John-Elizabeth Edwards SPLIT: Legally Separated

People Magazine reported on Wednesday that John and Elizabeth Edwards are now legally separated. According to People, Elizabeth has had divorce papers ready for nearly a year but has yet to finish the paperwork.

The last straw, Elizabeth's sister recounts, was when Elizabeth met Rielle Hunter and John Edwards' love child:

"She said, 'I've had it. I can't do this. I want my life back,' " her sister, Nancy Anania, tells PEOPLE in the latest cover story. Last December, Elizabeth met the 23-month-old Frances Quinn Hunter - the baby John fathered with mistress Rielle Hunter - in a mediated visit at a North Carolina hotel.

The news of the separation comes at the tail of a slew of new details about the dissolution of the Edwards' marriage, including John Edwards' former aide's claim that Edwards discussed leaving Elizabeth during the campaign.

The aide, Andrew Young, recounts more details of the Edwards' marriage, and John Edwards' affair in his new book, The Politician, including the discovery of a sex tape of Edwards with a naked, pregnant Hunter. "It was like watching a traffic pileup occur in slow motion -- it was repelling but also transfixing," Young wrote.

More details of the split here.

Comments

[shahada2009]

12:51 PM on 03/15/2010

I have noticed the shark difference in the way the public has treated the John Edwards and Tiger saga! John Edwards has been exposed but not at the level and outright mean spirited campaign that Tiger has endured! I don't throw rocks at a man or woman who has fallen from grace and has hit bottom! We cannot ask for sympathy from Allah swt when we have fallen and then castigate those who also fallen! I wish and I feel sympathy for John Edwards and his mistakes but I feel deeply sadden for his wife, who must feel totally betrayed, questioning her own sexuality and why her husband would leave her bed for another woman! This is crushing defeat for any woman or man in this situation! I only hope that there is an end to this particular saga so John Edwards can move on and so too his wife, and away from public circles!

[AZ Lady]

03:26 PM on 02/02/2010

It is such a sad story of two very bright people and one sleeze bag photographer. If he wanted to run around with young chicks he should have told her and divorced her. Saving their reputation.

What about their children how injured they must be? He has gone off the wagon, the American people will not believe him anymore so no matter how smart and handsome he is he will have to work under a pen name.

How awful for all.

[ancient6]

09:48 PM on 02/01/2010

Elizabeth
It is my opinion that you are better off without that sorry excuse for a...
Be happy to be free of that. Lisa Jo(Rielle)and him are deserving of one another. History and actions have shown that they have no consideration for anyone but themselves--not you--not the children--not the taxpayers--not his loyal staff members(with the exception of his mistress).Those two are meant to be together. They came out of the same mold or should I say the same bed?
You are in a better place without all the toxicity he has brought to you and the children.
Consider this an ephiphany, a moment to embrace that you have accepted that you are with someone that didnt give you or the children a passing thought. You certainly dont wish to be someone that places him and his physical and emotional needs first and foremost above everything else. It is evident that having his ego stroked and a boost to his self esteem or lack there of was priority one to him. He decided to sacrifice it all for the sake of people he allegedly professed to love.I ask what kind of man,husband and father would deny, lie and cheat like he has;especially when his wife has terminal cancer. You certainly wouldnt want your daughter to be a mistress or share her life with someone that treats her like he treated you.

[yankhadenuf]

10:54 AM on 01/31/2010

This is an American tragedy, and has NOTHING to do with politics. This has to do with the basic foundation of every society on the planet, marriage & family. My heart goes out to Elizabeth, and my thoughts and prayers are with her. How could any husband do this to a wife, let alone a wife with cancer? The child deserves better too, how could any father not acknowledge his own child? No more excuses for men that are dogs and women that are their whores.

Luckily for Elizabeth, North Carolina is one of the few states that allows Alienation of Affection laws... she can actually sue Rielle Hunter. Elizabeth has rights , and so do her children, and she violated noone's.

Now back to politics... we need men and women to run for office who have basic values and principles.The notion that you can seperate someone's personal life from their political life is fast becoming a fallacy of the past, since the onset of the internet.

[gussygoat]

12:30 PM on 01/30/2010

I always thought Edwards looked smarmy. I still do. Good on you, Elizabeth.

[Progressiveama]

01:14 AM on 01/29/2010

John Ensign told a group of his endorsers that his affair was less sinful then Bill Clinton's a few months ago. I guess he was right. Seems that when a Dem has an affair, it is worse. Dems get impeached and splattered all over the news. I guess that it is because they DON'T profess to be on higher moral ground. John Ensign has called for the impeachment of other Dems who had affairs and was very loud about Clinton's. According to Ensign, it is an unforgiveable act. However, when he has one and it is treated lightly by the news, he ends up on Capial Hill pounding his chest over various issues, paying nothing. In fact, John Ensign can give his mistress's husband a government job and $90,000, brokered by Tom Colburn, and nothing is said.

Yes, let's all crucify John Edwards who got himself into a heck of a mess. Let's overlook those who are too religious to do such a thing, but do it anyway.

[susanra]

07:56 PM on 01/28/2010

I think the progressive policies John Edwards advocated should be emphasized, not his personal life.

He led the way for all the Democratic candidates for president with his progressive policy platforms.

