Kellie Chauvin Wiki, Age, Husband, Family, Biography & More

Kellie Chauvin is a Hmong American realtor who is the former wife of the American ex-officer Derek Chauvin, charged with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter in the death of George Floyd.

Wiki/Biography

Kellie May Chauvin (formerly Kellie May Thao and Kellie May Xiong) was born in October 1974 (age 46 years; as of 2021) in Laos. She went to Thailand as a child refugee with her family during the Laotian Civil War (1959-75). After spending a few years in the refugee camp, her family fled to Eau Claire in Wisconsin in 1980. At the age of ten, she went to kindergarten. After the divorce from her first husband, she earned an associate’s degree in Radiology and went to Kaplan University for Residential Real Estate Course.

Physical Appearance

Height (approx.): 5′ 1″

Eye Color: Brown

Hair Color: Black

Family & Ethnicity

She belongs to a Hmong community. She has a brother who is a police officer in South Paulo. At the age of seventeen, she was married to Kujay Xiong (who she had not known before); being a from a Hmong community, her parents believed that a woman won’t find a husband for life, if she crosses eighteen. She dealt with an abusive marriage until she finally decided to divorce and moved to Minnesota. From her first marriage, she has two children. She got married for the second time to Derek Chauvin on June 12, 2010, in Washington County. Talking about her husband in an interview, she said,

Under that uniform, he’s just a softie. He’s such a gentleman. He still opens the door for me, still puts my coat on for me. After my [previous] divorce, I had a list of must-haves if I were ever to be in a relationship, and he fit all of them.”

After her husband was charged with the murder of George Floyd, she filed for a divorce. She also requested to change her last name and gain full rights and titles to the joint properties (with Derek) in Oakdale in Minnesota and Windermere in Florida, and an equitable division of their shared vehicles and bank accounts. On April 20, 2021, Derek Chauvin was found guilty of all three charges of second-degree murder, third-degree murder and manslaughter by a 12-member jury, after considering three weeks of testimony from 45 witnesses, including bystanders, police officials, and medical experts; Chauvin was handcuffed immediately after the verdicts were read, and he was taken into custody.

On June 25, 2021, Chauvin was sentenced to 22 and half years in prison; earlier, the sentencing guideline range was of 10 years and eight months, which has been exceeded to 15 years for the first time in Minnesota.  While pronouncing the sentence, Judge Peter Cahill said that he wanted to –

acknowledge the deep and tremendous pain that all of the families are feeling, especially the Floyd family.”

According to Minnesota Department of Corrections spokesperson Sarah Fitzgerald, Chauvin will remain in a restricted housing unit, a separate unit from the general population, at the Minnesota Correctional Facility- Oak Park Heights.

Career

She interned as a radiology technician at Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis and became a permanent employee there later. After giving thirteen years of her service at the medical center, she resigned from her job and worked as a realtor with Re/Max Results. After a suggestion from her close friend, in 2018, she participated in USOA’s Mrs. Minnesota and won the pageant, becoming the first-ever Hmong to win the title.

Controversies

• After George Floyd‘s death in 2020, Kellie came into public radar when she filed for a divorce with Derek Chauvin. So came her interracial marriage, which became the target of Asian Americans, who accused Kellie of self-loathing and complicity with white supremacy. Many labeled her marriage as a ‘tool to gain social standing in the US,’ and dubbed her as ‘Lu,’ which can be described as ‘Asian women who are in relationships with white men as a form of white worship.’

• Amidst the reports of her divorcing Derek, false social media posts started to surface, which claimed her as the sister of Tou Thao, an ex-officer charged of helping in the murder of George. Later, Amanda Mason-Sekula, her divorce lawyer, clarified that the two have no relationship and Kellie’s family is being harassed and threatened based on multiple incorrect reports.

• In February 2005, she was charged with writing a bad $42 check. Despite numerous letters were sent to her home, she did not pay the owed money by July 2005. Afterward, a criminal case was filed against her in Wisconsin. However, she had already paid the money, so, the case was dismissed.

Assets & Properties

She has joint ownership with Derek Chauvin of their Minnesota’s Oakdale home worth $273,800, and a townhouse in Florida, which was valued at $226,282.

Facts/Trivia

• In an interview, which was taken when she was competing for the title of Mrs. Minnesota, she said that her hobby was helping people. She often indulges herself in buying groceries for police officers and military members and helps women who are in abusive relationships. She also rescues dogs, cats, and other animals. She also donates to and volunteers with Hmong Empowering Women, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping Hmong women who have recently arrived in the US to find jobs, for child care, and a community.

• As a child, Kellie Chauvin was teased, bullied, and was the only one of her friends who was not invited to participate in a local parade because she was called ‘ugly’ by other children.

• She met Derek Chauvin for the first time when she was working at Hennepin County Medical Center. He had brought a suspect for a health-check before bringing them to jail. After Derek left, he contacted Kellie and became friends with her.

• After hearing about George Floyd‘s death, she said
  

  I am devastated by Mr. Floyd’s death and my utmost sympathy lies with his family, with his loved ones and with everyone who is grieving this tragedy.”

• Kellie is an animal lover and also owns a pet dog.

  Kellie Chauvin with her Pet