Marianne Gingrich, Newt Gingrich's Ex-Wife, Reiterates 'Open Marriage' Claim In ABC Interview

WASHINGTON - Marianne Gingrich on Thursday night reiterated her claim that her ex-husband, Newt Gingrich, asked her for an open marriage in 1998. "My story is the truth, and if he were really sorry he could have stood up and said so, but he didn't," she told ABC.

The remarks were part of an interview that aired in full Thursday night, but the open marriage conversation was released early in the day, causing a media frenzy.

Marianne Gingrich said she "knew" that her husband was unfaithful when he refused to answer yes or no when she asked him directly, but she said it was especially hurtful to learn later that Callista Bisek (now Gingrich) stayed in her bedroom in Washington with him, the same place her husband would call her from every night. "He always called me .. and always ended with 'I love you.' Well, she was listening," Marianne told ABC's Brian Ross, her voice dropping to a near whisper.

Hours earlier in South Carolina, the former House speaker ferociously attacked moderator John King of CNN when King asked Gingrich if he cared to respond to Marianne's account.

After a tirade against the "elite news media," Gingrich grew even more animated. "The story is false," he asserted, "every personal friend I have who knew us in that period says the story was false. We offered several of them to ABC to prove it was false. [ABC producers] weren't interested because they would like to attack any Republican."

Also on HuffPost:

 

 

Comments

[Karol Tulp-magee]

12:37 AM on 03/21/2012

I am not clear on what it means when they say "The Party of Family Values" and then go after the gays,and women who use "The Pill".I guess Open Marriage,is on the permitted list of okay things to do.As for the pill,it is also taken for medical reasons other than birth control.I guess South Caroline would defend this behavior,as if they didn't what would that say about their ex governer,and his "True Love" in Argentina,never mind the wife,and sons.Having once been Catholic,how things have changed.Do they look at the conversion of Newt after so many marriages,and mistresses,and Callista,the woman of loose morals for 8 years of Newts 2nd? marriage,a good signal to be sending,along with no birth control,or gay people.All the best folks,and keep supporting "Tiffany's",to keep this marriage strong.

[xvet]

10:35 PM on 01/22/2012

I wonder who Grinchrich is in bed with when he tells his country that he loves it? Maybe he's dishonest about that too.

xvet

[KevinGregg]

07:56 PM on 01/21/2012

Don't get sick, Callista. Stay well!

[mspender]

04:46 PM on 01/22/2012

I figure her eyesight cannot be so good already, having gone for Newt in the first place.

[Lovepeople]

06:36 PM on 01/24/2012

that is so funny lol ... i think she went after his credit at Tiffneys

[philoec]

06:30 PM on 01/21/2012

MR "VALUES" INVOLVED IN DIRTY SOAP OPERAS!!!
HE'S GETTING BIGGER!

[nezersplace]

06:07 PM on 01/21/2012

Gingrich gets GOP reason to cheer for Ex-Wife??? Check.

[nezersplace]

05:35 PM on 01/23/2012

Gingrich gets GOP fired up over Exwife comment... Check.

[rt1027]

04:16 PM on 01/21/2012

so what an EX that would say bad things about the other..........gee what a surprise

[ladyvoter]

03:39 PM on 01/21/2012

I wonder why no one mentions the incident about Newt and a woman that was reported in Al Franken's book? Pretty sleazy stuff if true.

[mspender]

09:25 AM on 01/22/2012

Because he didn't marry her (I believe it was an intern?).

What's truly despicable is Newt asking his wives for divorce when they were sick. And what's truly inexplicable is what makes these women go for something like Newt.

[lady17]

05:45 PM on 01/22/2012

our marriage vows included in sickness and health- glad my spouse didn't dump me when I become ill - and why did ABC news cancel the interview? I was looking for it to watch - wasn't on the guide list , didn't know the what had happened- thought ABC covered all sides of issues - who owns them!

