Flobelle 'Belle' Fairbanks Burden, a society heiress and lawyer from the Vanderbilt dynasty, once enjoyed a seemingly idyllic life with her multi-millionaire husband, Henry Davis, and their three children. However, this picture-perfect existence shattered when Davis, a financier, confessed to an affair with a younger woman and abruptly ended their marriage.
The Aftermath of a Shock Split
In the acrimonious months following their sudden separation, Davis made a calculated move that distanced him from his children's daily lives. The 60-year-old multi-millionaire purchased a two-bedroom apartment in New York City, a residence notably too small to accommodate his three offspring. Burden, aged 56, revealed that this decision profoundly impacted their youngest daughter, who is 12 years old and yearned for her own room in his new home.
'She was sending him links on Pottery Barn for her room,' Burden disclosed during a recent appearance on the 'Lipstick on the Rim' podcast. Davis, however, insisted he was 'done with that stage of his life,' which included parenting responsibilities such as helping with homework and preparing dinners. 'That’s been the hardest part of this, and the most lasting part,' Burden lamented. To add insult to injury, Davis converted his one spare bedroom into a home office, further solidifying his detachment from family life.
Navigating the Emotional Fallout
While two of their children were not immediately affected by the divorce, the 12-year-old struggled with the absence of a dedicated space in her father's new apartment. Burden explained that Davis lives only blocks away from their family home and maintains contact with the kids, describing him as 'very kind and sweet with them.' Yet, he was unequivocal about his unwillingness to engage in day-to-day parenting tasks, such as college applications. 'And that really was like a switch going off,' Burden noted, highlighting the sudden shift in his involvement.
In her memoir, Burden wrote that Davis had always been 'career-focused,' while she dedicated herself to raising their children. Although he previously participated in family life by taking the kids on trips, his attitude changed dramatically after the split. Davis reportedly told her, 'You can have the house and the apartment. You can have custody of the kids. I don’t want it. I don’t want any of it.'
Legal and Emotional Struggles
Assuming this statement was a mistake, Burden asked her lawyer to draft a 50-50 custody agreement. However, Davis returned it, stripping away his time and vacations, leaving only dinner on Thursday nights as his scheduled involvement. Burden believes her ex-husband thought he was being 'selfless' by not formalizing custody, arguing that the children were old enough to decide when to see him.
When asked by podcast host Molly Sims how her children were coping with the upheaval, Burden responded that they are doing 'amazing.' 'They are amazing because they love him, and they’re protective of him, and they’re actually very good now at reaching out to him to do things that are comfortable for him, like going to a hockey game or something like that,' she said.
A Mother's Perspective
For Burden, the greatest challenge has been acknowledging her children's reality. 'I think the biggest challenge for me is to acknowledge their reality, to say "this is what’s happening, this is unusual, that you do not live with your dad."' She has had to reassure her youngest daughter, explaining, 'Your dad, I don’t know why, but he can’t create a home for you right now. And that has to do with him, and that’s not you.'
Despite the emotional toll, Burden has retained both their New York City apartment and the Martha's Vineyard estate, valued at $4.7 million, as part of the divorce settlement. Her memoir delves into the details of how Davis's secret relationship was uncovered, offering a candid look at the personal and familial consequences of their split.
