Celebrity News May 05, 2009
Elizabeth Edwards: 'I Wanted John to Be Faithful'
Elizabeth Edwards has revealed that she asked Senator husband John for one thing when the two married 31 years ago -- that he be faithful to her. Only "Extra" has the other woman, Rielle Hunter, whose name Edwards refuses to say.
"I wanted him to be faithful to me -- it was enormously important to me," Elizabeth tells Oprah Winfrey in a new interview, as reported by AP. Edwards visited Winfrey's show to promote her book "Resilience" -- and the conversation quickly turned to her husband's affair with filmmaker Rielle Hunter, whose name was purposefully left out of the interview... and book.
In her memoir, Edwards describes how she screamed, cried and threw up after learning of the one-time presidential candidate's infidelity. Her breast cancer, which had been in remission, returned shortly after learning of John's affair.
When asked if she still loved her husband, Elizabeth responded, "You know, that's a complicated question." She elaborated, saying, "Neither one of us is out the door so I guess it's a day by day thing, but maybe it's month by month."
Oprah also brought up the controversy surrounding Hunter's daughter, Frances Quinn. Media outlets have accused John of being the father of the 14-month old baby, but the disgraced senator has vehemently denied paternity. "I've seen a picture of the baby," Edwards tells Oprah. "I have no idea. It doesn't look like my children, but I don't have any idea."
Elizabeth also describes John's mistress as being different than the political couple -- and speculated as to why her husband strayed. "We're basically old-fashioned people," Edwards said in O magazine. "So, this was a pretty big leap for him. Maybe it's being so different is what was attractive."
Don't miss the rest of Winfrey's full interview with Elizabeth -- with input from John -- when it airs Thursday, May 7 on ABC.
"Extra" wants to know -- should Elizabeth forgive her husband for cheating? Vote now.