Blake Anderson Hanley is an American musician and Florida attorney best known for his work with Ghost Lion and his former marriage to actress Emily Wickersham. Public records also connect him to legal-aid work in Palm Beach County, where he focuses on public-interest law.
Quick Facts
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Full name | Blake Anderson Hanley |
| Known for | Musician, songwriter, attorney |
| Music project | Ghost Lion |
| Earlier project | Kin Cayo |
| Legal career | Florida attorney and legal-aid lawyer |
| Law school | Southwestern Law School |
| Bar admission | Florida, May 23, 2018 |
| Current public legal role | Heirs’ Property Project, Legal Aid Society of Palm Beach County |
| Former spouse | Emily Wickersham |
| Marriage | November 23, 2010 |
| Divorce | December 2018 |
| Birth date | Not reliably confirmed by strong public sources |
Who Is Blake Anderson Hanley?
Blake Anderson Hanley is a South Florida musician and attorney whose public career has taken two very different paths. He first drew attention through independent music, later becoming a practicing lawyer in Florida.
The music side of his career is most closely associated with Ghost Lion, a project built around his work as a singer-songwriter, composer and producer. Ghost Lion’s official biography describes Hanley as a South Florida native who grew up in West Palm Beach and developed a musical style influenced by indie rock, pop, calypso, cumbia, South American folk and electronic music.
His professional life eventually moved beyond entertainment. The Florida Bar lists Blake Anderson Hanley as an active member in good standing, eligible to practice in Florida. The same profile says he attended Southwestern Law School and was admitted to the Florida Bar on May 23, 2018.
That combination of music and law is what makes Hanley’s biography more interesting than the common “celebrity ex-husband” label used in many online profiles.
Blake Hanley’s Early Life and Education
Reliable public sources do not establish a complete traditional biography of Hanley’s childhood, including a confirmed birth date or detailed early-life timeline.
What is better documented is his connection to South Florida. Ghost Lion’s official biography says he grew up in West Palm Beach, while Providencia WPB describes him as having grown up in Palm Beach and identifies a long-standing connection to the local community.
His educational background is clearer. Creative Waves Foundation states that Hanley holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communication and Media Studies from Palm Beach Atlantic University and a Juris Doctor from Southwestern Law School in Los Angeles. The Florida Bar independently confirms Southwestern Law School and lists his law-school year as 2016.
That background helps explain the unusual intersection between his creative work and later legal career. Communication and music formed one side of his professional identity, while legal education opened a second path.
His Music Career and Ghost Lion
Hanley’s music career predates his public reputation as an attorney.
He was associated with Kin Cayo before the project evolved into Ghost Lion. By 2016, Atwood Magazine described Ghost Lion as a Los Angeles-based indie pop/rock project led by South Florida native Blake Hanley on vocals and guitar. The publication also noted collaborations with Enrique Lara, Mike Torres and Chris Kapika.
Ghost Lion’s own biography provides more detail about Hanley’s creative direction. It says his music was shaped by the contrast between classical guitar and the harder sounds of Nine Inch Nails, along with the influence of punk, reggae and politically engaged artists. That mix eventually became the foundation for Ghost Lion’s genre-crossing sound.
The project released its first EP, Ballad of St. Panama, in 2017. Ghost Lion’s official biography also says Hanley had previously won a Live Nation Battle of the Bands competition, receiving a $35,000 grand prize that he used to buy recording equipment.
One of the band’s better-documented moments came in 2016, when Atwood Magazine premiered “Shot the Sun Down.” The song was presented as an uplifting track about resistance, hope and social justice, themes that also appear throughout Hanley’s description of his music.
Ghost Lion’s music later expanded into a full-length album titled Nuclear Island. The official band biography describes the record as a 13-song project dealing with relationships, heartbreak, spirituality, identity and existential questions.
Why Blake Hanley Left Music for Law
Hanley did not completely abandon music, but his professional focus shifted.
The Ghost Lion biography says that after music-industry opportunities with Republic/Universal and Vanguard Records did not develop into the career he expected, Hanley followed an interest in social justice into law. It also states that he began working with the Legal Aid Society of Palm Beach County in 2018.
A 2019 CBS12 report gives a useful snapshot of that transition. At the time, Hanley was performing with Ghost Lion at SunFest in West Palm Beach while working as a domestic violence lawyer with the Legal Aid Society of Palm Beach County. The report said he had recently returned to Palm Beach after spending nearly a decade in Los Angeles.
That period appears to have been important professionally and personally. Rather than treating music and law as mutually exclusive identities, Hanley built a life in which creative work and public-interest legal service could exist side by side.
What Does Blake Anderson Hanley Do Now?
The strongest recent public evidence places Hanley in public-interest law in Palm Beach County.
Creative Waves Foundation identifies him as the lead attorney of the Heirs’ Property Project at the Legal Aid Society of Palm Beach County. According to the organization, his work involves property rights, probate administration, estate planning and chain-of-title issues.
Providencia WPB independently describes Hanley as an attorney with the same Heirs’ Property Project and says the initiative works to protect generational wealth and promote housing stability in historically disinvested communities.
Legal Aid Society materials also identified Hanley as an Heirs’ Property Attorney for a 2025 fair-housing event. That provides additional evidence that his current public role is tied to community-focused legal work rather than celebrity activity.
