When the news was confirmed that Karl Rove and his second wife, Darby Tara Hickson, had finalized their divorce, Vanity Fair went back in time to see if any of their achieves had potential hints that this day may have been on its way.
While some of us may not have even heard the news, what with everything else going on in the world, when Karl Rove and Darby Tara Hickson called it quits, some were curious as to whether Rove hinted at any marital troubles during profiles and interviews conducted in the past.
In Vanity Fair’s Todd S. Purdum’s 2006 profile, “Karl Rove’s Split Personality,” the word “marriage” appears twice, but in both cases it is preceded by the word “gay,” at which time he was clearly voicing his personal political views and not discussing his own marriage. The word “wife,” however, also appears twice, but according to Vanity Fair, these occurrences may have more significance. The article reads, “Rove’s house is done in soft silks and elegant colors, seafoam and other pale-green shades. The long, harlequin-tiled kitchen opens onto a leafy backyard. This is presumably a testament to the good taste of Rove’s wife, Darby, a graphic designer who once worked for his direct-mail firm,” and later in the article it says, “If Rove has ever displayed weakness to an enemy—or to a friend—the occasion went unrecorded. Even his wife one told a reporter that he knocked her croquet ball so hard on vacation it made her cry.” Perhaps not news-shattering, but as many know, choosing your words carefully during an interview is crucial to try and avoid misinterpretations.
In February 2008, Rove answered the Proust Questionnaire and the word “wife” appears in a more poignant context, according to Vanity Fair. When asked, “What or who is the greatest love of your life?” Rove answered, “The who are my wife and son. The what is America.” The Rove’s have one son, Andrew Madison Rove, who is now 20 years old.
