Belle Burden
American author
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Flobelle Fairbanks Burden,[2] better known as Belle Burden, is an American author and lawyer. She is best known for her book, Strangers: A Memoir of Marriage.
Lawyer
Belle Burden | |
|---|---|
| Born | Flobelle Fairbanks Burden 1969 or 1970 (age 56–57)[1] New York, U.S. |
| Education | Harvard University New York University |
| Occupations | Author Lawyer |
| Notable work | Strangers: A Memoir of Marriage |
| Children | 3 |
| Parent(s) | Amanda Burden, Carter Burden |
Early life and education
Belle Burden was born to Amanda Burden, an urban planner in New York City, and Carter Burden, a philanthropist and politician.[3][1] Through her mother, she is the granddaughter of Vogue editor and socialite Babe Paley and Stanley G. Mortimer Jr, an advertising executive.[4][2] Through her father, she is the granddaughter of photographer Shirley Burden and actress Flobelle Fairbanks Burden (otherwise known as Florence Fair), and is a descendent of the Vanderbilt family.[4][3] Burden grew up on the Upper East Side of New York.[4]
Burden graduated from Phillips Exeter Academy, where she won prizes for her creative writing. She would later attend Harvard University, pivoting from an interest in creative writing to law.[1] Burden graduated cum laude from Harvard and later received a law degree from New York University.[3]
Career
Burden started her law career as a corporate attorney at the New York-based law firm Davis Polk & Wardwell. She later served as general counsel for Digital Telemedia, an internet service provider in New York, and was a trustee of the Pierpont Morgan Library.[3] Burden has taken on pro bono immigration cases alongside other lawyers,[1] focusing on juvenile and immigration law.[5]
Following Burden's divorce, in 2023, she submitted an essay to the New York Times Modern Love column, titled "Was I Married to a Stranger?" After its release, Burden fielded interest from multiple editors before signing with Dial Press. In 2026, Burden released her book, Strangers: A Memoir of Marriage.[1] The book became a New York Times Best Seller, debuting at #1 on the hardcover nonfiction list.[6][7] After Netflix acquired the film rights to the book, it was announced that Burden would be played by Gwyneth Paltrow.[5][8]
As an author, Burden is represented by The Book Group and UTA.[8] She has made appearances on Good Morning America[5] and Oprah Winfrey's podcast.[4]
Bibliography
Personal life
Burden married Henry Patterson Davis in 1999[3] and went on to raise three children with him. They would divorce after twenty years, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Burden detailed the divorce in her book, Strangers: A Memoir of Marriage.[5] Burden owns homes in Manhattan and Martha's Vineyard.[9]
In March 2024, Burden wrote an opinion piece published in the New York Times, criticizing the portrayal of her grandmother, Babe Paley, in Feud: Capote vs. The Swans.[10]