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."