# Was John Edwards with Elizabeth when she died? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 9, 2010, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-john-edwards-with-elizabeth-when-she-died/563528 "2010-12-09T14:29:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2010, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-john-edwards-with-elizabeth-when-she-died/563528/1 "2010-12-09T14:29:31Z")
Haven’t seen it anywhere in the coverage of her unfortunate demise. And will he attend the funeral? ---
**Author:** ![postcards](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8e8cbc/32.png) [@postcards](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/postcards)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2010, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-john-edwards-with-elizabeth-when-she-died/563528/2 "2010-12-09T14:44:31Z")
According to the NY Times, yes he was there. No word on his attendance at the funeral. ---
**Author:** ![Sailboat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sailboat/32/461_2.png) [@Sailboat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sailboat)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2010, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-john-edwards-with-elizabeth-when-she-died/563528/3 "2010-12-09T14:50:08Z")
It looks like the answer is yes: > [@](#): > > John Edwards, the man she had advised as a strategist and supported as a spouse through a Senate campaign and two runs for the presidency, joined the family by her side. The couple had separated about a year ago, their marriage and their shared dreams of power shattered by his affair with a campaign videographer and his eventual admission that he had fathered his lover’s child. > > David “Mudcat” Saunders, a political adviser and friend of the family, said Elizabeth Edwards’ health rapidly deteriorated over the last few weeks. During that period, her estranged husband and their adult daughter, Cate, came to be with her, Saunders said. [Washington Post, Dec 7th](http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/12/07/AR2010120700454.html) ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2010, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-john-edwards-with-elizabeth-when-she-died/563528/4 "2010-12-09T16:21:17Z")
Thanks. Couldn’t find that anywhere. He’s still a douchebag. ---
**Author:** ![Sailboat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sailboat/32/461_2.png) [@Sailboat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sailboat)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2010, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-john-edwards-with-elizabeth-when-she-died/563528/5 "2010-12-09T17:00:55Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > He’s still a douchebag. I hereby stipulate that the above statement of facts is true and accurate, and that had the matter proceeded to trial, the United States could prove these facts beyond a reasonable doubt. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2010, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-john-edwards-with-elizabeth-when-she-died/563528/6 "2010-12-09T17:23:50Z")
Duly noted. ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2010, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-john-edwards-with-elizabeth-when-she-died/563528/7 "2010-12-09T19:30:24Z")
You Honour that was a statement of opinion unsupported by the record. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2010, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-john-edwards-with-elizabeth-when-she-died/563528/8 "2010-12-09T19:35:29Z")
Overruled. Now shut up or I’ll have you in irons. ---
**Author:** ![Al\_Bundy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e79b87/32.png) [@Al\_Bundy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Al_Bundy)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2010, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-john-edwards-with-elizabeth-when-she-died/563528/9 "2010-12-09T22:58:57Z")
The report I heard said he was at her side. Remember, she was aware of his dalliances right along and stayed on board to keep the political ship upright. They went through many events together including the death of a child. It’s not pretty or what the next person might do, but the relationship worked for them. In the end, they both appear to have reconciled differences and accepted their fates, her’s being a dignified death, his being the stamp of an ignominious character. ---
**Author:** ![MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MPB_in_Salt_Lake)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2010, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-john-edwards-with-elizabeth-when-she-died/563528/10 "2010-12-10T00:01:16Z")
Anyone else thinking that good ol’ John Edwards and his ladylove true Rielle Hunter are dancing a little jig about now, as with Elizabeth Edwards dead, John will now get to keep the $100,000,000 that he would have had to shell out if his divorce would have been completed? ---
**Author:** ![raindog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@raindog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/raindog)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2010, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-john-edwards-with-elizabeth-when-she-died/563528/11 "2010-12-10T00:08:54Z")
100,000,000? ISTR, he was worth $40M… Maybe she would have received $10M of that…? ---
