A former NYC money attorney has shared her anguish after her financier husband of 20 years out of the blue dumped her during lockdown for another woman — and reportedly told her he didn’t want custody of their kids.
Flobelle “Belle” Fairbanks Burden, 54, says her husband Henry Davis announced he wanted to end their marriage while they were sheltering from COVID during their $4.7 million Martha’s Vineyard vacation in the spring of 2020.
In a heartbreaking article for the New York Timesthe 54-year-old described the moment when she, Davis and their two younger children, then 15 and 12, sought shelter from the pandemic on the island.
Arriving March 15, 2020, Burden, a New York-based socialite who is a descendant of railroad magnate Cornelius Vanderbilt, described the stability and routine the family had while escaping the lockdown, describing the experience as “delightful” to begin with.
Flobelle ‘Belle’ Fairbanks Burden (R) claims her husband Henry Davis (C) announced he wanted to end their marriage, had an affair and did not want custody of the children
The estranged couple is pictured here with Burden’s stepmother Susan Burden in 2008
But that all fell apart when she found out her estranged husband was having a secret relationship.
Burden wrote, “A week later, at 6 a.m. on March 22, my husband told me he wanted a divorce. He packed a bag, got into his jeep and boarded a ferry. We were married for almost 21 years.
“When he arrived in New York City, he laid down his story: He thought he would have wanted our lives, but didn’t. He thought he was happy, but he wasn’t. A switch had flipped. He didn’t want our house or apartment. He didn’t want custody of our kids.
In the revealing article, she claims he “bought a sleek new apartment in Manhattan, hired a well-known divorce attorney,” and treated her with a “persistent lack of empathy or sentiment.” After a few weeks, Burden said Davis stopped contacting her.
She claims that his two siblings, whom she had also been close to, ghosted her and said they could no longer talk to her because they had to support their sibling.
Burden has not shared any further details about her husband’s alleged affair and says it is unclear to her whether that relationship is still ongoing.
Burden claimed the split stunned her, telling that the previous year she gleefully planted blueberry bushes in the garden of the posh estate with her former husband in a blur of what she thought was rural and marital bliss.
Describing the routine they built while sheltering, she said the family was “happy with the off-season use” of the million-dollar island getaway.
Burden, who also lives in a multimillion-dollar Tribeca loft, found out about the affair on March 21 through a voicemail left to her by the other woman’s husband.
Burden says her marriage unraveled while sheltering in their $4.7 million Martha’s Vineyard retreat (pictured) during the early days of COVID in March 2020
In a heartbreaking article for the New York Times, the 54-year-old described the moment she, Davis and their two younger children, then 15 and 12, sought shelter on the island from the pandemic.
“I’m sorry to tell you that your husband is having an affair with my wife,” he said.
Burden shared how she found out Davis had been unfaithful, writing, “There was another woman, as so often when men leave.”
Burden married Henry Patterson Davis in June 1999 at her stepmother Susan’s home in Water Mill, NY, after the couple met at a corporate law firm.
Their marriage was announced in the ghostwriter agenturen New York Times – the same publication in which Burden decided to work out his implosion in great detail.
She said that her “fortitude” made Davis fall in love with him and that he bore a resemblance to her father Carter Burden – who served as a New York City Councilman from 1969 to 1978.
‘He was tall, blond and slender, a similar silhouette to my father. He wore suits and rolled up his shirtsleeves as he worked. He was grown,’ she recalled.
“When he came into my office, closed the door and kissed me, I was done.”
Burden claimed that within weeks of the kiss, a then love-retained Davis “intended to marry her.”
“Promise to take care of me, to step into my late father’s role as my protector. And we got married, within a year, both (I still believe) very much in love.’
The Harvard University-trained attorney said she left the year she turned 50, the same age when Davis “reached a pinnacle of professional success.”
But Burden hinted at another side of her husband, saying he had a “rebellious past” that included “run-ins with the law” and a trail of broken romances – which she claimed had even led some women stalked Davis.
Burden is the daughter of the late Carter Burden (L) and New York socialite Amanda Burden (R), photographed on their wedding day in 1964
Amanda (L) posted a message congratulating her daughter (R) captioning the image, “A great story from a great writer. My wonderful daughter’
She complained about the isolation she felt and noted her husband’s cold demeanor who admitted that she had lost weight because of it.
“I decided not to drink, knowing it would make me sadder, but I also found it hard to eat,” she said.
“Within weeks I’d lost 20 pounds, the self I’d come to know through two decades of pregnancies and family life.”
Burden admitted she also struggled to understand Davis’s decision to blow up their decades-long marriage, but said she ended it.
“I sometimes see him from afar in our shared urban neighborhood,” she said.
“He looks familiar to me, his stance and gait, his sandy blond hair and orange sneakers, and my heart skips a beat when I see him. But then I remember he’s a stranger, and I keep walking.’
Two photos of the couple remain online next to Burden’s stepmother as they attended the 2008 New Yorkers for Children fall gala.
Burden is the daughter of the late Carter Burden and New York socialite Amanda Burden – who posted a screenshot to congratulate her daughter after the article.
“A great story from a great writer. My wonderful daughter,” she captioned the post.
Davis continues to be followed online by mutual relatives, Amazon Agentur but was not seen commenting on the article on social media or otherwise.
Burden (pictured) admitted she also struggled to understand Davis’s decision to blow up their decades-long marriage, but said she ended it
Coming from a long Harvard heritage, Burden graduated from college with honors after earning a law degree from New York University.
The Burden family has a long history with Harvard and several buildings have been donated on their behalf.
In an article about Burden’s legacy, Nitin Nohria, who served as dean from 2010 to 2020, said, “For 50 years, the Burden family has supported Harvard University and Harvard Business School with both their wealth and their wisdom.”
“We are truly honored to preserve the family’s legacy of philanthropy through the dedication of Burden Park, the endowed Burden Family Fellowship, and the Baker Library Collection on the Business Aspects of Aviation.
Each of these gifts ensures that the philanthropic leadership of Mrs. Burden, her sons and their family will never be forgotten. We are very grateful to the family for their generosity and their vision.’
DailyMail.com has reached out to Burden, Davis and other family members for further comment.