Who is Heather Armstrong’s ex-husband, Jon Armstrong?
May 11, 2023
HEATHER Armstrong, the founder of the mommy blog Dooce.com, passed away in May 2023 at the age of 47.
She was survived by her ex-husband, Jon Armstrong, her teenage kids, Leta and Marlo, and her boyfriend, Pete Ashdown.
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Who is Heather Armstrong’s ex-husband Jon Armstrong?
Prior to Heather Armstrong’s relationship with Pete, she was married to Jon for 10 years.
They tied the knot in 2002 – the same year she started her blog – after meeting in college, according to Vox.
Outside of being known as Heather’s ex, Jon is known for his career as a web developer. He was also Heather’s former business partner.
Why did Heather and Jon Armstong get divorced?
In 2012, Heather announced on her blog that she and Jon decided to part ways.
“The only way out of my unhappiness was to take myself out of it,” Heather wrote at the time, via Vox.
“I’m sad and devastated, but I’m not sure I’ve ever been more stable than I am right now. I hope you will at least try to and bear with me as I linger a bit underwater.”
Jon added: “I’m not sure that I have the words to explain the devastation, pain, regret and sorrow I’ve felt the past couple of months.
“I’ve tried. After a very painful holiday season, this is where my life is: away from my kids; away from my wife; away from my dogs.”
The news ultimately came as a shock to fans as she had spent years praising her husband for supporting her struggles with depression.
However, in 2019, she sat down with Vox and opened up about their marriage, revealing that Jon was “controlling and punishing,” and that they had “fundamental differences” that they couldn’t work through.
“I feel so depressed about the idea,” Heather said of the divorce.
“I thought, ‘Do I want to do this to me? Do I want to do this to my kids? Do I want to do this to my career?’”
She added: “People were just awful to me, calling me a fraud, a liar, saying how my kids were not safe to be with me.
“It was all broadcast across the web and I was reading about it every day, and it was hell. It led me from one unhealthy situation to the next.”
As a result, Heather entered a clinical trial at the University of Utah’s Neuropsychiatric Institute in an attempt to cure her disorder.
During the trial, she was placed into a “chemically induced coma for 15 minutes at a time for 10 sessions,” which approximated brain death, Vox reports.
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“I felt like life wasn’t meant to be lived,” Heather said.
“When you are that desperate, you will try anything. I thought my children deserved to have a happy, healthy mother, and I needed to know that I had tried all options to be that for them.”
Vox tried to reach out to Jon for comment on Heather’s story, but he did not respond to the outlet’s requests.
What was Heather Armstrong’s cause of death?
Heather’s death was first reported on her Instagram page on May 9, 2023.
“Heather Brooke Hamilton aka Heather B. Armstrong aka dooce aka love of my life. July 19, 1975 – May 9, 2023,” the post read.
“‘It takes an ocean not to break.’ Hold your loved ones close and love everyone else.”
Pete later told the Associated Press that she had died by suicide.
At this time, additional details on Heather’s death have not been released.
If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-TALK (8255) or the Text Crisis Text Line at 741741.