Blake Anderson Hanley is known publicly as the ex-husband of actress Emily Wickersham, recognized for her long running role as Ellie Bishop on NCIS. While Emily built her career in television, Blake has followed an unusually varied path of his own, moving from a career as a working musician to a career practicing law, a transition that sets his story apart from many people connected to well known actors.
This article looks at what is known about Blake Anderson Hanley, from his marriage and divorce from Emily Wickersham to his career as a musician and later as a licensed attorney. It also traces Emily Wickersham’s own rise on NCIS, since so much of the public interest in Blake comes from his connection to her television career.
Quick Bio Table
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Blake Anderson Hanley |
| Known For | Ex-husband of actress Emily Wickersham |
| Hometown | West Palm Beach, Florida |
| Married Emily Wickersham | November 23, 2010 |
| Divorced | December 2018 |
| Band | Ghost Lion |
| Legal Career | Licensed Florida attorney, admitted to the Florida Bar in 2018 |
His Marriage to Emily Wickersham
Blake Anderson Hanley married Emily Wickersham on November 23, 2010, in a ceremony held on Little Palm Island in the Florida Keys. The couple remained married for roughly eight years before divorcing in December 2018. During the years of their marriage, Emily’s career on NCIS grew significantly, while Blake continued building his own path between music and, eventually, a career in law.
Following their divorce, both moved forward with their respective careers, with Emily continuing her work in television and Blake continuing to balance his music with his newer career as a practicing attorney in Florida.
A Career as a Musician
Blake Anderson Hanley is the singer, songwriter, and guitarist for Ghost Lion, an indie band based in West Palm Beach, Florida, formed alongside drummer Paul O’Leary. The band released an EP titled Ballad of St. Panama in 2017, followed by a full length album, Nuclear Island, which included tracks such as “Got It,” “Sinking Stones,” “Running Back To You,” and “6th Wave.” Ghost Lion also won a Live Nation Battle of the Bands competition, earning a prize package that included recording equipment.
The band performed on the main stage at SunFest, a major music festival held in Palm Beach, in May 2019, a milestone that reflected genuine, ongoing commitment to a music career even as Blake pursued an entirely different professional path in law at the same time.
A Career as an Attorney
Alongside his music career, Blake Anderson Hanley pursued a law degree, graduating from Southwestern University School of Law in 2016. He was admitted to the Florida Bar in May 2018, becoming a licensed attorney in good standing with no history of professional discipline. Early in his legal career, he worked with the Legal Aid Society of Palm Beach County, focusing on domestic violence law, a demanding area of legal work centered on protecting vulnerable clients.
He has since worked in real property and probate and trust law, continuing his legal career at a law firm in West Palm Beach. Balancing a working band with a legal career focused on such serious subject matter reflects a level of range that sets Blake apart from many people whose public recognition comes primarily through a connection to a famous former spouse.
Speaking Publicly About Music, Law, and Divorce
In a 2019 interview with a local CBS affiliate covering SunFest, Blake Anderson Hanley spoke directly about balancing his music career with his legal work, and the interview also touched on his divorce from Emily Wickersham. His willingness to discuss both sides of his life, the creative pursuit of music and the demanding, detail oriented world of legal practice, gave a rare public glimpse into how he has built a life combining two very different professional paths.
This kind of dual career, splitting time between an artistic pursuit and a demanding profession like law, requires significant discipline and time management, reflecting a level of ambition that extends well beyond his connection to a well known former spouse.
Emily Wickersham’s Career on NCIS
Emily Wickersham joined the cast of NCIS in 2011, taking on the role of Special Agent Eleanor “Ellie” Bishop, a character who became a central part of the long running series for many seasons afterward. Her performance helped introduce a new generation of viewers to the show during a period of significant cast changes, and she remained one of the series’ most recognizable stars for years, contributing to one of the longest running scripted dramas in American television history.
Emily’s steady presence on NCIS meant that her personal life, including her marriage and eventual divorce from Blake, occasionally drew media attention simply because of her visibility as a star of one of television’s most watched procedural dramas.
Ghost Lion’s Place in the West Palm Beach Music Scene
Ghost Lion built a genuine following within the South Florida music scene, performing regularly around West Palm Beach before earning a spot on the main stage at SunFest, one of the region’s largest music festivals. Winning a Live Nation Battle of the Bands competition along the way gave the band real industry recognition, including recording equipment that helped support their continued output of original music, including their full length album Nuclear Island.
Maintaining an active band while also completing law school and building a legal career required significant time management, a balancing act that few musicians attempt while simultaneously pursuing an entirely separate demanding profession. That combination reflects a level of drive that extends well beyond the brief public attention his marriage to a television star once brought him.
