Former presidential candidate John Edwards talked about his extramarital affair with filmmaker Rielle Hunter. and the effect it had on his wife Elizabeth in an interview with Bob Woodruff for ABC's Nightline on Friday.
Here are some excerpts:
Did you have an affair?
• In 2006, two years ago, I made a very serious mistake, a mistake that I am responsible for and no one else. In 2006 I told Elizabeth and asked for her forgiveness, asked God for his forgiveness. We have kept this within our family since that time.
_I'm in love with one woman, I've been in love with one woman for 31 years. She is the finest human being I know. The fact that she is with me after this happened is a testament to the kind of woman she is.
How did it happen?
I grew up as a small-town boy in North Carolina, came from nothing, worked very hard, dreamed that I could do something helpful for other people with my life, became a lawyer, through a lot of work and success I got some acclaim as a lawyer. People were telling me you're such a great person, such a great lawyer. There's no telling what you'll do.
Then I went from being a young senator to being considered for vice president, running for president ... becoming a national public figure, all of which fed a self-focus, an egotism, a narcissism that leads you to believe you can do whatever you want, you're invincible and there will be no consequences. And nothing could be further from the truth.
Did you meet with Rielle Hunter recently?
I was at the Beverly Hilton. I was trying to keep this mistake I made from becoming public.
Are you paying her money?
I've never paid a dime of money, never asked anybody to pay a dime of money. Nothing has been done at my request.
Is this the end of your political career?
I'm not sure I had a political career in the future, not sure that politics was what I wanted to spend my life doing.
What will people think about you now?
That will be their judgment to make.
My lord and my wife have forgiven me, so I'm going to move on.