The Florida Bar profile remains another important piece of the picture. It lists Hanley as a member in good standing and eligible to practice law in Florida, with real-property and related legal sections associated with his profile.
Blake Anderson Hanley and Emily Wickersham
Hanley’s name became far more recognizable through his marriage to actress Emily Wickersham, who became widely known for playing Eleanor “Ellie” Bishop on NCIS.
The couple married on November 23, 2010, on Little Palm Island in the Florida Keys. Public biographical records report that their marriage ended in December 2018. A 2019 CBS12 report, published after Hanley returned to Florida, also confirms that he and Wickersham had divorced in December.
Their relationship attracted attention largely because of Wickersham’s television career, but the marriage itself remained relatively private. There is no strong public evidence establishing a specific reason for their divorce, so claims online that assign blame or describe a particular scandal should not be treated as established fact.
That distinction matters because many biography pages repeat unsupported details until they appear authoritative. In Hanley’s case, the documented facts are simpler: the couple married in 2010, divorced in 2018, and the public record does not provide a verified detailed explanation for the separation.
Is Blake Anderson Hanley’s Net Worth Known?
No reliable public source establishes Blake Anderson Hanley’s exact net worth.
Several entertainment and biography websites publish dollar estimates, but those figures are not supported by public financial records, verified earnings statements or another strong primary source. They should therefore be treated as speculation rather than fact.
His career has included independent music, recording and legal work, but those facts do not provide enough evidence to calculate a trustworthy personal net-worth figure.
Does Blake Anderson Hanley Still Make Music?
Music remains an important part of Hanley’s public identity, especially through Ghost Lion.
The group’s official biography documents his work as a singer-songwriter, composer and producer and details the releases and themes associated with the project. However, more recent public information is much stronger on his legal career than on new music releases.
That means it is safest to describe Ghost Lion as an important part of his career rather than claim that he currently works as a full-time musician.
Blake Anderson Hanley Today
As of 2026, Blake Anderson Hanley’s public profile is defined more by law and community service than by celebrity culture.
He remains a Florida attorney in good standing, and recent organizational profiles connect him to the Heirs’ Property Project at the Legal Aid Society of Palm Beach County. His professional work now centers on legal issues involving property, inheritance and community stability.
At the same time, his history with Ghost Lion explains why his name continues to appear in music and entertainment searches. His career is unusual not because he became famous through one traditional route, but because he moved from independent music into public-interest law without losing the creative identity that shaped his earlier work.
For readers searching for Blake Anderson Hanley, the clearest picture is therefore not simply “Emily Wickersham’s ex-husband.” He is a South Florida musician, a former Ghost Lion frontman and a practicing attorney whose recent career has focused on legal service in Palm Beach County. That broader record gives a much more accurate understanding of who he is and what he does today.
FAQs
Who is Blake Anderson Hanley?
Blake Anderson Hanley is an American musician and attorney. He is associated with the music project Ghost Lion and is also known for his former marriage to actress Emily Wickersham. He is currently connected to legal-aid work in Palm Beach County, Florida.
What band was Blake Anderson Hanley in?
Hanley is best known musically for Ghost Lion. He was also associated with the earlier project Kin Cayo before the Ghost Lion identity developed.
Is Blake Anderson Hanley a lawyer?
Yes. The Florida Bar lists Blake Anderson Hanley as a member in good standing and eligible to practice law in Florida. He was admitted on May 23, 2018.
What does Blake Anderson Hanley do now?
Recent public sources identify Hanley as an attorney working with the Heirs’ Property Project at the Legal Aid Society of Palm Beach County. His work includes property rights, probate and estate-related matters.
Was Blake Anderson Hanley married to Emily Wickersham?
Yes. Wickersham married Hanley on November 23, 2010, in the Florida Keys. Their marriage ended in divorce in December 2018.
Why did Blake Anderson Hanley and Emily Wickersham divorce?
The specific reason for their divorce has not been reliably established by strong public sources. Claims assigning a particular cause should not be presented as confirmed fact.
What is Blake Anderson Hanley’s net worth?
There is no reliably verified public figure for Hanley’s net worth. Online estimates are speculative and should not be treated as confirmed financial information.
Where did Blake Anderson Hanley study law?
The Florida Bar lists Southwestern Law School as his law school and records his law degree year as 2016. Creative Waves Foundation also identifies him as holding a Juris Doctor from Southwestern Law School.
Source list
- The Florida Bar: Blake Anderson Hanley Member Profile, Access Date: September 8, 2026
- Ghost Lion: Official Biography, Access Date: September 8, 2026
- Creative Waves Foundation: Our Team, Access Date: September 8, 2026
- Legal Aid Society of Palm Beach County: Gaining Ground Event, Access Date: September 8, 2026
- CBS12: After Hollywood Heartbreak, Hanley Lives Dream at SunFest, Access Date: September 8, 2026
- Atwood Magazine: Ghost Lion’s “Shot the Sun Down”, Access Date: September 8, 2026
- Providencia WPB: About Providencia, Access Date: September 8, 2026
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I am an independent writer and digital researcher tracking everyday trends, tech shifts, and modern culture across the US. I focus on cutting through internet noise to bring you crisp, honest stories and practical takeaways you can actually use.