[ladyvoter]

03:36 PM on 01/21/2012

I do believe Newt was probably telling Wife Number Two that Calista did not care what he did. Good grief, look at him! Of course she did not care. She just wants him to not forget to stop by Tiffany's.

[Rocnjohnny]

01:54 PM on 01/21/2012

Of course he is going to say its not true. Who do you believe someone that was having an affair for 6 years or a jilted wife. Sorry Newt you divorced your first wife because you were fooling around. You divorced your second wife because you were fooling around. You were caught in an outright lie about her wanting a divorce. Every vow you have ever taken you have broke. In Congress you lied and stole money and paid a fine for that, who would you believe? Hell Newt you cant' believe yourself.

[rt1027]

04:19 PM on 01/21/2012

so don't vote for him........you would not have been voting for anyone but oh bama........so your opinion means nothing in the primary

but thanks for playing

[CZlight]

08:20 PM on 01/22/2012

I'm a registered independent for 32 years. I would have voted for McCain out of respect for the man, but then the GOP put "Pathetic Palin" a heartbeat away from the most powerful job on the planet and that ended McCain's bid. Obama has been a huge disappointment by not closing Guantanamo prison and extending Bush's attack on our rights recently. But, he has my respect for behaving like a man and his daughters are very ucky young ladies indeed. I think if the GOP would have put the country's needs ahead of their own lockstep agenda of enriching the fabulously rich while at the same time focusing on increasing the desperately poor and hungry Obama could have produced an even better turn around for the economy. As it stands we must celebrate that we are not in a depression.

[infmom]

01:45 PM on 01/21/2012

As the song goes, you knew darn well I was a snake before you took me in.

[globalguy]

01:07 PM on 01/21/2012

Newt has had three wives and counting and three religions and counting too. It saddens me that some people are so gullible as to buy into his righteous indignation act last week.

[rt1027]

04:21 PM on 01/21/2012

no i just don't care...........he would not be oh bama..........sounds like a plan

[vpientka]

12:45 PM on 01/21/2012

If I was Callista, I would be sure my long term health care premiums are paid in full. Newt has a nasty habit of leaving wives when the chips are down in the health dept. I wonder what will run through his mind when he hits difficult health issues.

[DavidNYC1]

08:33 AM on 01/21/2012

Each of them has a motive to lie. He dumped her and she obviously hasn't emotionally moved on. He has moved on and wants the political embrace of religious conservatives. It's often said, and I believe it's true, that it usually takes both people in the marriage to make it work or fail. Barring some revelation Gingrich was physically abusive to his second wife, the most that can be said is that wife number two was having an affair with Gingrich while he was still married to wife number one and Gingrich knew or should have known that Christian conservatives are very adept at judging others' personal behavior even though their divorce rates are comparable to other couples - about 50%. While it's certainly true that candidates for high public office are forced to check much of their privacy at the door, if you change the name to Obama (I voted for him), Democrats would cry foul if the same revelations were thrown at him. We can't say that staying in a bad marriage or having an affair or divorcing are the best markers of a person's character. Telling us that we should fire custodians and let kids clean their own schools for minimum wages speak volumes about a person's character. There is plenty wrong with Newt Gingrich's approach to issues. I don't care who he sleeps with as long as he doesn't care who I sleep with.

[richard in obihiro]

07:31 PM on 01/21/2012

David,
(You) don't care who he sleeps with as long as he doesn't care who I sleep with.
Well said! And that's just the point: he does care and wants to preach to us all that it's not good Christian values.

[eniale75]

06:45 AM on 01/21/2012

I read about Marianne Ginrich and she apparently was guilty of leaving her professor husband in Georgia for Newt Gingrich and as the bible says "What you sow,so shall you reap" and I wonder if
he was married when she got into this affair ?

Her expression is one of a angry women -life goes on!

[Karol Tulp-magee]

06:09 AM on 01/21/2012

I thought this was the party of Family Values.Am I missing something?