We could use as many people as possible advocating Edwards' policies.

[arabianway]

04:36 PM on 01/28/2010

There is a holier than thou, too good to be true quality about Elisabeth Edwards.

The revelations about her in this book are far from what she would have had the public believe. Remember that excruciating Oprah interview? Me: victim, John: dog. Condition for interview? No mention to be made of other woman. Love child referred to as "it".

Steeped in denial for too long, it seems her rage grew exponentially. She seems to have a fondness also for deeming people "pathetic."

Married people of both sexes have affairs. He had had others and she knew about them, but continued to actively support his (and her) political ambitions.

[Cherubim]

12:07 PM on 01/28/2010

This legal separation of John and Elizabeth is so sad.
However, not quite as sad as no Universal Health Care,
no jobs, lots of corporate corruption and greed;
but no John and Elizabeth Edwards to fight for us.

Anyway, I hope they still, as a team, continue to fight Elizabeth's Cancer together.

Meanwhile, if you are an American, pray.

[Jayann]

02:40 PM on 01/28/2010

John and Elizabeth never did fight for us - he was too busy screwing around and she was coping with a deadly cancer and a cheating lying spouse. The "John and Elizabeth" that you speak of were illusions.

[Cherubim]

02:46 PM on 01/28/2010

Try finding a politician without sin.
You will not be able to do it.

[Puller58]

11:54 AM on 01/28/2010

Take a lesson from Tiger's wife. Golf club.

[SteveDenver]

11:52 AM on 01/28/2010

I hope Elizabeth cleans him out and Rielle grabs a chunk to raise their child.

[PalmG]

11:25 AM on 01/28/2010

Good for Elizabeth. But this is not new news, right? Didn't the aide confirm in the NBC interview last week that they were separated?

Whatever the case, I am so glad I never fell for this guy's okeydoke. I knew when his wife's cancer came back and he wouldn't drop out of the race, that something was off. Of course I didn't know he was making s e x tapes with his pregnant mistress and whatnot (wt f?), but I knew all that [apparently] glittered was not gold.

For all those who fell for his schtick, please be more discerning. All the signs that this guy had some character issues were there (starting with how he pretended to be so anti-Iraq war after he voted for it and it became unpopular). We need our voters to be more discerning. Pay closer attention. All the signs were there with Bush too, yet some still fell for his b unk. We cannot afford a gullible electorate. Wake up people.

[pam-shea]

01:59 PM on 01/28/2010

I think Elizabeth is one of the strongest women I have ever heard of. It doesn't matter whether she left him immediately or not. The important thing is that she stuck up for herself and her children and said enough is enough! John Edwards is a selfsish smuck! And I'm sure Elizabeth has put up with that selfishness the whole time they were married. I think she just finally decided that he was never going to change and if she was going be in this battle for her life she needs people that will really be on her team. She knew the child was his when the mistress moved from CA to NC so that he could see the child regularly. This is not about forgiveness or unforgiveness.

The bible says that God allowed divorce because of the hardness of men's hearts. I hope to never see another man with a heart this hard. He and Reille deserve each other. He says the break up is extraordinarily sad. For who? Does he think Elizabeth's life was happier staying in a joke of a marriage. A joke that he created? This guy is insane. Please can we never hear anything from or about him again in life?

[yankhadenuf]

11:04 AM on 01/31/2010

PalmG great comment . So many people , myself included, fall for what glitters even though it is not gold. The only one that really was obvious to me before he became President was Bill Clinton. I know Clinton did wonderful things while in office, but seriously, he nearly tore his family apart in the White House, whether he was impeached or not. If their families fall apart while they are in elected office, what happens to us? We have to set the bar higher, these people are our leaders!

[Diva11]

10:23 AM on 01/28/2010

Nice John - your wife has cancer and you're out getting your knob polished. Then to boot - you don't even use protection and oops - there's a baby - who you deny is yours! You are the lowest of the low. And Elizabeth, while I feel sorry for you, I'm sure this is not the first time he's cheated. I think you should have had a little more self-respect and left him a long time ago.

[SteveDenver]

11:59 AM on 01/28/2010

I'm certain he's as charming and convincing as he is conniving, and she was probably also thinking about their kids by trying to work through previous crap.

[yankhadenuf]

11:16 AM on 01/31/2010

SteveDenver You have a lot of insight about women ;-) It's true, most wives and mothers in these situations want things to work out for the family unit to stay together, before they eventually call it quits. And who knows, ironically Elizabeth may be dependent on John's healthcare insurance!

[katieandtom]

10:21 AM on 01/28/2010

so sad. i just think it is a shame that they have two little kids, elizabeth's cancer is terminal, and she now has to spend the end of her life without her core family intact. sickness and health - right?

but i sure dont blame her. how can you stay with a man who keeps throwing stones at you? one after another?

i hope that elizabeth finds peace, love and joy. i hope that she is happy and strong after this. i hope that she is smiling.

i hope john edwards d i e s a slow agon izing death.

[gregczar]

09:16 AM on 01/28/2010

How can he possibly abandon her now? Hasn't cancer returned? And listed as terminal?

[katieandtom]

10:19 AM on 01/28/2010

i dont think he is abadoning her, i think she is pulling the plug.