In the wake of the John Edwards trial, Edwards' infamous mistress, Rielle Hunter, has been named on the witness list.
A two-time presidential candidate, Edwards is accused of using illegal campaign contributions during the 2008 presidential race to cover up a pregnant Hunter.
Rielle Hunter, born Lisa Jo Druck, was a videographer for the Edwards campaign before having an affair with Edwards and eventually giving birth to his child in July of 2008.
A month later, Edwards admitted to having the affair with Hunter, but denied that he was the father of the child and stated that he was willing to take a paternity test.
It was later reported that Hunter refused to allow a DNA test to establish paternity; however, Hunter's sister had publicly asked Edwards to take a paternity test to verify whether the child was his.
On January 21, 2010, Edwards admitted publicly that he is the father of Hunter's daughter Quinn.
While the controversy has brought Rielle Hunter in to the spotlight, for better or worse, Edwards' mistress is known for more than just conceiving a love child with the Democratic presidential candidate.
Here are 10 things to know about Rielle Hunter.
Family and Early Life
Rielle Hunter, also known as Lisa Jo Druck, Lisa Hunter, Lisa Jo Hunter, and Rielle Jaya James Druck, was born on March 20, 1964, in Fort Lauderdale, FL. Her parents, James Druck and Gwen Druck, owned Eagle Nest Farm in Ocala, FL. It was there that they raised show horses.
Horse Murders
In a report done by ABC News, Druck was described as a prize-winning equestrian when her father was implicated a horse murders scandal. James Druck was accused of being involved in a plot to electrocute horses for insurance money. convicted criminal and FBI informant Tommy "The Sandman" Burns stated that James Druck was involved in the 1982 insurance fraud death of Lisa's show jumper Henry the Hawk. Lisa was 17 at the time.
Literary Inspiration
Rielle Hunter is the inspiration for Alison Poole, a character in "Story of My life," a novel by Jay McInerney. McInerney is known to have dated Hunter in the 80s, when she was known as Lisa Druck. The author said that he chose to write about her and her friends because he was both "intrigued and appalled" by their behavior.
"When she wasn't out at nightclubs, she was taking acting classes," McInerney told the New York Post. "We dated for only a few months, but in that period, I spent a lot of time with her and her friends, whose behavior intrigued and appalled me to such an extent that I ended up basing a novel on the experience."
Marriage and Name Change
On August 3, 1991, Lisa Druck married attorney Alexander M. "Kip" Hunter III. The two moved from New York to Beverly Hills, CA. It was there that she changed her named to Rielle Hunter, in 1994. Hunter filed for divorce from "Kip" in October 1999.
Acting Career
During the 1980s and 1990s, as Lisa Hunter and Lisa Jo Hunter, she appeared in several films, including "Richochet," in which she portrayed a reporter. In 2000, as Rielle Hunter, she wrote, acted in, and produced a comedy short called "Billy Bob and Them," which starred Woldgang Bodison. The film was produced through Hunters production company -- R Hunter Films.
Producing Career
In July 2006, Hunter formed the production company Midline Groove Productions LLC with her partner Mimi Godfrey Hockman. The company produced campaign promotional videos for John Edwards. According to the Associated Press, Edwards' One America Committee paid Midline Groove Productions $100,000 on July 6, 2006, five days after Hunter incorporated the firm in Delaware. The committee later made two ensuing payments totaling $14,461, the final one on April 1, 2007.
Meeting John Edwards
In 2006, Hunter pitched the idea of a series of of short informal campaign videos to Democrat John Edwards when she met him at a bar in New York. Following the meeting, Edwards hired Hunter to produce a series of promotional videos portraying behind-the-scenes life on the campaign trail.
Affair with John Edwards
In October 2007, The National Enquirer cited claims by an anonymous source that Edwards had engaged in an extramarital affair with Hunter during Edwards' 2008 presidential campaign and that Hunter was pregnant. In December of that same year, Hunter announced she was pregnant with the child of Andrew Young, a married man who is a former staffer for John Edwards' presidential campaign.
Birth of Child
On February 27, 2008, Hunter gave birth to a daughter but did not list the child's father's name on the birth certificate. he gave her own name as "Rielle Jaya James Druck" on her daughter's birth certificate, but gave the child the surname "Hunter"
John Edwards Revealed as Father
In February of 2008, The National Enquirer reported that that Edwards was the father of Hunter's child. A month later, Edwards admitted to having the affair with Hunter, but denied that he was the father of the child and stated that he was willing to take a paternity test. On January 21, 2010, Edwards admitted publicly that he is the father of Hunter's daughter Quinn.
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