Bill Stevenson, Jill Biden's Ex-Husband—Their Marriage Explained Amid Allegation

Bill Stevenson has resurfaced in headlines amid an allegation that has cast renewed attention on his past, including his brief marriage to Jill Biden.

Once known largely as the former spouse of the US First Lady, Bill Stevenson is now at the centre of a legal case that has prompted questions about his life before and after that early relationship. While the developments are serious, the story also traces back decades, to a youthful marriage that Jill Biden later described as formative and painful in equal measure.

The marriage, which lasted from 1970 to 1975, unfolded during a period when both were still finding their footing as adults. In later years, Jill Biden reflected on that chapter with candour, portraying it as a love she once believed would last.

Now, with allegations dominating the present, that past has come back into focus, though its significance is only part of a much wider and still-unfolding narrative.

Early Relationship and Marriage to Jill Biden

As legal proceedings continue, interest has grown around who Bill Stevenson was then, who he became, and how the events of his personal life intersect with the moment he now faces.

As per People, Bill Stevenson met Jill Tracy Jacobs in 1969, the same year she began studying at the University of Delaware.

In her 2019 memoir, Where the Light Enters: Building a Family, Discovering Myself, she recalled being drawn to his charisma and ambition, noting that he was entrepreneurial and later started his own business. The pair married a year later, in 1970.

'Looking back, it may seem like that relationship was a mistake of youth,' Jill wrote, reflecting on the optimism she once felt. She believed she had found a partnership built on 'loyalty and devotion' and compared her hopes for the marriage to the example set by her parents. 'For a moment, we were happy. I had found my Prince Charming, and I was sure it would last forever.'

The marriage, however, began to unravel within a few years. By 1974, the couple had separated, and their divorce was finalised the following year.

Jill described the breakdown as devastating, writing that she felt 'lost' and 'horrified' by the reality of divorce. 'We were young, and it didn't take long before we grew in different directions,' she explained, adding that the experience taught her the importance of financial independence.

Divorce, Aftermath And Moving On

During the divorce proceedings, Jill attempted to secure a half ownership stake in the Stone Balloon, a Newark music venue associated with Bill Stevenson, but her petition was denied, according to reports at the time. The end of the marriage left a lasting emotional impact on her, one she detailed openly years later. 'I wouldn't settle for a counterfeit love,' she wrote, describing the moment she accepted that the relationship was beyond repair.

Both eventually moved on. Jill married Joe Biden in 1977, beginning a partnership that would later place her on the national and global stage. Bill Stevenson remarried around 1986. In interviews decades later, he expressed no bitterness about his first divorce. 'I'm not bitter because, if it wasn't for my divorce, I would never have met my wife Linda and she's the greatest thing in my life,' he told the Daily Mail in 2020.

Bill and Linda Stevenson were married for more than three decades. Linda was described by loved ones as family-oriented, tenacious and deeply committed to her work, having founded BMB Bookkeeping within the last five years of her life.

Allegation And Current Legal Case

In late December 2025, Linda Stevenson was found dead in the living room of the couple's home in Wilmington, Delaware, after police responded to a report of a 'domestic dispute'. Authorities said officers administered life-saving measures, but she was pronounced dead at the scene. She was 64.

Following what police described as an extensive weeks-long investigation, Bill Stevenson was arrested on 2 February 2026 and charged with first-degree murder.

He was taken into custody without incident and is currently being held at the Howard Young Correctional Institution in lieu of $500,000 (£395,000) bail. Investigators have not publicly detailed a motive, and the case remains before the courts.

As proceedings move forward, the focus remains on the legal process ahead, even as public attention revisits the earlier chapters of Bill Stevenson's life.