A New York City heiress detailed the glaringly apparent sign that her ex-husband didn’t want anything to do with their three children after he allegedly ditched their two decades of marriage for a younger colleague.
Flobelle “Belle” Fairbanks Burden, the granddaughter of legendary New York socialite Babe Paley, provided an intimate look inside the breakdown of her marriage to hedge fund executive Henry Davis in her book “Strangers: A Memoir of Marriage,” which was published by The Times of London.
Flobelle Fairbanks Burden and Henry Davis divorced after he allegedly cheated on her with a younger work acquaintance. Patrick McMullan via Getty Images
Burden, 56, claimed that Davis, 60, up and left their Martha’s Vineyard home just one day after his mistress attempted to take her own life. He fled the $7.5 million property without saying goodbye to his three children and severed the final ties of his marriage to Burden over the phone.
“You can have the [Martha’s Vineyard] house and the [New York] apartment. You can have custody of the kids. I don’t want it. I don’t want any of it,” he reportedly said, according to the heiress’s memoir.
At the time, the family was locked down at their ritzy second home on the tiny Massachusetts island, seeking an escape during the height of the Coronavirus pandemic.
Shortly after their divorce was finalized, Davis purchased a two-bedroom apartment in New York City — and converted the second room into a home office, leaving no guest space for prospective visitors, including his own children, Burden said in her book.
“I still thought he would want to make a home for his children, that he wouldn’t follow through on his decision to have no custody and no overnights,” she wrote.
In her memoir, the scorned ex noted that Davis still sees his children — but only for the occasional tennis match or abridged family dinner. She alleged that there have been “no handovers or holidays since the day he left.”
Burden said that Davis downsized to an apartment that couldn’t accommodate his three children after the divorce. Belle Burden/Instagram
Davis allegedly told Burden that he didn’t want custody of their three children. Belle Burden/Instagram
She added that the apparent deadbeat dad never provided a real explanation for why he decided to terminate their marriage of 21 years seemingly overnight, and at one point stopped taking her calls entirely.
“I’ll answer what I want, when I want. I’ll speak when I want. I’ll decide when I want,” Davis reportedly texted Burden.
Their marriage imploded after the mistress’ jilted husband called Burden and spilled the beans.
Burden’s book, “Strangers: A Memoir of Marriage,” was released on Jan. 13. Belle Burden/Instagram
“I’m trying to reach Belle. I’m sorry to tell you this, but your husband is having an affair with my wife,” the man said in a voicemail left for Burden.
Burden confronted Davis, who allegedly confessed to an affair with a much younger woman he met through work. He originally pleaded with his wife and claimed the ordeal was “over” — but then rushed to his mistress’s side the day after she tried to kill herself.
The newly single mother was in contact with Davis’ family for a brief interim before they abruptly cut her off, claiming they needed to support him instead, according to the bombshell memoir.
Burden wrote that she doesn’t know if Davis and his mistress are still together, or if he had any other affairs before the one that ended their marriage.