Chance the Rapper’s nearly 10-year relationship with wife Kirsten Corley is coming to an end.
In April 2024, the couple announced that they had decided to call it quits “after a period of separation” in a joint statement they each shared on their Instagram Stories.
“We came to this decision amicably and with gratitude for the time we spent together,” they wrote. “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,”
Eight months later, Corley filed for divorce on Dec. 13.
Despite his high-profile career, Chance (né Chancelor Johnathan Bennett) managed to keep his relationship with Corley private. Corley is an influencer, entrepreneur and former model who met Chance for the first time when they were both kids. After reuniting a decade later in 2013, the couple began dating, and they eventually tied the knot in 2019 in Newport Beach, California. They also share two daughters, Kensli and Marli.
From meeting when they were kids to their split, here’s everything to know about Kirsten Corley and her relationship with Chance the Rapper.
She met Chance when they were just 9 years old
On the weekend of the couple’s wedding, Chance shared the story of how he and Corley first met on X (formerly Twitter). The rapper posted a series of screenshots that detailed his first encounter with Corley at his mom’s 2003 office party when he was 9 years old. Chance revealed that he first laid eyes on Corley 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. I really shouldn’t even say locked eyes cause really, I was just staring at her,” he recalled.
He added that although his dad encouraged him to go out and dance with the girls (he had already won two school competitions for dancing at the time) he refused to steal her shine. “It’s ’cause I knew I was gonna marry that girl and I ain’t wanna jump the gun,” Chance wrote. “So I shook my head with anxiety, moved to the back of the crowd, and never even introduced myself.”
The two met again in 2012 at the South by Southwest Film Festival in Austin, Texas, and they reconnected when they went back home to Chicago shortly after.
She got engaged to Chance on the Fourth of July in 2018
On the Fourth of July in 2018, Chance proposed to Corley at a family backyard party in Chicago. He confirmed the engagement the next day, tweeting simply, “She said yes 🔗.”
Chance later revealed during a 2019 appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show that rapper Offset had encouraged him to pop the question.
“I met Set at a party at French Montana’s house. We were all in the backyard, and he pulled me to the side, and he told me that [he and Cardi B] had just got married in the backyard,” he revealed. “He was like, ‘Yo, you need to take care of business,’ and I came back home, and I proposed two months later.”
She married Chance in 2019
The couple tied the knot on March 9, 2019, at the Resort at Pelican Hill in Newport Beach, California. Their daughter, Kensli, served as the flower girl and celebrity guests included Kim Kardashian, Kanye West and Dave Chappelle. Corley wore the Alma gown by Galia Lahav and Chance looked dapper in a black-and-white tux.
Chance posted a series of photos from their special day on Instagram and captioned the post, “The Bennetts,” which is the rapper’s legal last name.
She and Chance have two daughters
On Sept. 21, 2015, Chance announced on Instagram that he and then-girlfriend Corley had welcomed their first child, Kensli.
The pair welcomed their second daughter, Marli, on Aug. 29, 2019. Corley announced the news on Instagram with a photo of the newborn. “Our sweet baby girl, Marli, is here,” she captioned the post.
Shortly after Marli’s birth, Chance postponed his tour to spend more time with his family. He explained his decision on Instagram, admitting that he missed some of his older daughter’s early milestones while he was on tour. “At this point as a husband and father of two I realize that I can’t make that mistake again. I need to be as helpful and available as possible to my wife in these early months of raising Kensli and Marli,” he wrote, before apologizing to his fans.
A few months later, he reflected on parenthood and marriage during an interview with PEOPLE “I’ve been waking up daily with a newfound gratitude and being very grateful that I’m married right now,” the rapper said. “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.”
She’s the founder of a children’s clothing brand
Corley is the founder and CEO of World of BOBY, a children’s clothing brand. According to the brand’s website, World of BOBY was “born out of the desire to see more representation and inclusivity in the kids’ apparel space.” Corley announced the brand’s launch on Instagram on July 8, 2021, with a series of photos of kids wearing the designs. In the post, she gave Chance a brief shout-out, writing, “a special thanks to my husband who supports and lifts me up in everything I do.”
On Sept. 5, 2021, Chance tagged Corley in an adorable Instagram post of him and his two daughters, who were both wearing the brand. He captioned it, “‘World Of BOBY I’m just promoting my wife’ or whatever Durk says.”
BOBY was also featured on WGN News in May 2022, where Corley discussed how the brand promotes representation, inclusivity and mental health awareness. She also credited Chance for his support, saying, “He’s very supportive and he has been very pivotal in just helping me figure out my way and business and all so that’s been really helpful. I’m always happy to have him as a sounding ear.”
She is a former model and basketball player
Between 2014 and 2016, Corley modeled for various brands, including Alexander Wang, Shelby Steiner and the now-defunct MIJ Boutique.
Corley is also a former basketball player and she even took first place in the Nike ‘Gotta Shine’ tournament and the All Summa x Jordan league in 2017.
She has a degree in psychology
According to her LinkedIn profile, Corley attended DePaul University in Chicago from 2011 to 2013, where she received her Bachelor of Arts in psychology. On June 15, 2014, she posted a graduation photo on Instagram.
While speaking to Essence in June 2022 about her clothing brand, Corley revealed that she briefly studied fashion merchandising at the Art Institute of Chicago, but ultimately dropped out. She noted that she still gained a lot of skills during her time in the program and was able to apply them when launching BOBY. “I think I definitely learned a lot of merchandising skills and business with like wholesale and all of those areas when I was in school for fashion merchandising,” she told the publication.
She also mentioned how much her psychology degree has influenced the way she raises her kids. “It’s all about the human mind and child development. Applying that has been super helpful and being able to be patient with myself and have grace, too. Knowing that I’m not going to be perfect all the time, but I try my best,” she explained.
She and Chance are teaching their kids to change the world
In September 2020, Chance and Corley graced the cover of Parents magazine. The couple spoke about raising their daughters amid the COVID-19 pandemic and Black Lives Matter movement.
“If we thought that teaching our kids how to read was hard, imagine teaching them that there’s an entire system of oppression that our society is built on, that they can either be complicit in or work to change,” Chance said. “It’s a difficult task, but it’s like we were born or live in this time for a reason. I think we have a pretty crazy opportunity right now to change the trajectory of humanity.”
He continued, “Mainly, we’ve been teaching Kensli to love herself, to understand that her opinion is important, to understand that Black is beautiful and that Black power is her superpower.”
She and Chance split in 2024
On April 3, 2024, Chance and Corley announced their separation on Instagram.
“After a period of separation, the two of us have arrived at the decision to part ways,” they wrote in a statement on Instagram Stories. “We came to this decision amicably and with gratitude for the time we spent together.”
The statement continued, “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.
News of their split came nearly a year after fans speculated that Chance and Corley were experiencing marital troubles.
Corley filed for divorce in December 2024.
Source: People
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