Amid the 2020 presidential race, there's an understandable and renewed interest in the
candidates' families. As such, some members of the public have questions about the now
official Democratic nominee Joe Biden's clan, which includes his wife, Jill Biden; his two
living children; and a gaggle of grandkids. It's important to note here that Joe's first
wife, Neilia Biden, and their infant daughter, Naomi "Amy" Biden, died in a 1972 car crash,
while his son, Beau Biden, passed away at age 46 in May 2015 due to brain cancer.
“When I was in 1st grade, I drew a picture of what made me happy, and it was me holding
hands with my two brothers.”
As is the case with many large political families, the Bidens have faced a few scandals throughout
the years. Although Joe's second son, Hunter Biden, is arguably the family member with
the most controversies, thanks to his past work in Ukraine and the fact that he dated
his late brother's widow, he's not the first Biden to garner attention. Ashley Biden, the
baby of the family and Joe Biden's only child with his second wife, Jill, ran into some
trouble back in the day.
Although Ashley has since gone on to found a nonprofit clothing company and is known
for her commitment to charitable causes, it wasn't too long ago that she faced arrest.
So, what trouble has Ashley encountered? Let's take a look.
Ashley Biden's first run-in with the law took place in September 1999 when she was a student
at Louisiana's Tulane University. According to court records obtained by Page Six, Ashley
got arrested for possession of marijuana. She got released on bond, and the case got
dropped.
Then in 2001, Ashley found herself on the wrong end of law yet again when she got caught
drinking underage. Court docs obtained by Gawker show the now-activist was cited for
possession of an alcoholic beverage when she was only 20, a year before the legal drinking
age. She pled guilty and paid a $125 fee, the outlet noted.
Ashley faced trouble again when in 2002, according to HuffPost, she was arrested for obstructing
a Chicago police officer outside of a bar. The misdemeanor charge was eventually dropped,
the Associated Press later reported.
Joe Biden's daughter has since left her legal issues in the past, getting a job as a social
worker before securing a role in 2012 as the Delaware Center for Justice's associate director.
She left the gig in March 2019, according to Delaware Online. Mother Jill told Delaware
Today in 2018 about her daughter’s passion in life:
"It was very important to Ashley to carry on Beau's legacy, the reforms in criminal
justice, his work with children."
In addition to her charity work and carrying on her brother's legacy, Ashley Biden is also
very supportive of her father and has learned a lot from him. She said in a 2018 interview
with Delaware Today:
"My dad always taught me that silence is complicity, and that I must stand up for anyone who was
being treated unfairly. That has stayed with me through adulthood, and is the guiding principle
in my professional life."
To this end, Ashley started her own company: Livelihood. The company designs and sells
all American-made clothes, and the proceeds go to community organizations. Giving back
to others and being grateful for what she has is something she seems to live by. She
said in the same interview:
"Everyone struggles with something. Some simply struggle more. I've had a lot of advantages,
but that didn't prevent my life from spinning out of control or the devastation of losing
my brother. But what I had was support and the safety of being vulnerable. I am comfortable
in my own skin. And sure, it sounds esoteric, but when you're comfortable in your own skin,
you're kinder. And I think we all can agree, the world needs a lot more kindness."
It's not all fighting for social justice when it comes to Ashley Biden, although she is
dedicated to being a "change agent" as she puts it in an interview with a University
of Delaware newsletter. She does spend a lot of time working with her clothing line, Livelihood,
and, per Newsweek, she stepped down from her position as the executive director of the
Delaware Center for Justice when her dad announced his run for presidency.
Because she's been so supportive of Joe Biden's campaign, it's possible that Ashley will accompany
him on the campaign trail, or at least make appearances in the name of supporting her
father. In August 2020, she appeared at the beginning of her dad's sit-down with none
other than Cardi B for Elle Magazine. Ashley popped up in the background and told Cardi
that she was a fan.
“Cardi B and Joey B!”
The 39-year-old has clearly been through a lot, but she hasn't let it stop her from working
to help other people and giving back to her community. And that's all that counts at the
end of the day.
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