Photo: Patrick McMullan
New York Times publisher Arthur Sulzberger Jr. and his wife of 33 years, Gail Gregg, have decided to call it quits. They have issued a statement that reads, “We have made the difficult decision to separate after 33 years of marriage. We are fortunate to have the love and support of our two children, other family members and close friends and colleagues. This is a private matter and we will not discuss it further.” The Observer gives us the rundown on how the couple met:
In Alex Jones and Susan Tifft’s authoritative account of the family that owns the Times, The Trust, they detail the couple’s relationship. They began dating when Arthur was a senior at Tufts and was visiting his mother in Kansas for Thanksgiving 1973 at a house across the street from Ms. Gregg’s. They fell in love right away, and moved in together in January 1974. “She was forceful and self-assured — the very strengths he tried to cultivate in himself, though his way of expressing them tended to be cocky and confrontational.” Mr. Jones and Ms. Tifft wrote.
She challenged him on everything from his political beliefs and his abrasive demeanor. “Gail takes no shit from him … and she keeps him honest,” said Doug Adler, his cousin.
Well, now she’ll be taking shit from him — a lot of shit since prenups weren’t exactly de rigueur back when they married in 1975. She’s already starting with the family co-op. Back in February, Sulzberger transferred ownership of the family’s 64th and Central Park West co-op to Gregg for $3.2 million. At the time, a Times spokeswoman told the Observer that the deal was done “for estate-planning purposes.”
Should they decide that the split is a public matter, we suggest taking a cue from Tricia Walsh-Smith and chronicling the proceedings via YouTube (bring your own Tarot cards). Or perhaps, since Gregg is a writer, a series of he-said-she-said “Modern Love” essays is in order. —Noelle Hancock
After 33 Years, Arthur Sulzberger Separates From His Wife, Gail Gregg [NYO]
