Well, look at that. Somehow perfectly coinciding with former Vice President Joe Biden officially entering the presidential race, a very salacious family drama has resolved itself, sort of.
I’m talking about Hunter Biden’s relationship with his deceased brother’s widow, Hallie. It’s reportedly come to an end. And if you are trying to wrap your head around the fact that a) there was a relationship to begin with and b) that you somehow did not know this, welcome to the club.
Apparently the two started dating in 2017, two years after Beau died of brain cancer. Hunter also happened to be married at the time, though his divorce with Kathleen Biden after 22 years of marriage was finalized in April 2017.
And to make matters worse—Biden and his wife, Jill, gave a very public thumbs up to the relationship.
“We are all lucky that Hunter and Hallie found each other as they were putting their lives together again after such sadness,” the VP told Page Six in 2017. “They have mine and Jill’s full and complete support and we are happy for them.”
Hunter himself also chimed in publicly in January with a long statement to Vanity Fair.
“The important aspect of my complicated divorce (like all divorces) and an equally complicated life, marked by the tragic loss of my mother, sister and brother is this: My father has been a constant source of love and strength in my life,” he said. “Even though my life has been played out in the media, because I am a Biden, my father never once suggested that the family’s public profile should be my priority. The priority has always been clear for my dad, as it is, now, for me: Never run from a struggle. Love people and find a way to love yourself. And remember that the two things are very much connected . [….] So, you ask me, whether my father might not run for President because of reports about me in the news. What you fail to realize, in asking such a question, is that my father has always been proud of me—whether when I was volunteering for the Jesuits, or working as a lawyer. And he remains proud of me today. He loves me. And he loves the American people far too much to let any form of adversity stand in the way of service.”
Beyond Biden's family drama that will undoubtedly be scrutinized as the race heats up, there’s more to Hunter’s past than a sketchy affair (and no, I’m not talking about his ex-wife’s claim in their divorce papers that he blew their money on prostitutes, drugs, and strip clubs). I'm talking about this:
For 5 years, HUNTER BIDEN was on the board of a gas company owned by a Ukrainian oligarch accused of enriching himself using his position in the Russia-aligned YANUKOVYCH gov't.
— Kenneth P. Vogel (@kenvogel) May 2, 2019
BIDEN stepped down last month, as his dad was preparing to run for president. https://t.co/tblUPYPJMG
No doubt Biden and his team have calculated the risks associated with his family's drama. We'll see how much they affect his candidacy in a very crowded (and growing by the day) field of Democrats vying for the party's nomination. If the past is any indication, however, since he's running with a D next to his name, it probably won't affect him at all.