The ex-wife of the Florida congressman who leads the race to replace Ron DeSantis as governor has revealed they were still married when he got his current wife pregnant.
Byron Donalds was married to Bisa Hall from 1999 to 2002 and she has told the Daily Mail that the Republican lawmaker left her 'hurt' when he and announced his lover was expecting a baby.
The explosive revelation comes as Donalds, 47, has faced intense scrutiny over his romantic timeline after his current wife Erika, the mother of their three children, posted a Valentine's Day photo celebrating their anniversary.
'Remembering the spot where [Donalds] asked for my number in the Oglesby Student Union at [Florida State University] in the fall of 1999,' Erika 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.'
Ex-wife Hall told the Daily Mail this coincided with her marriage to Donalds and spilled eyebrow-raising facts about their relationship, including his refusal to help her pay for their divorce and the Jamaican patois accent he affected when they first met.
'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,' Hall said.
She admitted that though their marriage was an arrangement for financial reasons, as has been previously reported, Hall was blindsided when he announced that he was expecting a baby with another woman.
Erika Donalds posted a picture of the couple on Valentine's Day at FSU where she claimed they kissed in the 'fall of 1999,' when the future congressman was married to another woman
Florida Congressman Byron Donalds and his wife Erika attend the wedding at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, U.S., February 1, 2026
President Donald Trump appears with Donalds during the Republican National Convention in July 2024
'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,' she added.
'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 and Donalds did not live together during their marriage, she claimed, adding that he still owes her money for the $250 divorce.
'He was supposed to pay me back for his half. (It's not that I need or want the money; I think it just shows me what kind of person he is)', she told the Daily Mail.
She also doubled-down on her previous claim that Donalds spoke with a Jamaican accent when he first arrived on campus at Florida A&M University as an 18-year-old, but that it later vanished.
'He absolutely did have a Jamaican accent when we first met; it was gone within a few days. 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.'
Donalds, in a statement to the Daily Mail, admitted he has regrets with how he handled his first marriage.
'My former wife and I were married young, and although we were separated, I wish I had handled that chapter differently,' the congressman said.
Bisa Hall, Donalds' ex-wife whom he married while in college, with her now husband
Donalds, his current wife Erika, and their children
'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,' the congressman told the Daily Mail
'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,' he added.
He did not deny using a Jamaican accent at school or getting Erika pregnant while married to Hall. He also did not deny the claims regarding their divorce payment.
The two have not spoken in decades, Hall claims.
'I'm easy to find (as you have found)... he hasn't and that's his choice,' she told the Daily Mail in a statement.
Donalds' past marriage has opened him up to criticism in the gubernatorial race.
James Fishback, 31, who is also running in the Florida gubernatorial contest, told the Daily Mail that he intends to push a new policy proposal in-lieu of the marital revelations.
'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.'
'Adultery is a sin,' he added. '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.'
Still, Fishback has also come under scrutiny for his past relationships, including one who was 17-years-old when they started dating.
Las year, Keniah Fort asked for a protective order against Fishback. According to court filings, Fishback 'initiated a romantic relationship' with her in spring 2022, when the now-candidate was 27.
Further, the 31-year-old candidate has raised eyebrows with his repeated racially charged remarks directed at Donalds. Fishback has likened Donalds to a 'slave' in some posts and has referred to him as 'By'rone' one multiple occasions.
'By'rone wants to turn Florida into a Section 8 ghetto,' Fishback posted on X in January.
The two candidates are currently polling as the top contenders for the election set for November.
A survey from Patriot Polling conducted in mid January found that Donalds leads the Republican primary race with 37 percent support while Fishback is in second place with 23 percent support.
The Florida gubernatorial primary will take place on August 18, 2026.
