Belle Burden Faces Criticism Over Memoir Claims

Belle Burden is under scrutiny for remarks made in her bestselling memoir, Strangers: A Memoir of Marriage. The Vanderbilt heiress ventured into literature with this memoir released in January. It outlines the collapse of her marriage to hedge fund executive Henry Davis. Burden detailed how signing a prenup, despite her lawyer’s advice, nearly left her with nothing post-divorce. Yet, The New Yorker claims she might have overstated her predicament.

The publication accessed the couple’s prenup, central to Burden’s book. She wrote that Davis pushed for a prenup amendment to split jointly named assets equally and keep individually named assets separate in divorce. This disadvantaged Burden as she left her corporate lawyer job to raise their children while Davis excelled in finance.

The New Yorker’s Findings

When they married in 1999, Davis’s earnings were over $200,000 annually, and he was entitled to investment fund profits. Meanwhile, documents revealed Burden’s assets and trust interests totaled $63 million. A $45 million portion came from a trust set by her father, Carter Burden. This trust was for Burden’s stepmother’s care until her passing, after which remaining funds would be divided between Burden and her brother.

Although Burden couldn’t access this trust, the prenup noted she had an $8 million charitable trust share and a $4 million interest in WAMBCO, her family’s partnership. She also earned a $300,000 trustee commission and owned a $22 million co-op at 1020 Fifth Avenue, sold in 2012. The prenup listed potential interests in other trusts.

Fox News Digital couldn’t independently verify the prenup.

Contested Financial Narrative

The memoir portrays a struggle, with Burden having left her career to nurture their family. She claimed that after discussing workforce reentry, Davis dissuaded her by highlighting her parental responsibilities. She engaged in pro bono legal work but never returned to paid employment during the marriage.

As Davis amassed eight-figure wealth, unknown to her until divorce proceedings, she alleged financial control. A bookkeeper tracked her expenses, according to Burden.

Financial Security Misconception

The New Yorker reported Burden retained her wealth through marriage with a 2019 income above $800,000, characterized by her as unusually high. She stated her trust funds financed family homes, with Davis contributing none but added his name, entitling him to half under their prenup.

The couple aimed to abolish the prenup in 2019, reflecting on Davis’s success and her depleted trusts. But Davis postponed, and by March 2020, Burden discovered his affair and desire for divorce.

Records showed Burden bought a Tribeca apartment for under $4 million, with a $1 million mortgage, and a Martha’s Vineyard home at $5.4 million with a $3 million mortgage.

The New Yorker queried Burden’s claim about impending home loss due to the prenup. Margaret Ryznar, a law professor, stated custodial parents often retain homes for family stability.

Burden admitted selling to cover Davis’s share wasn’t feasible. Her Manhattan apartment listed at nearly $12 million, while the Martha’s Vineyard property was valued at $7.7 million, well above her purchasing price.

Settlement and Statement

Contrary to Burden’s trial preparation narrative, court documents indicated only a logistics meeting. The settlement revealed Davis relinquished five trusts in Burden’s favor, a $3 million WAMBCO investment share, and a beach property valued over $400,000. He also agreed to $50,000 monthly child support, education costs, and insurance coverage.

Burden responded by underscoring her honesty in Strangers about her experiences. She valued financial transparency as a motivator for women, despite personal hardship disclosures.