News Updates:
5/31/12: The jury in the John Edwards trial reached a verdict of not guilty on count 3 of receiving illegal campaign contributions, but was deadlocked on the other 5 counts. The judge ruled a mistrial on the other charges.Born:
Mary Elizabeth Anania: July 3, 1949, in Jacksonville, Florida.
Died:
Elizabeth Edwards: At the age of 61, on December 7, 2010, Elizabeth died after battling breast cancer for six years. John Edwards, her children, and other family members were with her when she died at her home in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The public funeral for Elizabeth Edwards was held on December 11, 2010 at the Edenton Street United Methodist Church in Raleigh, North Carolina. It was estimated that 1,200 mourners were in attendance.According to a People.com article, Elizabeth Edwards "will be buried beside her son in the nearby Oakwood Cemetery. In the wake of her passing after a long struggle, family and friends have launched elizabeth-edwards.org, where people can leave stories, share their thoughts, and find out more information about arrangements as details are made available."
Joan Walsh: "She [Elizabeth Edwards] shouldn't be remembered for her disappointing marriage, or just for her suffering, of too many sorts ... She came, she saw, she played, she fought; she loved her children and her political career, such as it was, and her life."
Source: Joan Walsh. "Elizabeth Edwards Didn't Deserve It." Salon.com. 12/07/2010.
How Elizabeth and John Met:
Wedding Date:
July 30, 1977, in a small country church near Chapel Hill. Her floor length gown had cap sleeves. John wore a gray tux.Their reception was at the Carolina Inn. They honeymooned in Williamsburg, Virginia. Elizabeth reportedly wore her original $11 wedding ring.
John and Elizabeth renewed their wedding vows on their 30th wedding anniversary and tried to celebrate their wedding anniversary every year by eating at Wendy's. It was how they spent their first anniversary.
Elizabeth kept her last name until the late 1990s.
Previous Marriages:
None.Residence:
Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina; beach home, Wilmington, N.C.; Georgetown, Washington, D.C. which was being sold.In July, 2005, John and Elizabeth planned on a move to rural Orange County in North Carolina, near Chapel Hill, where they purchased 100 acres earlier in 2004 and built a large home.
Children:
- Lucius Wade Edwards: Born 7/18/1979. Died 4/04/1996 in a car accident. His jeep was swept off the highway by high winds and ended upside down in flames. In memory of Wade, an education foundation and learning lab were created. John did not speak of their son Wade during campaign speeches, but he always wore Wade's Outward Bound pin on his left suit lapel over his heart.
- Catharine "Cate" Edwards: Born 1982. Cate married Trevor Upham on October 22, 2011. Elizabeth helped Cate plan the wedding.
- Emma Claire Edwards: Born 1998.
- Jack Atticus Edwards: Born 2000.
- Frances Quinn Hunter: Born abt. 2007. Her mother is Rielle Hunter.
1/21/2010: John admitted he is Quinn's father. "I am Quinn's father. I will do everything in my power to provide her with the love and support she deserves ..."
Source: Lisa Myers, Michael Austin. "Edwards admits fathering child with mistress." MSNBC.msn.com. 1/21/2010.
Elizabeth underwent fertility treatment to begin their second family.
Elizabeth's Battle With Breast Cancer:
3/14/05: Surgery to remove lump from her breast.
3/22/07: Elizabeth's cancer returned.
3/25/07: Elizabeth: "I expect to live a long time. I expect us to have lots and lots of years together."
Source: Jennifer Steinhauer. NYTimes.com. "Facing a New Battle, Mrs. Edwards Set Campaign's Fate." 3/25/2007.
12/06/2010: According to People.com, "Elizabeth Edwards's cancer fight has taken a turn for the worse, with the disease spreading to her liver and doctors recommending against additional treatment."
Occupations:
Elizabeth: Attorney; an adjunct instructor at UNC Law School where she taught legal writing; author; fund raiser.John: Attorney; U.S. Senator from 1998-2005; Democratic party VP nominee in 2004.
In February 2005, John accepted a teaching position at the law school at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He was candidate for President in 2008.
More Quotes About the Marriage of Elizabeth and John Edwards
John Edwards: "There is no question that I have done wrong. And I take full responsibility for having done wrong. And I will regret for the rest of my life the pain and the harm that I have caused to others. But I did not break the law."Source: Tom Breen, Nedra Pickler. "John Edwards Pleads Not Guilty to Federal Charges." HuffingtonPost.com. 6/3/2011.
Heather North on John being at Elizabeth's side when she died: "It's a complicated romance. It's a deeper romance than a lot people can grasp. There was a deep love for each other."
Source: Sara Hammel. "Elizabeth Edwards Was 'My Second Mother,' Says Nanny." People.com. 12/10/2010.
Elizabeth: "He [John] has provided for us. He has -- you know, his fathering has been nearly perfect. His caring for me, with this really big painful exception, has been extraordinary, through Wade's death, through the cancer ... You have to say, is that -- is this piece, this piece which is so painful, so big, that it obscures all of those other things. And did I think about that? I did think about that. But in the end I decided it did not ... My forgiving him has allowed me to let go of a lot of the pain."
Source: "Elizabeth Edwards discusses tragedies, strengths." Cnn.com. 5/13/2009.
John Edwards' Love Affair With Rielle Hunter:
With one count having a not guilty verdict and the jury deadlocked on the other counts, John Edwards' trial is over. It appears his romantic relationship with his mistress Rielle Hunter is over, too. After walking out of the courthouse on May 31, 2012, John again took responsibility for his unfaithfulness.John: "No one else is responsible for my sins. I am responsible. If I want to find the person responsible for my sins, I don't have to go further than a mirror. It was me and me alone."
Source: James Hill, Russell Goldman, Beth Loyd. "John Edwards Not Guilty on 1 Count, but Admits Moral Failing; Mistrial on 5 Other Counts." ABCNews.go.com. 5/31/2012.
5/02/12: Christina Reynolds, an ex-staffer of John Edwards, revealed in court that Elizabeth Edwards knew about John's affair before it was first reported by the National Enquirer.
4/10/12: The selection of a jury for John Edwards' criminal trial may start Thursday. Edwards was indicted in 2011 on "six felony and misdemeanor counts ... If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and as much as $1.5 million in fines."
1/13/12: "A federal judge disclosed Friday that former presidential candidate John Edwards has a life-threatening heart condition, a court source confirmed to CNN."
6/3/2011: "The federal grand jury indictment handed down Friday against former North Carolina Senator John Edwards charges the two-time Democratic presidential candidate of four counts of illegal campaign contributions, conspiracy and making false statements in connection with a cover-up of his extramarital affair."
Source: David S. Morgan. "Details from John Edwards indictment." CBSNews.com. 6/3/2011.
12/07/10: Elizabeth Edwards died of cancer at the age of 61. John Edwards was with her when she died.
1/27/2010: Several news organizations, including The New York Times, report that John and Elizabeth legally separated.
