BGSU researcher featured as guest on ‘The Oprah Podcast’ regarding expertise on gray divorce

NEW YORK – Renowned Bowling Green State University sociology professor Susan L. Brown, Ph.D., was recently featured on The Oprah Podcast as the foremost expert on “gray divorce,” a term she coined to describe marriages that end after age 50.

During the nearly hour-long episode, released on all major podcast platforms and YouTube on Oct. 28, Brown shared numerous insights into her research on the topic, which has been covered extensively by national media outlets since it was first published in 2012. 

Brown, co-director of the National Center for Family and Marriage Research at BGSU, is a sought-after expert in sociology, recognized worldwide for her compelling research into family structures.

“I was thrilled to be invited to share my research on gray divorce on a national stage with the iconic Oprah Winfrey leading the discussion,” Brown said. “Much of this work has been conducted with BGSU students, reflecting the University’s strong commitment to engaging undergraduate and graduate students in meaningful research experiences.

“Being featured on Oprah’s podcast was an incredible opportunity to highlight how BGSU serves the public good by advancing leading research and providing insights into the latest trends in divorce and their impact on older adults and their families.”

In the episode titled “Gray Divorce (after 50) & Adult Children: The Fallout for the Family, with Oprah and Leading Experts,” which was filmed in front of a live audience in New York City, Brown sat among fellow divorce experts and women who fit the gray divorce category.

Within the first few minutes of the podcast, Winfrey asked Brown to explain the national phenomenon.

The statistics Brown shared, including that today 40% of people divorcing in the United States are 50 or older and 10% are 65 or older, prompted an immediate reaction from the host.

Throughout the episode, Brown outlined factors contributing to gray divorce, insights into its financial impact, separation distress between parents and children, and the disruption gray divorce causes to the family system.

Brown has published more than 15 articles on gray divorce since her initial inquiry into the topic in 2010, when former Vice President Al Gore and his wife, Tipper, divorced after 40 years of marriage.

The research that followed uncovered that divorce rates among those 50 and older have doubled since 1990 and tripled among those 65 and older. Brown attributes the increases to numerous factors, including the erosion of marriage as a lifelong institution, increased financial autonomy for women and increased life expectancy.

Research on gray divorce has not only drawn interest from national audiences but also provided tangible evidence of a relevant trend about marriage in the U.S.

Brown conducts this research through the NCFMR, a high-impact research center at BGSU that focuses on how family structure is connected to the health and well-being of children, adults, families and communities and is used to inform policy development and programmatic responses.