Legal Aid Work in Domestic Violence Cases
Blake’s early legal work with the Legal Aid Society of Palm Beach County placed him in one of the more emotionally demanding areas of legal practice, representing clients navigating domestic violence cases. This kind of work requires both legal skill and considerable empathy, since attorneys in this field often work with clients during some of the most difficult and vulnerable moments of their lives.
Choosing this area of law early in his career suggests a genuine commitment to public interest work, rather than pursuing a legal career purely for financial reward. That choice adds another dimension to his story, showing a person who built a meaningful professional life across two very different fields, entirely separate from the fame that came with his marriage to a well known television actress.
Transitioning Into Real Property and Probate Law
After his early work in domestic violence legal aid, Blake moved into real property and probate and trust law, a shift that reflects a common trajectory for attorneys who start their careers in public interest work before moving into more specialized private practice areas. Probate and trust law involves helping clients navigate estate planning, wills, and the transfer of property after death, a field that requires careful attention to detail and a strong understanding of both legal procedure and family dynamics.
This kind of transition within the legal profession is common as attorneys gain experience and look to build a long term, sustainable career, often moving from public interest roles that offer valuable early experience toward more specialized practice areas as their careers mature.
Balancing Creative and Professional Ambitions
Few people successfully maintain a genuine creative career alongside a demanding profession like law, since both fields typically require significant time, focus, and ongoing commitment to sustain. Blake’s continued work with Ghost Lion throughout his years in law school and early legal practice suggests a deliberate choice to keep both parts of his identity active, rather than abandoning music once his legal career began to take shape.
This kind of dual commitment often requires careful scheduling and a strong support system, since band rehearsals, performances, and recording sessions do not pause simply because a demanding legal career is also underway. His continued presence in both worlds, years after his marriage to Emily Wickersham ended, reflects a person who has built his identity around more than any single professional path, rather than one defined mainly by a past connection to a famous former spouse, whether on stage with Ghost Lion or in a courtroom representing his own clients.
Why People Still Search for His Name
Interest in Blake Anderson Hanley comes largely from fans of NCIS curious about Emily Wickersham’s personal history, along with people who discovered his music career through Ghost Lion and wanted to learn more about his background. His unusually well documented path, from working musician to licensed attorney, makes his story stand out compared to many other people connected to famous actors, whose lives often remain almost entirely undocumented beyond the marriage itself.
Because Blake has spoken publicly at least once about both his music and legal careers, more verifiable information exists about him than is typical for someone known mainly through a past marriage to a television star.
A Rare Example of a Well Documented Private Life
Most people connected to famous actors only through a past marriage remain almost entirely undocumented in reliable sources, since they have no independent reason to give interviews or build a public career. Blake Anderson Hanley stands out because his music career and his legal credentials both left real, verifiable records, from his band’s official website and festival appearances to his official Florida Bar listing.
This makes his story a useful example of how much more can be reliably known about someone when they maintain even a modest public presence tied to their own work, rather than relying entirely on media coverage generated by a connection to a famous former spouse.
A Story of Reinvention Beyond a Famous Marriage
Blake’s path, from a working musician to a licensed attorney handling both public interest and private practice work, reflects a genuine story of reinvention that stands entirely apart from his brief time in the public eye through his marriage to Emily Wickersham. Rather than remaining defined by that connection, he built two separate, verifiable careers that speak for themselves through official records, band credits, and at least one candid public interview.
That kind of documented reinvention is relatively rare among people whose main public visibility once came from a marriage to someone famous, making Blake’s story a genuinely interesting example of a life built well beyond a single defining relationship.
Conclusion
Blake Anderson Hanley built an unusual and well documented path from working musician to licensed Florida attorney, all while carrying a public connection to his marriage and divorce from NCIS star Emily Wickersham. His story reflects a rare combination of creative ambition and professional discipline that goes well beyond his brief time in the entertainment spotlight through his former marriage.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Blake Anderson Hanley?
Blake Anderson Hanley is a musician and licensed Florida attorney known as the ex-husband of actress Emily Wickersham.
When did Blake Anderson Hanley marry Emily Wickersham?
They married on November 23, 2010, and divorced in December 2018.
What band is Blake Anderson Hanley part of?
He is the singer, songwriter, and guitarist for Ghost Lion, an indie band based in West Palm Beach, Florida.
Is Blake Anderson Hanley really a practicing attorney?
Yes. He was admitted to the Florida Bar in May 2018 and has worked in domestic violence law as well as real property and probate and trust law.
What is Emily Wickersham known for?
She is best known for playing Special Agent Ellie Bishop on the long running television series NCIS.
