Inside Strangers Author Belle Burden’s High-Society Family

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Belle Burden used pseudonyms in her memoir Strangers to protect the privacy of her children.

To protect herself and write freely, she altered names and details while recounting the breakdown of her marriage to a man she called “James,” who was actually Henry Davis. This all happened just two months after they’d bought a very costly Sleep Number bed.

Coming from a prominent New York family – with roots in the shipping empire of Cornelius Vanderbilt on her father’s side and a connection to social icon Babe Paley through her grandmother – she couldn’t hide her privileged background.

Belle says many women in her family, including her grandmother—who she admires for her style—were good at appearing strong and composed in public, even if they were unhappy in their marriages.

She told the New York Times in January, before her book became a bestseller, that it was a direct response against that kind of thinking.

Belle didn’t need to worry about someone writing a scandalous tell-all about her life like Truman Capote was known for. The 56-year-old mother of three simply wanted to share her side of the story, beginning with the fact that her husband left her, and she hadn’t wanted the separation.

Belle explained on a recent episode of The Oprah Podcast that when he asked her to pretend their split was friendly, she knew she couldn’t. She felt absolutely certain she wouldn’t be able to lie about it and believed she wouldn’t cope if she did.

“So, when I ran into people,” she continued, “I just said it and I never stopped saying it.”

Although she once described her book, Strangers, as something subtle and understated to Oprah Winfrey, it will soon be adapted into a Netflix series starring Gwyneth Paltrow. And the author’s fascinating family history is rich with cultural significance, even before she began writing. Here’s a look at her impressive family tree.

Born and raised in Boston, where she first came to prominence at a debutante ball at age nineteen, the woman who would become a famous editor at Vogue moved to New York City in 1938 and quickly became known for her impeccable style, appearing regularly on best-dressed lists.

In 1940, she married Stanley Grafton Mortimer Jr., whose ancestor was John Jay, the very first Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.

The couple had two children, Stanley Grafton Mortimer III, born in 1942, and Amanda Jay Mortimer, born in 1944, before they divorced in 1946.

The next year, Babe married William S. Paley, who founded CBS, shortly after his divorce from Dorothy Hart Hearst was completed.

Babe and William welcomed son William C. “Billie” Paley in 1948 and daughter Kate Cushing Paley in 1950.

After Truman Capote mentioned William’s affairs in a damaging article for Esquire magazine in 1975, Babe never spoke to Capote again.

She stayed married to William until she passed away from lung cancer in 1978, at the age of 63. William lived on until 1990, when he died at the age of 89.

Amanda grew up on Long Island, but her mom and stepdad primarily lived in a Manhattan apartment during the week.

Amanda described her childhood home as unusual. She told Vanity Fair in 1990 that her parents were largely absent, and when they were around, her siblings and she would all compete for their notice. She explained there wasn’t much connection between the children, as they mostly focused on their own needs.

Amanda went to Wellesley College but left to get ready for her 1964 marriage to Shirley Carter Burden Jr., a Harvard student she’d met on a blind date.

They welcomed daughter Flobelle “Belle” Burden and son S. Carter Burden III before divorcing in 1972.

Amanda completed her environmental science degree at Sarah Lawrence College and later earned a master’s in urban planning from Columbia. She then worked as Vice President for Planning and Design at the Battery Park Authority from 1983 to 1990, before becoming a member of the NYC Planning Commission, where she led the department throughout Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s time in office.

Okay, so not only is she this amazing activist, totally fighting the good fight, but get this – she made the Vanity Fair International Best Dressed List Hall of Fame! Like, her mom was already in there, and now she is too! It’s just… perfection. I knew she had style, but to be recognized like that? I’m obsessed!

Amanda married Steven J. Ross, the CEO of Warner Communications, in 1989, but they divorced in 1991. Beginning in 1993, she had an on-again, off-again relationship with journalist Charlie Rose that lasted for over twenty years.

The founder of Commodore Media was a descendant of Cornelius Vanderbilt, a hugely successful 19th-century businessman who built a fortune in shipping and railroads and founded one of America’s wealthiest families.

Carter’s mother, Flobelle Fairbanks, was related to the famous actor Douglas Fairbanks Jr. Additionally, according to Carter’s obituary in The New York Times in 1996, his first significant relationship was with Geraldine Chaplin, the daughter of Charlie Chaplin.

Carter and Amanda were once incredibly popular in New York City’s social scene. However, as reported by Vanity Fair, Amanda eventually divorced him, citing “cruel and inhuman treatment” as the reason.

Jimmy Carter married Susan Lombaer, who worked as a family therapist, in 1977. They remained married until his death in 1996 at the age of 54, due to a heart condition.

Belle Burden studied at Harvard and later received her law degree from NYU. She married lawyer Henry Patterson Davis in June 1999.

Growing up on the Upper East Side and attending private schools, there was a lot of pressure to find a partner, have a beautiful wedding, and get married. The attorney, who usually keeps to herself, shared on the NY Times‘ Modern Love podcast that after experiencing her parents’ divorce and then her mother’s second divorce, she deeply desired a lifelong marriage and a stable family – it was her biggest wish.

In her memoir, Strangers, she described being shocked when her 20-year marriage unexpectedly ended. To protect their privacy, she used fake names for her husband and their three children, who were all underage when she and Henry separated in 2020.

Belle has acknowledged that she heard her ex was “not happy” about her book.

Even though Henry approved of Belle’s “Modern Love” column in the New York Times before the book came out, she shared on the March episode of Lipstick on the Rim With Molly Simm that he told her he didn’t portray well in Strangers.

In January, Henry told the Times that while he disputes much of what his ex-wife wrote about their divorce and their children in her book, he won’t be commenting further. He wants to protect his children’s privacy and emphasized that he continues to love and support them, and they love and support him.

The author has a strong relationship with her stepmother, who generously hosted Belle’s wedding at her home in Water Mill, New York, and provided support during her divorce.

In her memoir, Strangers, Belle wrote about finding out her husband, Henry, had been unfaithful. She recalled immediately calling her stepmother, Susan, to share the news, and Susan reacted with a surprised outburst.

Belle remembered Susan calling her constantly in the days that followed. They had become very close, connected from the moment they met in 1972. They often cried together, sharing quiet moments of sadness. Susan was the only one who attempted to contact Henry.

I was so worried when I read the email Susan sent to Henry. She was really begging him to handle their divorce with respect and dignity, as Belle put it. But apparently, it didn’t go well at all – Belle said he flew into a rage.

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2026-04-21 03:17