On Monday, we talked about the latest revelations coming out of Andrew Young’s book proposal. Young was the John Edwards campaign aide who was part of the Rielle Hunter cover up, and he’s been selling his story piece by piece for months, with some of the most sordid information out there. Monday was a big day in the Edwards’ ongoing drama – Andrew Young (or sources close to him) alleged that Rielle Hunter wasn’t the only woman John Edwards had an affair with, which is a claim I totally believe. Apparently, John was bangin’ lots of women on the campaign trail, according to Young, and I would guess that John was probably cheating on Elizabeth for many years.
The second part of Monday’s revelations came from a Rush & Malloy report that basically claimed that Elizabeth Edwards was going crazy, that she was commenting on blogs (using the name “Cherubim”) that called Rielle Hunter every name out there. Elizabeth also allegedly threatened Andrew Young and his family, and blamed Rielle for almost everything. I tend to believe parts of that story – I think Elizabeth is definitely lying to protect her husband and her family, and I think she’s very distraught. I had been hoping this whole time that Elizabeth would grow a set and just leave John. I know, I know – she’s trying to keep her family together, et cetera. But at this point, in my mind, divorce would be a blessing for Elizabeth. According to the Enquirer (the publication that broke so many of the Edwards stories), Elizabeth is finally done – she’s ready to file for divorce and take every penny of John’s fortune:
Elizabeth Edwards has finally had enough – she’s threatened to divorce her cheating husband John and claim her share of their $53 million fortune!
The ENQUIRER has learned Elizabeth dropped the divorce bombshell after learning a former campaign aide is claiming Rielle Hunter, the mother of Edwards’ love child, isn’t the only woman he seduced on the campaign trail!
Furious at his betrayals, Elizabeth – still battling Stage 4 breast cancer – has vowed to destroy her husband of 32 years by disclosing everything she knows about his political career in divorce court, insiders say.
“Elizabeth had always sworn she wouldn’t divorce John. But every person has a breaking point, and Elizabeth’s friends believe she’s reached hers,” an insider told The ENQUIRER.
“Elizabeth made it clear to John that she will take him for everything he’s got. She will divorce him and claim their $53 million fortune.
“Elizabeth knows every dirty little secret in her husband’s political past. She’s been his confidant for years, and she’s always kept quiet. But now she’s prepared to reveal all his secrets in open court.”
Elizabeth’s patience finally ran out when she learned about the scandalous claims in a tell-all book by her husband’s former campaign aide Andrew Young, the married father of three who once claimed that he’d fathered Rielle’s child in a bid to protect his boss.
“Elizabeth was read portions of Young’s book proposal, and she flipped out,” said the source.
“What really pushed her over the edge is Young’s allegation that John had other affairs with women on the campaign trail. Elizabeth basically told John that if she found out that was true, she’d have to divorce him because then he’d be a ‘serial cheater.’ John claims Young’s book is a pack of lies.”
[From the National Enquirer]
Elizabeth is so the person I want to root for in this story, and she’s been disappointing me so much. That’s why I hope this is true. I know a lot of people would applaud Elizabeth for sticking with John through the worst, but I look at it a different way – what is Elizabeth teaching her children by staying with John, lying for him and blaming “the other woman” for all of the problems in her marriage? I think her kids will totally understand why their mother finally kicked their dad out of the house, if this divorce report is true.
I’ve never been divorced, so I’m not sure how long it takes to complete. But jeez, is this this really the best use of time for her? She could have only months to live, right? And she really wants to spend them fighting with lawyers? Unless John’s just going to give in to avoid further scandal.
She should just live separately, and focus on her health and her kids.
I guess I am in the minority on this one, but my opinion is whatever Elizabeth choses to do, be it stay with John or leave him, ultimately she needs to do what is right for her. I will excuse her erratic or denying behavior, because I think this is a woman who is scared and projecting her fears onto Rielle Hunter. I have no idea what it is like to receive a terminal diagnosis from a doctor, but I feel like I would probably lose it too, especially if instead of supporting me, my husband of 32 years was out galavanting around town with every young thing that crossed his path. Maybe she has made peace with John, maybe she hasn’t. But I just can’t judge her on this because her position is so difficult, and really does she want to spend the last months of her life in divorce court? Alternately, does she want to spend her last months fighting with the man she has loved her whole life, or does she want to make peace with him and be with her family? I’m inclined to believe the latter, no matter how much womanizing John does.
If she wants to divorce him, it’s so his money goes to her kids when she dies, not to hiring the DMB to play at that scumbag’s wedding to his mistress.
Well Alaska, the alternative would be to die slowly while sulking and thinking how your cheating scumbag of a husband is going to be free of you soon and keep all his money too. She clearly wants to take him down with her and looking at all the terrible things he did to her by breaking marriage vows over and over publically, I say he damn well deserves it.
Kaiser – I like that you bring up the fact that, by staying with John, Elizabeth is sending her children a bad message. It’s the first time I’ve heard anyone mention that but I’ve been wondering about it myself. She needs to show her children that there are boundaries (even in marriage) and that if someone shows you this level of disrespect, they don’t deserve to have you in their life. It bothers me that SO many women stay and tolerate this type of reprehensible behavior.
In NC the only grounds for divorce (besides annulment, which doesn’t apply here to my knowledge) is one year’s separation. That is a long time, although she might be in a happier place when it’s done. God bless this woman.