**Author:** ![John\_Bredin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/96bed5/32.png) [@John\_Bredin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Bredin)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2010, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-john-edwards-with-elizabeth-when-she-died/563528/12 "2010-12-10T00:13:12Z")
> [@](#): > > Anyone else thinking that good ol’ John Edwards and his ladylove true Rielle Hunter are dancing a little jig about now, as with Elizabeth Edwards dead, John will now get to keep the $100,000,000 that he would have had to shell out if his divorce would have been completed? She might be, but I sincerely doubt he is. It is possible for a person to be a douchebag without being a complete douchebag. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MPB_in_Salt_Lake)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2010, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-john-edwards-with-elizabeth-when-she-died/563528/13 "2010-12-10T00:44:01Z")
> [@raindog](#): > > 100,000,000? > > ISTR, he was worth $40M… > > Maybe she would have received $10M of that…? That was a wild guess, based on somthing that I thought I read years ago. With all his $800 haircuts, I suppose he isn’t worth as much as he used to be… (on the bright side, now hopefully we don’t have to listen to that fucking story about John and Elizabeth having their annual anniversary dinner at Wendy’s anymore) ---
**Author:** ![raindog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@raindog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/raindog)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2010, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-john-edwards-with-elizabeth-when-she-died/563528/14 "2010-12-10T03:44:44Z")
> [@MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](#): > > That was a wild guess, based on somthing that I thought I read years ago. > > With all his $800 haircuts, I suppose he isn’t worth as much as he used to be… > > (on the bright side, now hopefully we don’t have to listen to that fucking story about John and Elizabeth having their annual anniversary dinner at Wendy’s anymore) Agreed. When you Google “John Edwards”, Google’s query anticipation suggestions include “John Edwards Scumbag” ---
**Author:** ![Sailboat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sailboat/32/461_2.png) [@Sailboat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sailboat)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2010, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-john-edwards-with-elizabeth-when-she-died/563528/15 "2010-12-10T04:33:16Z")
> [@MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](#): > > That was a wild guess, based on somthing that I thought I read years ago. > > With all his $800 haircuts, I suppose he isn’t worth as much as he used to be… We have a little bit of inflation going on here. [The famous $400 dollar haircuts](http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18157456/ns/politics-decision_08/) have become $800 haircuts. ---
**Author:** ![MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MPB_in_Salt_Lake)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2010, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-john-edwards-with-elizabeth-when-she-died/563528/16 "2010-12-10T04:46:03Z")
> [@Sailboat](#): > > We have a little bit of inflation going on here. [The famous $400 dollar haircuts](http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18157456/ns/politics-decision_08/) have become $800 haircuts. It was a joke… (what wasn’t a joke was me fully believing that John Edwards is more than just a wee bit happy that Elizabeth Edwards died before their divorce was finalized, saving him tens of milliions of dollars in alimony. If he isn’t popping champagne right now, it’s only because the liquor stores are all closed.) ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2010, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-john-edwards-with-elizabeth-when-she-died/563528/17 "2010-12-10T15:24:47Z")
He is the father of three children who have lost their mother. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2010, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-john-edwards-with-elizabeth-when-she-died/563528/18 "2010-12-10T15:33:45Z")
You know, I wasn’t ever really for him in the primaries, and I admit I breathed a sigh of relief after the affair came to light that the Democrats had dodged that bullet, but it’s entirely possible to have had an affair and still be devastated when the woman you were married to for decades dies of a horrible and painful disease. All of this “I bet he’s dancing a jig” bullshit is mean-spirited and really classless. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2010, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-john-edwards-with-elizabeth-when-she-died/563528/19 "2010-12-10T15:43:45Z")
Indeed. ---
**Author:** ![lindsaybluth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/90db22/32.png) [@lindsaybluth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lindsaybluth)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2010, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-john-edwards-with-elizabeth-when-she-died/563528/20 "2010-12-10T17:18:28Z")
**MPB in Salt Lake** is well known in his neighborhood as a class act. Tasteful and still less filling than a being or mere average morals. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-john-edwards-with-elizabeth-when-she-died/563528.md?page=2)