On Wednesday, former New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that he would be separating from his wife of 29 years, Chirlane McCray, while still remaining married and living together.

The far-left couple does not plan to get a formal divorce but instead will stay married while dating other people.

McCray publicly identified as a lesbian in the 1990s prior to her marriage to de Blasio.

Speaking to the New York Times, de Blasio said, “For the guy who took the chance on the woman who was an out lesbian and wrote an article called ‘I Am a Lesbian,’ there was a part of me that would at times say, ‘Hmmm, is this like a time bomb ticking? Is this something that you’re going to regret later on?’ So I always lived with that stuff.”

De Blasio attributed some of the relationship’s failures to his position as NYC mayor, saying, “Everything was this overwhelming schedule, this sort of series of tasks. And that kind of took away a little bit of our soul.”

68-year-old McCray also spoke to the Times about the unconventional “separation,” saying, “I just want to have fun.”

Speaking to reporters on Wednesday morning outside of the couple’s home, McCray said, “This is a big change for us, but Bill and I are still very much in love. We came to this decision together and I think it’s the right decision for us.”

“It’s one thing to make a decision, it’s another thing to think… figuring out how it plays out and we will be talking about that over the next months,” she added. “I hope that we can be a model for how couples can communicate honestly about what their needs are and to conduct themselves when they find it’s time to move in another direction. I think that’s important.”

In 2020, de Blasio appointed McCray to New York City’s “Coronavirus Racial Inequality” task force to make sure the city “rebounds as a better and more just society.”

In March 2021, McCray suggested that New Yorkers should engage in “vigilante activity” if they believe they have witnessed a hate crime. She tweeted, “As attacks on Asian American communities continue, we’re asking New Yorkers to show up for their neighbors and intervene when witnessing hateful violence or harassment. I know that can be frightening when you aren’t sure what to do or say, but you can learn.”

Fear is a normal feeling when stepping into a confrontation, but being prepared can help. I’ll share @iHollaback's 5 D’s, which are easy to remember tactics that we can all use to de-escalate a situation.

D is for Distract, Delegate, Document, Delay, and Direct.

— Chirlane McCray (@NYCFirstLady109) March 6, 2021