Elizabeth Edwards on Her Marriage to John: It's "Complicated"

Us Magazine - May 5, 2009 5:25 AM PDT
Story photo: Elizabeth Edwards on Her Marriage to John: It's John Edwards and Elizabeth Edwards attend the cocktail party before the Time Magazine's 100 Most Influential People 2007 gala on May 8, 2007 in New York City. George Burns; Mat Szwajkos/Getty ImagesUs Magazine
In a revealing new interview with Oprah Winfrey, Elizabeth Edwards says it's "complicated" when asked about the state of her marriage to former presidential candidate John Edwards, who famously had an affair with videographer Rielle Hunter.

Is it a day by day thing, Winfrey asks her on Thursday's show.

"Neither one of us is out the door," replies Elizabeth, who is battling terminal breast cancer. "So I guess it's day by day, but maybe it's month by month."

Elizabeth -- who spoke to Winfrey from her family's 28,000-square-foot home in Chapel Hill, NC -- says they're "still living together." But when asked if she still loves her husband, she replies, "You know, that's a complicated question."

Looking back on their marriage, Elizabeth tells Winfrey she asked John for one gift before her wedding 31 years ago.

"I wanted him to be faithful to me," she says. "It was enormously important to me."'

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But, days after declaring his run for president in 2006, John confessed to his wife that he had had an affair. (The National Enquirer broke the story a year later.)

"What John said is that this woman spotted him in the hotel in which he was staying. He was meeting someone in the restaurant bar area, and she verified with someone who he worked with that it was John," Elizabeth tells Winfrey.
"John went to dinner at a nearby restaurant and when he walked back to the hotel, she was standing in front of the hotel. She said to him, 'You are so hot.'"

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After the Enquirer broke the story, it also reported that John was the father of Hunter's daughter (which he denied).

Asked about the speculation, Elizabeth says, "That's what I understand. I've seen a picture of the baby. I have no idea. It doesn't look like my children, but I don't have any idea."

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Elizabeth -- whose memoir, Resilience, is to be published May 12 -- opens up more about Hunter in the June issue of O.

Choosing not to address Hunter by name, she says, "This person is very different from me, and really very different from him. We're basically old-fashioned people. So, this was a pretty big leap for him. Maybe it's being so different is what was attractive."

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Asked about her own mortality, Elizabeth says it's not "frightening," but she prays for an "ever-after."

"I would be leaving part of my family, but I can do [that] and join another party and wait for that day when we're all together again," she says. "In some ways, it's something you yearn for."

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comments 1-10 of 18  |< newest · < newer · older > · oldest >|  hide comments · post a comment
  • ollie
    Elizabeth Edwards needs to boot him out, get the settlement and set up the trust funds for the kids' future so Reille doesn't get it.
    report abuseposted June 1, 2009 9:15 AM PDT
  • do-be-do
    I'm really sick of Elizabeth Edwards. Sorry folks, her constant smile bothers me. I don't want to hear about her suffering, and her sleazy husband. I don't want to hear from her AT ALL.
    report abuseposted May 20, 2009 8:24 PM PDT
  • szi9
    No lady your marriage is not 'complicated'! You are married to a whoremonger, toss him out, get on with your life!
    report abuseposted May 9, 2009 12:17 PM PDT
  • jazzy g
    one step in the grave and she is still protecting him...God bless!
    report abuseposted May 7, 2009 5:18 AM PDT
  • krystyl c
    it's complicated because tragically she is dying of cancer. If you were going through that it is not as easy to just up and leave your husband. He is a poor excuse of a human being to do that to his wife during this tragic time. I had a lot of respect for him and can't believe how dumb he is for ruining his promising career. My heart goes out to Elizabeth and their children.
    report abuseposted May 6, 2009 1:33 PM PDT
  • Sean
    It doesn't seem like they will survive this. The fact that they are talking about it in a public forum seems really strange! We'll see.
    report abuseposted May 5, 2009 6:43 PM PDT
  • Corey p
    I do not think she should have to put up with that kind of behavior. He obviously didn't care enough about their marriage to stay faithful. Why would she waste her time. I would be out of there in a heart beat.
    report abuseposted May 5, 2009 8:41 AM PDT
  • Lilly H
    It is so sad and I am sure complicated. I believe Affairs break relationships and they are never the same if they stay together. I wish Elizabeth the best and hope she has the strength to get through this. I do believe that baby is his just by seeing the pictures. What a moron not to use protection. Men no matter how educated are truly the stupid retarded one's.
    report abuseposted May 5, 2009 8:10 AM PDT
  • LA
    It was not what we thought.
    report abuseposted May 5, 2009 8:01 AM PDT
  • keepingitreal
    As a cheated on wife myself (since divorced and he married the piece of trash - very unhappy - hilarious) I can tell you there is no bigger betrayal. What is worse, the first husband did it as well and this second husband knew about that and it's horrible aftermath. Did not slow the SOB down one bit. My third and last husband knows what I will do if he cheats. John Edwards needs his ass ki
    report abuseposted May 5, 2009 6:52 AM PDT
comments 1-10 of 18  |< newest · < newer · older > · oldest >| 

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