KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The woman who had an affair with Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens before he was elected has asked for privacy.
On the night of Greitens' State of the State address, KMOV-TV reported the extramarital affair and the alleged blackmail incident that followed. Since then, the woman he was involved with has been contacted several times, despite her repeated requests to be left alone.
The law firm representing the woman released the following statement:
The woman’s ex-husband released a statement in response to hers reading in full:
"Albert S. Watkins and the law firm of Kodner Watkins, LC represents the former husband of the woman with whom Governor Greitens has admitted having a protracted affair in 2015. A release was issued earlier today by the St. Charles law firm who represents our client’s former wife.
While acknowledging the irony of the statement issued on behalf of our client’s former wife, our client has no intention of getting into a war of words with the mother of his children about betrayal, especially in light of the underlying circumstances involved.
Our client remains committed to doing that which is necessary to protect the interests of his family in general and his minor children in particular. Our client simply seeks to finally get this epic real life drug store novel in his rear view mirror.
Our client has tried valiantly at great personal, emotional and fiscal expense to keep the actions of others from compromising the integrity of the image of his former spouse in the eyes of their children. It became clear that this was not a story that was going to go away. It became clear that our client was without the ability to protect his minor children. It was clear that damage was imminent.
In this era of national heightened awareness and introspection on the treatment of victimized persons in our society, my client seeks to heighten the awareness of the reality that for every woman who has been exploited, victimized, and used by a man in a position of power and authority, there are scores of others, including spouses, significant others, friends, and minor children who become nothing short of forgotten collateral damage, carnage at the side of the interstate.
Our client respectfully suggests the national introspection referred to in his former spouse’s statement be broadened to encompass awareness of the innocents who suffer as mightily as the direct victim.
On a more specific level, our client has no interest in Governor Greitens, his political aspirations, or his future. Our client seeks nothing more than the exposure of the truth so as to permit this tragedy to allow all who have been used and victimized to commence the healing process."
Greitens and his wife said in a joint statement, "This was a deeply personal mistake. Eric took responsibility, and we dealt with this together honestly and privately."
KMOV-TV also reported the woman’s ex-husband alleged Greitens photographed the woman naked and threatened to publicize the photo if she talked about the affair. Greitens's attorney said in a statement, "There was no 'blackmail,' and that claim is false."
