Blair Underwood is divorcing his wife, Desiree DaCosta, after 27 years of marriage.
The couple announced the split in a statement posted on Underwood’s personal Instagram page.
“After a tremendous amount of thought, prayer & work on ourselves individually & collectively, we have come to the conclusion to end our marriage that began 27 years ago,” the statement read.
“It has truly been a beautiful journey,” the statement continued. “Our proudest achievements are our three incredible children. Three souls to which God entrusted us. We continue to be awed & humbled by the blessings of parenting. We have always put their best interests first & will continue to do so. We will continue to be the best of friends and co-parents and have the utmost respect for one another as we embark upon this new chapter of our lives, separately.”
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Underwood married DaCosta in 1994. They have three children together, 24-year-old Paris, 22-year-old Brielle and Blake, who is 19 years old, per Essence. DaCosta and Underwood promised to maintain a positive co-parenting relationship.
The couple asked for privacy as they dealt with this “season of change” in their lives.
The actor has spoken positively of his estranged wife in the past. Last year, he revealed she convinced him to take the role of Robert Leeds on Sex and the City.
“I wasn’t sure,” he told Page Six in January 2020. “When the offer came in, I mentioned it to my wife, and she’s like, ‘No, you need to do that. Why are you even pausing? You want to go do that.’ I thank her for that.”
In 2008, Underwood praised DaCosta for shattering his patriarchal views of marriage and changing the way he relates to women.
“I wanted to be her rock, her protector,” the Self Made star explained to Oprah.com. “If she had a problem, I wanted to solve it. I thought that’s what was expected of me.”
After he peppered DaCosta with solutions while she was venting about her life, he had an epiphany when she told him, “Baby, I don’t need you to fix it. I just need you to listen to me.”
“That night, I understood that it meant I needed to hear her when she spoke to me,” he added. “Trying to come up with ways to solve her problems gave me a false sense of control, and when I offered up unsolicited advice, I was disrespecting a strong woman who knew how to handle her own life. I was relieved as well; she didn’t expect me to always have an answer for her. She wasn’t coming to me for a repair. She just needed a shoulder to cry on.”
Best of luck to Underwood, DaCosta and their family.
