Chelsea Clinton grew up under the influence of one of the most powerful couples in modern history, but that same couple hardly set the gold standard for a healthy relationship. While Hillary and Bill Clinton somehow powered through the Monica Lewinsky scandal, their marriage wasn’t exactly the pinnacle of #RelationshipGoals. So, is it really surprising that Chelsea found herself at the center of divorce rumors less than a year into her marriage to Marc Mezvinsky? Not really.
Being the daughter of two scandal-plagued politicians meant that people were practically waiting for Chelsea’s relationship to hit a rough patch. And by February 2011 — roughly six months after tying the knot — rumors started swirling that she and Mezvinsky were already on the verge of a split. The supposed proof? Mezvinsky had taken a three-month sabbatical from his job as an investment banker to go skiing while Chelsea stayed in New York. Some also claimed he was struggling with the pressures of being the son-in-law of a former president and secretary of state, while others speculated that the couple was clashing over starting a family — especially after Bill publicly hinted that Hillary was ready to be a grandmother. But just as quickly as the rumors started, Chelsea and Mezvinsky shut them down. A few weeks later, they were spotted looking cozy at an American Foundation for AIDS Research gala, proving that their relationship was still very much intact. “All is very well [with Marc and Chelsea],” Marie Clinton Bruno, Bill’s cousin, told Us Weekly at the time.
Celebrity love coach and body language expert Nicole Moore notes that rocky starts aren’t unusual, especially for public figures. But then again, Chelsea and Mezvinsky’s “problems” aren’t exactly the same ones most couples face.
The fact that Chelsea is the daughter of the most powerful people in the U.S. can pose problems
Chelsea Clinton and Marc Mezvinsky didn’t seem to have major problems early in their marriage — or if there was trouble, they handled it before it spiraled. But, according to Nicole Moore, hiccups in the first year of marriage are totally normal. Newlyweds are still in full adjustment mode, figuring out how to merge their lives without stepping on each other’s toes. “Many couples don’t actually spend the time to get clear on their ideas about things like division of household labor, schedule planning, and how each person views their role and their spouse’s role in the marriage,” she exclusively told Nicki Swift. “Couples can be in for a rude awakening in the first year of marriage if they discover their partner has a different view on gender roles.”
Of course, Chelsea’s marriage wasn’t just about who does the dishes. As the only daughter of Bill and Hillary Clinton, she’s spent her life under intense scrutiny. Moore noted that this could have made things trickier for her and Mezvinsky — possibly fueling divorce rumors before they even settled in. “Famous couples are under a microscope and may feel they have to uphold a happy image no matter what’s going on in the partnership,” she said.
Sure enough, Chelsea learned that lesson the hard way. Her chief of staff, Bari Lurie, told Vogue that the media’s obsession with Chelsea and Mezvinsky’s marriage actually did affect them — not because the rumors were true, but because no one in their camp was paying attention to the narrative being spun. “None of us were paying attention to it,” she admitted. “Chelsea realized, ‘Maybe I need to get out there and demystify myself a little bit.'”
Chelsea and Marc must be wise enough not to let the public get involved in their marriage
If there’s one upside to growing up in the public eye, it’s that Chelsea Clinton has developed a seriously thick skin. She told The Guardian that she’s well aware of the unfair scrutiny she faces but refuses to let it get to her. “I’ve had so much vitriol flung at me for as long as I can literally remember … I’ve never found it productive, personally, to engage in that way. To retaliate with crass language or insult someone personally — I just don’t think I’m built that way,” she said. “I just think that the way they’re talking about me, to me, to my face, online, is a reflection on them and not about me.”
Even though Chelsea learned her lesson about “demystifying” her marriage, Nicole Moore believes she and Marc Mezvinsky should still discuss what’s being said about them — and strategize on shutting down rumors before they spiral further. “For couples in the public eye, one bad night where they couple appears mad at each other or distant can turn into months of bad press, so if possible, couples in the public eye need a practice of never going to bed angry, working on issues right away versus sweeping them under the rug and approaching public events as a united loving front no matter what,” she noted.
And, of course, prioritizing each other is key, no matter how loud the noise gets. “Married couples in the public eye should arrange their work schedules such that work commitments don’t overlap,” Moore advised. “Many couples who’ve had lasting relationships in the public eye have agreements as such and they credit prioritizing couple time with why their relationship works.”
