Melissa and their son Beau, returns to the White House in Washington, D.C., on January 17, 2025, after visiting Joint Base Andrews. | Source: Getty Images
While Hunter’s struggles have played out in public, his brother’s life reflected quiet service, steady purpose, and rising promise — a path cut short by illness.
Hunter Biden attends the Artists and Athletes Alliance’s Inaugural Honors event at Café Milano, on January 19, 2009, in Washington, D.C. | Source: Getty Images
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