A lot of divorcing women with children make it a stipulation in their settlements that when and if their ex-husband marries again, there will be a pre-nuptial agreement between him and the new wife. That way, the children aren’t inadvertently disinherited. I can completely understand any concern she might have over that happening.
But no matter how any divorce goes down, she is not entitled to and will not get everything. I hate it when women say that (and I don’t think Elizabeth did, I think the reporter did). No one is entitled to EVERYTHING. It’s half and half of everything that was earned in the marriage, which is fair. Now alimony is a different story, if the supporting spouse cheats, he/she automatically pays alimony in NC. And the same is true if it’s the other way around. If the dependent spouse cheats (usually the woman) then she is automatically not entitled to alimony.
And Birdie, I like your response. It is quite thoughtful. Even though I have definitely felt like Elizabeth was not making the best choices in the past, I can appreciate your point of view on that.
Beautifully said, Birdie.
In 2006 I was divorced after more than ten years of marriage (no kids). It took me a year from when I learned of my ex’s infidelity to be ready to divorce. You’re only ready when you’re ready. A good quote on the subject:
“The only thing more unthinkable than leaving was staying; the only thing more impossible than staying was leaving.”
Kaiser:
Maybe the fat lady’s gonna sing!!!
But, I don’t get how threatening to air their dirty secrets in open court sends a good message to their children.
It’s probably a bluff so he’ll agree to a quick and generous financial settlement. But the threat already communicates to the kids that they’ve always played dirty, in politics…in life.
what a messed up situation. I think she just wants to ensure that her children with him won’t lose out on any inheritance money that is there.
Take him down to Chinatown and clean his clock! With the crap she’s had dished out, vengeance would be the only saving grace during her last days…poor lady! Everything she’s done up to this point has been a front to cover his cheating ass.
I say castrate the bastard and bury or creamate his organ with Elizabeths remains.
I cant imagine the pain this woman is feeling right now, she is dying and he was banging his ho’s thru out her cancer treatments and probably most of their marriage. She is thinking of the 2 younger kids and what will happen to them when she goes, we can bet she does not want them near Reile Hunter! My heart goes out to this woman and she deserves to take him to the cleaners and the cleavers,
I hope she takes the sonofabitch for every dime she can get.
I think Dead Pirate has hit the nail on the head. When you take out lawyers fees, by getting half, she’s ensuring that the lions share of the money goes to their kids. Hunter’s child will have to be supported out of “his” half.
I’ve never liked EE. First off, because she blamed it all on RH, and that’s a *gross* misrepresentation of what happened. Had JE wanted to say no, he would have. And, it was HIM, not RH, the married one. Second reason is, EE has been lying, and I don’t like people who are in the habit of lying. Finally, JE betrayed his wife, true, but who are we kidding when we think she had no fault in it? When a marriage falls apart, the fault is on both sides (although in different proportions) and I’m yet to hear “holy Elisabeth” admitting her flaws.
I like Alaska Joey’s and Birdie’s comments on this story. The fact of her terminal diagnosis (and the poor woman looks very bad in this pic) really does change everything. Staunch feminist that I am, I cannot and will not judge this woman. She’s losing the fight of her life, so whatever she chooses, God bless her. I just hope whatever she does, it gives her the modicum of peace she deserves.
Has anyone considered that Andrew Young is shopping his book? Why has no one taken that into consideration before we buy every pearl that drops from this swine’s mouth. The only thing provable in ALL his major spilling of secrets is that John was venal enough to pay him for claiming paternity. The rest of it was he said, she said. He wants his part of the gravy train and was a big enough douche and liar to pubicly claim paternity for a child he knew was not his! That was a really ethical thing to do wasn’t it? Surely no one like that would lie, right? On the subject of Elizabeth Edwards she has lost a child, has terminal cancer and probably spends a great deal of time trying to plan a future for her small children that does not include their mother so STFU about her already! This is a woman who should be free to do whatever, God knows she has paid the piper so she gets to call the tune!
Wow, we almost made it through one thread without someone telling another poster to STFU.
I like how many thoughtful posts we have had on this subject.
I have a close friend who was just diagnosed with stage IV cancer. She always did everything at home and is like Elizabeth in several ways. This woman’s husband has really come around in terms of shared responsibility and has become very supportive and attentive to her needs. She is a strong woman, but I can’t imagine what she would be doing now if her husband was a philanderer, possibly serial philanderer and then she had to deal with the whole town watching him go from respected member of the community to scumbag. She, like Elizabeth Edwards, needs to be able to focus on her health and her children.
The whole problem with the role model business is that the Edwards children are quite young and they will end up with their sleazy father and his tart after Elizabeth dies. Those two will end up being significant role models for these kids. I don’t know whether she has living parents or siblings who could share custody of these kids, provided it was worked out in advance, but it might give them some hope for a decent childhood.
Did it occur to anyone that John’s ego of wanting more children by Elizabeth who is many years older than him CAUSED HER CANCER!!! She had to undergo MEGA DOSES OF HORMONES in order to get pregnant which she did willingly for him….and this very well could have caused her breast cancer -. John even bragged about her giving birth at her age during the campaign!!! — And the whole while he was cheating on her. He deserves NOTHING. I hope that his mistress or mistresses dump him which is what he deserves and that Elizabeth gets all his money for her kids. She only has 6 months to live and hopefully she can have some sort of peace in knowing that her children will be well taken care of. She deserves much more than John!!! May God Bless you and Be with you during this most difficult time in your life. It would be wonderful if God would put his healing touch upon you and grant you some peace.
Elizabeth…you are in my prayers.