Kirsten Corley is a 26-year-old model and wife of Grammy winning artist Chance the Rapper who recently dedicated his first album “The Big Day” to her and their marriage.
Corley was born in Houston and raised in Chicago, Illinois where she attended college at DePaul University, graduating in 2013. According to her LinkedIn profile, after college she was briefly an office coordinator Re/Max Premier Properties before moving on to become the ABA Community Outreach Coordinator at North Shore Pediatric Therapy.
Chance and Kirsten had their first child, Kensli, in 2015 and had an on again/off again relationship until Chance proposed to Corley on July 4, 2018. The couple was married on March 9, 2019.
Chance and Corley have remained private about their relationship and Corley has mostly stayed out of the public eye since the two started dating. This changed in 2018 when Chance announced their relationship on Instagram, posting a photo of the couple and saying “From the beginning beginning to the end end. You are my oldest and best friend. You are responsible for everyone of the most wonderful things in my life. I’m forever grateful that God made me find you, and even more grateful that you made me find God. Forever and ever babe. Happy Birthday”
He then posted a video of his proposal to her in front of all of their friends and family during a backyard barbeque.
Chance and Kirsten currently live together in a $4M condo in the Streeterville neighborhood of Chicago. Chance reportedly bought the condo for them last year.
Here’s what you need to know:
1. Kirsten Corley Met Chance When She Was 9 Years Old
Chance the Rapper was recently on the Ellen Show to promote his new album “The Big Day”. During the interview, Chance revealed how he first met Corley.
It all started when Chance’s mom Lisa Thompson-Bennett dragged him, his brother Taylor, and his father Ken Bennett to her RE/MAX office party in Chicago. Chance said he had planned on just standing in the corner, playing his Game Boy and eating candy, but then someone announced that their would be a presentation by Desitiny’s Child.
“My mom worked at a real estate agency with her mom,” Chance said. “Her mom threw, like, a Christmas party. Her daughters love to dance, so they did a choreographed dance at this real estate party that I was at when I was 9. And I saw her dancing and I was like, ‘Let’s get married!’”
Chance also added detail to the story last year on Twitter. “‘QUESTION. TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK ABOUT ME.’ Now I’m locking eyes with the prettiest girl I ever seen on my almost-a-decade of life on Earth,” Chance tweeted. “I shouldn’t even say locked eyes ’cause really, I was just staring at her; as she and her girls were conquering this choreography.”
He added in another Tweet, “Even though I always had it in me it was always traumatic for me to be around my dad and any adults cause when the music came on I knew there was a possibility he might say ‘Chance do that lil dance you and yo friends be doing. Son, show em the tootsie roll.’ Young me was shy.”
Chance added on Twitter that he “ain’t wanna jump the gun,” and said instead of dancing, “I shook my head with anxiety, moved to the back of the crowd and never even introduced myself.”
Chance told Ellen that “This wasn’t the time or place,” he said. “Not just because it wasn’t my party, not because it was their moment to dance, not even ’cause I was nervous about dancing in front of folks. It’s ’cause I knew I was gonna marry that girl.”
2. She Was a Model
Corley has several photos posted on her Instagram of her modeling in various shoots. She was also featured in a 2014 editorial shoot for Alexander Wang.
She’s also worked with lifestyle apparel designer Shelby Steiner on multiple shoots including this one.
3. She Used to Play Basketball
According to a photo on her Instagram, Corley used to play basketball for Lane Technical College Prep High School in Chicago. Corley graduated from the school in ’09.
Chance also confirmed on a freestyle he posted on Twitter for the Monica “So Far Gone” challenge. He raps “she stand about 6 ft. she used to hoop at Lane.”
4. She and Chance Broke up Shortly After Their Daughter Kensli Was Born
Shortly after their daughter was born in 2015, Chance and Corley ran into a rough patch and ended up separating temporarily. In early 2016, Corley went to the Cook County Circuit Court seeking the declaration of Bennett as the father and seeking sole custody of Kensli. being unemployed at the time, she also asked the court for Chance pay child support.
Then in June 2016, Corley filed paperwork seeking a parenting schedule as the couple stopped living together.
In February 2017, Corley withdrew the petition when her anc Chance moved back in together. “All is well, and the motion has been withdrawn,” her attorney told Chicago tribune.
In March 2017, The Chicago Tribune wrote a lengthy piece on the situation. The writer said that “Kirsten is essentially being held hostage in Chancelor’s residence as, on one hand, he will not assist her with the support necessary to obtain her own residence unless this entire matter is resolved on his terms, yet on the other hand, Kirsten does not have knowledge of what specific objections Chancelor has to her counter proposal and therefore, it would be impossible to resolve.”
Chance took the article personally and responded on Instagram, “Y’all better do y’all jobs and stop worrying about how good my family is. Just a friendly reminder. Don’t let anybody get between you and your family.”
She’s a Fan of Marijuana
Prior to being a mother, Corley was an outspoken fan of marijuana on Instagram. One of her first posts on the platform shows a marijuana bud shaped like a heart with the caption “Purple Yurple”.
She has a few posts that featured photos of weed including this one and a post featuring one her friends enjoying a blunt with the caption “4:20”.
READ NEXT: Late Oil Tycoon T. Boone Pickens Owns Drake on Twitter