Congrats on this accomplishment. I've been in a similar situation, for a slightly different reason with AMEX. The horrible divorce part came later. For those interested in another saga, here's mine. I was blacklisted for over 30 years:
My first individual AMEX card was Gold, issued in 1980 (I was an authorized user on my Dad's Gold Card in the 1970's). Several business Greens followed -- with my extensive business travel, I easily racked-up $100K spending per year with AMEX.
As soon as the original Platinum Card became available, I was invited to become a recipient (if memory serves, around '85 or '86). My employer was a multi-billionaire -- he was exceedingly jealous; his invitation arrived several months after I had the card in-hand. Platinum cards at that time were almost as exclusive and rare as Black cards are today -- always provoking astonishment whenever tendered (even in the exclusive enclaves of Manhattan, where I lived).
That card also came with an attached $10,000 revolving credit line -- mine was increased instantly to $44,000 with one phone call. Note that this is when each dollar was worth about 3 times its current value. My FICO score at that time exceeded 800. I always paid every obligation in-full each month and was virtually innundated with card offers over the years. I also received the Platinum Optima credit card. My overall credit limit with AMEX was $176,000 across all the revolving cards and attached credit lines. Together with my other cards, I had more that $250,000 in available credit and utilization was very low.
.....then the market crash of 1987 hit.
Due to the mishandling of my brokerage account at E. F. Hutton, I lost everything I had -- and then some. My attorneys were delighted to sue the brokerage firm; but demurred after discovering that more than 14,000 other similar claims had been filed ahead of mine. I was financially ruined and had no option but to file for bankruptcy. Unfortunately, AMEX and a few other card creditors were swept into the mix. Hutton shortly thereafter ceased to exist, becoming part of Shearson-Lehman-Hutton-American Express (SLAMEX, to the trade....) but that combination subsequently imploded as well.
Needless to say, I was also blacklisted and had no credit cards at all for several years. Eventually, did the secured thing with Cap One and a local credit union to begin my financial rehabilitation.
In 2014, while working for a very large company which had an AMEX corporate card program, somehow I managed to snag a corporate green card (while holding my breath for rejection at every step of the process). Despite its terms calling for individual holders to pay AMEX directly each month and a 2-year history of perfect payments with $2,000- 3,000 average monthly spend, AMEX would not grant me any individual card products. Underwriting listened to my story but was unmoved. I tried repeatedly, to no avail.
Finally, in 2018, I was approved for the Sheraton AMEX card, with a small 2K limit. I was home again.
Now I have its successor (Bonvoy AMEX), the Gold Card, the Bonvoy Business Card and Bonvoy Brilliant Card. Each proudly embossed: "Member since 1980." Each time I speak with a representative on the phone, I am greeted warmly as though I never left..... wasn't my choice to be shown the exit LOL.
If there is any moral to this story -- it is that AMEX has a very, very long memory an will hold a grudge, no matter how good a customer anyone was in the past.
So again, best of luck at being again a member of this club.
Congratulations and stay safe.
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