Elizabeth Edwards vs Rielle Hunter for Custody of John Edwards Children
Over the weekend, the New York Daily News reported that Elizabeth Edwards is planning for her death and wants her daughterCate, 28, to take custody of her two youngest children, instead of their father John Edwards. Elizabeth, who has been battling terminal cancer, apparently does not want her estranged husband’s baby mama Rielle Hunter to raise Emma Claire, 12, and Jack, 10. But on Tuesday, Elizabeth Edwards sent an email to ABC News saying that “The story is not true.” She did not give any information on plans for guardianship of the children or that state of her health.
The Edwards have been legally separated for about six months. Elizabeth has primary custody of the children, but it is unclear how much visitation John Edwards has with his children. Elizabeth’s attempt at planning guardianship of her children is seen as an attempt to keep Rielle Hunter from raising her children. (Hunter had an affair with Edwards during the 2008 presidential campaign which resulted in an out-of-wedlock daughter, two-year old Frances Quinn Hunter.)
The two-time Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards has been trying to make a plea deal with prosecutors in the face of indictment by a grand jury for campaign finance fraud. If Edwards gets jail time from the plea deal he is currently negotiating or goes to trial after the expected indictment, he would not be able to raise the children. Even if Edwards avoids jail time, it is unclear if he has any interest in full custody of his children after their mother’s death.
