In the aftermath of George Floyd's death, the wife of Derek Chauvin, the cop who was taped subduing Floyd by kneeling on his neck, has filed for divorce and requested a change in her last name.
Forty-five-year-old Kellie Chauvin, says that she separated from her husband last Thursday, May 28, which is the day before he was charged with second-degree manslaughter and third-degree murder for the demise of Floyd.
In the divorce paper that she filed, it was stated that the breakdown of their marriage was already irretrievable and is beyond saving.
Kelli has been married to Chauvin for almost ten years since June of 2010. In her filing, she was not able to detail which surname she would be taking if the divorce gets finalized, however, it was also noted in the petition notes that before marrying Chauvin, she was previously known as Kellie Xiong and Kellie Thao.
According to CNN, aside from changing her last name, Kellie also requested that she get the title for their homes. In detail, Kellie has petitioned to have full rights to their properties located in the Orlando metropolitan area of Windemere, Florida, and Oakdale, Minnesota.
Moreover, she also asked that their conjugal properties including vehicles and bank accounts to equitably divided between them.
On top of this, the petition for divorce stated that her request to change her name is solely due to the dissolution of marriage. It was also stressed that the act to change her last name is not intended to be used in fraud, mislead other people, or for any reason that could be used in a felony.
According to NBC News, Kellie has previously worked as a property realtor as well as a beauty queen. It was also stated that she has been separated from her husband since Thursday.
Aside from this, despite being currently in between jobs, Kellie stated that she can support herself and did not ask for any spousal support. In light of this, she also waived her right to receive any temporary or permanent maintenance from Chauvin.
Who is Kellie Chauvin?
Kellie, who was born in Laos, has been married before Chauvin and had two children in her previous marriage. It was also stated that from Laos, Kellie and her family moved to Wisconsin after they fled from a refugee camp, as reported by Twin Cities Pioneer Press.
It was also noted in the profile that she and Derek Chauvin met when he brought a suspect in the medical center she worked at for a health check-up before taking them to jail.
At the moment, Kellie has not made any statements regarding her divorce in public. However, the law firm that represented her announced on Friday that Kellie has expressed great devastation in light of Floyd's death and that she sends her sympathy to his family and loved ones.
The death of Floyd has caused unrest not only in Minneapolis but in the whole United States. People are rallying on the streets to protest the injustice, inequality, and racism that led to the death of Floyd. Some of the said protests have led to riots and violence which has become a big problem for the country.
