The hip-hop star and the influencer/entrepreneur were married in 2019 and share two children together
Chance the Rapper and Kirsten Corley have called it splits.
On Tuesday, the hip-hop star, 30, and his wife of five years, 30, announced they have amicably decided to end their marriage. The former couple revealed with a joint statement shared to Instagram that they privately carried out “a period of separation” and have now “arrived at the decision to part ways.”
In a post on their Instagram Stories, the two wrote, “After a period of separation, the two of us have arrived at the decision to part ways.”
“We came to this decision amicably and with gratitude for the time we spent together,” the statement continued.
The two, who share daughters Kensli, 7, and Marli, 4, also noted that coparenting remains their utmost priority at this time and going forward. They shared, “God has blessed us with two beautiful daughters who we will continue to raise together.”
“We kindly ask for privacy and respect as we navigate this transition. Thank you,” the note, signed “Chance & Kirsten,” concluded.
The announcement comes nearly a year after fans speculated that the rapper (whose real name is (Chancelor Johnathan Bennett) and the influencer were experiencing marital troubles.
At Chance’s 30th birthday bash during Carnival in Jamaica last April, footage surfaced of the hitmaker dancing with another woman, and after the clip went viral, Corley shared a Maya Angelou quote about people struggling to grow up on Instagram.
The Grammy winner and the entrepreneur were wed in March 2019.
The two were familiar with one another during childhood, but didn’t properly connect until they met again at South by Southwest Film Festival in Austin, Texas in 2012. Their reunion ignited a spark and they began dating shortly after when they returned to their hometown of Chicago.
In September 2015, Chance and Corley welcomed their first child together, daughter Kensli.
After six years of dating, the pair became engaged, and they were married at a ceremony in Newport Beach, California the following year. The event included a star-studded guest list, including Kim Kardashian, Kanye West, Dave Chappelle and others.
Before the former couple tied the knot, the Coloring Book artist opened up on X (formerly Twitter) about how he and Corley got together. Sharing photos of their first encounter at his mom’s 2003 office party at just 9 years old, he revealed that he first saw the former model when she and her friends stepped out to do a dance routine to the Destiny’s Child song “Independent Women Part 1.”
“Now I’m locking eyes with the prettiest girl I ever seen in my almost-a-decade of life on Earth,” he recalled. “I really shouldn’t even say locked eyes cause really, I was just staring at her.”
He added that although his dad encouraged him to go out and dance with the girls, his nerves got the best of him. “It’s ’cause I knew I was gonna marry that girl and I ain’t wanna jump the gun,” the coach on The Voice wrote. “So I shook my head with anxiety, moved to the back of the crowd, and never even introduced myself.”
His post ended by noting how his prediction came true. “16 years later it’s happening. This weekend is the time, and the place is my wedding,” wrote the musician. “I’m gonna dance with my wife because this is my destiny.”
Several months after their wedding, Chance and Corley became parents to two, as they welcomed their second daughter, Marli Grace, in August 2019.
The former couple remained relatively private about their marriage, but opened up about their relationship on social media and in interviews at times.
When the founder of World of BOBY and the “No Brainer” artist stepped out to attend the Met Gala together in September 2021, Chance told PEOPLE in an interview that it was “amazing” to spend time with his then-wife and be kid-free for the night at the event.
In a 2020 interview, he also told PEOPLE about how grateful he was to be raising two children with Corley. The rap superstar shared, “I’ve been waking up daily with a newfound gratitude and being very grateful that I’m married right now. The fact that me, my daughters and my wife all live in one house together is a huge, huge blessing, so I’ve just been taking that in.”
