A new National Enquirer report says that former presidential candidate John Edwards has dumped his former mistress, Rielle Hunter, and is seeing 35-year-old Danielle King.
Here’s what you need to know about her:
1. This is Edwards’ First Relationship Since Breaking Up With His Former Mistress
Edwards pictured with his eldest daughter, Cate. (Getty)
After breaking up with his former campaign staffer, Rielle Hunter, with whom he fathered a child, Edwards has reportedly begun dating Danielle King. The Daily Mail reports that she’s a single mom who has been spending significant time at the Edwards family home in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The couple were seen eating together at Pananzella, an Italian restaurant in Carrboro, North Carolina (below).
2. One of Edwards’ Kids Referred to King as his ‘Hero’
(National Enquirer)
The new Enquirer report says that Edwards’ son, Jack, wrote an essay for school about King and called her his “hero” in a Facebook post. On Jack’s birthday, King posted a picture of her and Jack Edwards on her Facebook wall and added, “Happy Birthday, Bud. I love you so so so so so much. Thank you being you and making my world, and everyone else’s, a better place.”
3. She Works in Cancer Research
(LinkedIn)
She works at Duke University as a clinical research co-ordinator in the University’s “Cancer Care Research Program.” Edwards’ late wife, Elizabeth, died age 61 of breast cancer in 2010.
(LinkedIn)
4. She is a Mother-of-One
King has a son from a previous relationship named Austin.
5. Edwards’ Former Mistress Has Also Been Headline Grabbing Recently
Just last month, in an essay published by The Huffington Post, Edwards’ former-mistress Rielle Hunter apologized for the affair she had with Edwards. In it she wrote:
I am very sorry for my wrong, selfish behavior. Back in 2006, I did not think about the scope of my actions, how my falling in love with John Edwards, and acting on that love, could hurt so many people. I hurt Elizabeth and her kids. I hurt her family. I hurt John’s family. I hurt people that knew Elizabeth. I hurt people who didn’t know Elizabeth but loved her from afar. I hurt people who gave their hard earned dollars to a campaign — a cause they believed in.
I hurt people who are married and believe in marriage. Many of these people have let me know that I hurt them. Unfortunately, I was not thinking about anyone but myself. I was selfish. I fell in love with John Edwards and wanted to be with him and that desire trumped everything else.