The former U.S. President’s story goes beyond politics. It’s a life shaped by love, loss, and the powerful role of fatherhood. Now, as he suffered from a serious illness, the lives — and losses — of his children share a story of resilience and heartbreak.
Former U.S. President Joe Biden has been diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate canc3r that has spread to his bones.
As the 82-year-old weighs his next steps, the story of his children underlines the emotional strength he has carried through public service and private sorrow.
Ashley Biden
Ashley Blazer Biden, born on June 8, 1981, is Joe and Jill Biden’s only child together. Unlike her half-siblings, Ashley has kept an intentionally low profile while devoting her career to social work and justice reform.
Ashley once told Elle magazine in 2023 that she had “never wanted to be in the public eye” and added, “Yeah, I still don’t.” She said her concentration is on amplifying other people’s stories and supporting the work of organizations making a difference.
Hunter Biden
Robert Hunter Biden, born in 1970, was just two years old when he survived the accident that k*lled his mother and baby sister. He experienced a fractured skull, while his brother Beau suffered a broken leg. The crash happended just as their father was preparing to be sworn into the U.S. Senate.
In the years that followed, Hunter suffered from multiple legal and personal challenges. He became the subject of a federal investigation into his taxes and foreign business dealings.
Beau Biden
Joseph Robinette “Beau” Biden III, born in 1969, was the eldest son of Joe and Neilia Biden. A Yale Law School graduate, Beau attened to the Delaware Army National Guard in 2003. He deployed to Iraq in 2008, serving in the Judge Advocate General’s Corps. He was awarded the Bronze Star for his service.
A respected public servant, Beau was elected as Delaware’s Attorney General in 2006 and reelected in 2010. He was famous for combating child abuse and advocating for victims.
In 2014, he announced plans to run for governor, writing to constituents, “What started as a thought — a very persistent thought — has now become a course of action that I wish to pursue.”
But his political development was affected by health issues. Beau suffered a mild str0ke in 2010. Three years later, in 2013, doctors diagnosed him with brain canc3r.
Beau di:ed in May 2015, at age 46, at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.
In a family statement, then-Vice President Joe said, “It is with broken hearts that Hallie, Hunter, Ashley, Jill and I announce the passing of our husband, brother and son, Beau, after he battled brain canc3r with the same integrity, courage and strength he demonstrated every day of his life.”
Beau’s passing marked a significant loss in Joe’s personal life, but it was not the first. Decades earlier, he suffered another tragedy with the loss of his eldest daughter, whose life had only just begun.
Naomi Biden
Naomi Christina Biden, born in November 1971, was the youngest of Joe and Neilia’s three children. On December 18, 1972, just weeks after Joe had been choosen to the U.S. Senate, Naomi and Neilia were k*lled in a car accident. Joe was 30 years old at the time and had not yet taken office.
Naomi passed away at just over one year old. Her brothers, Beau and Hunter, were seriously injured but survived. In his autobiography, “Promises to Keep: On Life and Politics,” Joe described how he felt in that moment, “I could not speak… only felt this hollow core grow in my chest, like I was going to be sucked inside a black hole.”
