MAGA congressman’s ex-wife says he spoke with a ‘fake Caribbean’ in college in order to stand out
Florida Republican Rep. Byron Donalds used to speak with a strong Jamaican accent that he has long since dropped, his ex-wife has alleged.
Donalds, 47 – a vocal supporter of President Donald Trump who is running to be the Sunshine State’s next governor in place of the term-limited incumbent Ron DeSantis – was born in Brooklyn, New York, but is of Jamaican and Panamanian heritage.
He has previously celebrated his Caribbean ancestry by likening himself to former Secretary of State Colin Powell, another Jamaican-American, but does not currently carry any trace of an accent when speaking.
According to Bisa Hall, Donald’s wife from 1999 to 2002, that was not always the case.
“He absolutely did have a Jamaican accent when we first met; it was gone within a few days,” she told The Daily Mail.
“He said that he used the fake accent because he wanted to stand out; there were a lot of guys at our university from New York, but very few from Jamaica.”
The details of Donalds’ past entered the spotlight this week after his second wife, Erika Donalds, posted a Valentine’s Day message on Instagram in which she inadvertently revealed they had begun dating while the future congressman was still married to Hall.
“Remembering the spot where Byron Donalds asked for my number in the Oglesby Student Union at Florida State University in the fall of 1999,” she wrote.
“Our first ‘date’ came a few months later – on Valentine’s Day 2000. Thanks, babe, for making all 27 of our Valentine’s Days together so special.”
Hall told the Mail she was “hurt” when Donalds announced he was leaving her for Erika, who was expecting a baby at the time.
“We were absolutely married (in a legal sense) when he began dating Erika; we did not live together at the time or at all during our marriage,” she said.
“I wasn’t hurt when they started dating. I’ve met her (though I wasn’t a fan of hers); it’s not her fault that he wasn’t honest with her about his marital status.
“I was hurt that we had to divorce because she was pregnant; particularly since he wouldn’t give me the divorce when I asked for it (which I did several times).”
Hall also said that she and Donalds did not actually live together during their marriage and that he still owes her $250 from their divorce.
“He was supposed to pay me back for his half,” she said. “It’s not that I need or want the money; I think it just shows me what kind of person he is.”
The Independent has reached out to Rep. Donalds’ office for comment.
In a statement to the Mail, Donalds expressed regret over the handling of his first marriage and said, “My former wife and I were married young, and although we were separated, I wish I had handled that chapter differently.
“What I know with certainty is that the greatest decision I ever made was marrying Erika Donalds – I am profoundly grateful for the life we’ve built together.”
One of Donalds’ Republican rivals in the gubernatorial primary, James Fishback, has already attempted to make hay over the controversy, telling the Mail: “As governor, I will reform Florida’s divorce laws so that a spouse who cheats faces serious financial consequences.
“I will not tolerate adultery or the damage it inflicts on families and children. I also feel deep sympathy for Byron’s first wife, Bisa Hall, who had to endure this betrayal. Erika’s post this Valentine’s Day was clear: she and Byron got together while he was still married to Bisa Hall.”
Fishback has previously come under attack for referring to Donalds as “By’rone” in racially-charged social media posts, including one last month in which he claimed his opponent was seeking to turn Florida into a “ghetto.”
