The affair was with a "dear friend" of eight years. Jenny knew about the affair for about five months after finding a love letter. Jenny and Mark, according to some reports, attended marriage counseling sessions. Here's more information about the marriage and divorce of Jenny and philandering governor Mark Sanford.
News Updates:
12/11/2009: After a six month separation from her husband South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford, Jenny Sanford announced she will file for divorce.
"This came after many unsuccessful efforts at reconciliation, yet I am still dedicated to keeping the process that lies ahead peaceful for our family." Full Text of Statements From First Lady and Governor
Source: Bruce Smith. "SC first lady files for divorce from cheating gov." SFGate.com. 12/11/2009.
What You Can Learn From the Sanford Marriage:
Born:
Marshall Clement "Mark" Sanford, Jr: May 28, 1960 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.Jennifer "Jenny" Sullivan: Abt. 1962 in Winnetka, Illinois.
How Mark and Jenny Met:
Jenny: “It wasn’t exactly love at first sight. It was more like friendship at first sight.”
Source: Monica Davey. "In Political Storm, Governor’s Wife Is Hurt but Unbowed." NYTimes.com. 6/27/2009.
Wedding Date:
Mark and Jenny were married on November 4, 1989 at Christ Memorial Chapel on Jupiter Island, Florida. The Rev. Leo O'Donovan, S.J., president of Georgetown University, performed the wedding ceremony. Jenny's sister Kathleen Sullivan was maid of honor and Mark's brother William Sanford was the best man.Children:
- Marshall Sanford
- Landon Sanford
- Bolton Sanford
- Blake Sanford
Occupations:
Jenny: Campaign manager, investment banker, author.Staying True
by Jenny Sanford
Mark: South Carolina Governor, US Congressman, real estate agent, owner of Norton and Sanford Real Estate Investment.
Residence:
08/09/09: According to news reports, Jenny "moved out of the governor's official residence on Friday with their sons and plans to spend the school year at the family's beach house."
Quotes About the Marriage of Jenny and Mark Sanford:
Mark about his feelings for Maria: "And out of fairness to my boys and to folks that I’ve hurt, I’m not going to say more than this: any of those seemingly goofy feelings that I described a couple years back have intensified, not dissipated, with time ... We see each other as we can. "
Source: Andrew Goldman. "Mark Sanford Is Still in Love." NYTimes.com. 8/05/2011.
Jenny Sanford: "The dissolution of a 20-year marriage is not a cause for celebration, it’s a sad occasion ...
This [the divorce] is the beginning of a new chapter for me and for our children."
Source: "Judge grants jenny Sanford divorce plea; 'sad occasion.'" CharlotteObserver.com. 2/26/2010.
Jenny Sanford: "We worked very diligently to put the marriage back together ... Ultimately, we were unsuccessful.
Source: Associated Press. "Judge grants Jenny Sanford permission to divorce SC gov." NYPost.com. 2/26/2010.
Mark Sanford: "While it is not the course I would have hoped for, or would choose, I want to take full responsibility for the moral failure that led us to this tragic point. Jenny is a great person, and has been a remarkable wife, mother and first lady."
Source: Source: "Judge grants jenny Sanford divorce plea; 'sad occasion.'" CharlotteObserver.com. 2/26/2010.
Jenny about Mark asking that the promise to be faithful clause be removed from their wedding vows: "It bothered me to some extent, but ... we were very young, we were in love," she said in an exclusive interview with Barbara Walters to air on "20/20" Friday. "I questioned it, but I got past it ... along with other doubts that I had."
Source: Rob Wallace, Katie Thomson, Lauren Sher. "Jenny Sanford Exclusive: Husband Refused to Be Faithful in Wedding Vows." ABCNews.go.com. 2/2/2010.
Jenny on if she would have stood beside Mark when he publicly confessed to the affair: “I wouldn't have. If he had asked me, I would have said no ... Certainly his actions hurt me, and they caused consequences for me, but they don't in any way take away my own self-esteem. They reflect poorly on him."
Source: Tim Smith. "What people didn't know was that I had asked Mark to leave." GreenvilleOnline.com. 12/09/2009.
Lee Ferran: "Marriage and family therapist Bethany Marshall said the first thing the Sanfords would need to work on is the governor's "appalling and remarkable lack of empathy" for his wife."
Source: Lee Ferran, Huma Khan. "S.C. Gov. Sanford Had 'Appalling ... Lack of Empathy,' an Expert Says." ABCNews.go.com. 7/1/2009.
Gov. Tim Pawlenty: "It's a sad and troubling situation with Jenny and Mark Sanford. I know them. I'm proud of Jenny for her strength and her commitment to her family and keeping that family together. Frankly, I was glad to see her not standing at the press conference like many have, and kind of charting her own path. Saying, look, I'm willing to forgive him, but I'm not going to stand here and condone this in any way."
Source: Sam Stein. "Pawlenty Whacks Sanford: 'Troubling And Hypocritical.'" HuffingtonPost.com. 6/28/2009.
Mark: "Jenny is my best friend; I trust her with anything I have, including my fortunes in running for governor."
Source: Henry Eichel. "Ex-Congressman Sanford Likes to Stir Up Politics ..." The Charlotte Observer. 10/27/2002. pg. 1Y.
