Isolation can be particularly difficult for men. “Men are the ones who usually face a social ‘gray divorce penalty,’” says Jocelyn Crowley, author of “Gray Divorce: What We Lose and Gain from Mid-Life Splits.”
Topic
gray divorce
Two different divorces? Dr. Jocelyn Elise Crowley analyzes how divorce over the age of 50 produces different impacts for men and women in Thrive Magazine, Winter/Spring 2026.
Crowley’s research, based on interviews with 80 individuals, reveals that gray divorce carries many of the same emotional and practical challenges as divorce at any age.
Bill & Melinda Gates’ Split Shines Light on ‘Gray Divorce’ Trend Experts Think Pandemic Fuels
News that Bill and Melinda Gates were calling it quits after nearly 30 years of marriage came as a surprise to many — but perhaps not to marriage experts, who say that so-called "gray divorce" is a trend that's been on the rise. "People are saying, 'I'm 50 years old,...
Bill and Melinda Gates Divorce Highlights Rise of Older-Age Splits
Before Covid, empty-nesters or new retirees had other activities to distract them from an unfulfilling relationship, says Susan Brown, a professor of sociology at Bowling Green State University who studies marriages and divorce. “The pandemic made them think...
A conversation with Jocelyn Elise Crowley on Gray Divorce, April 3
Join us on Tuesday, April 3 from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. for a thought-provoking conversation about gray divorce between Jocelyn Elise Crowley and Carl Van Horn, Ph.D., Director of the Heldrich Center and Distinguished Professor of Public Policy. The conversation between...
Examining the rising phenomenon of gray divorce
Gray divorce—characterized as a divorce where one member of the couple is age 50 or older—has been becoming increasingly widespread in the United States. The divorce rate for the overall population has stabilized and even declined a bit over the past several decades....