<mediadc-video-embed data-state="{"cms.site.owner":{"_ref":"00000161-3486-d333-a9e9-76c6fbf30000","_type":"00000161-3461-dd66-ab67-fd6b93390000"},"cms.content.publishDate":1655319289075,"cms.content.publishUser":{"_ref":"0000017d-00b6-db7d-abfd-7cb766d10000","_type":"00000161-3461-dd66-ab67-fd6b933a0007"},"cms.content.updateDate":1655319289075,"cms.content.updateUser":{"_ref":"0000017d-00b6-db7d-abfd-7cb766d10000","_type":"00000161-3461-dd66-ab67-fd6b933a0007"},"rawHtml":"
var _bp = _bp||[]; _bp.push({ "div": "Brid_55236888", "obj": {"id":"27789","width":"16","height":"9","video":"1032664"} }); ","_id":"00000181-68b7-db25-adf7-78bfda080000","_type":"2f5a8339-a89a-3738-9cd2-3ddf0c8da574"}”>Video EmbedRepublican Georgia Senate contender Herschel Walker confirmed rumors Wednesday that he had a son that he did not previously divulge to the public.
Walker, who recently snagged the Republican nod for Senate last month and has long implored black fathers to play a pronounced role in the upbringing of their children, made the disclosure after the Daily Beast reported he had a 10-year-old son.
HERSCHEL WALKER SUPER PAC HITS RAPHAEL WARNOCK OVER ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION
“Herschel had a child years ago when he wasn’t married. He’s supported the child and continues to do so. He’s proud of his children. To suggest that Herschel is ‘hiding’ the child because he hasn’t used him in his political campaign is offensive and absurd,” Scott Paradise, Walker’s campaign manager, told the Washington Examiner in a statement.
In 2014, a court ordered Walker to provide child support to the child, who took his last name, the Daily Beast reported. He began having a relationship with the boy’s mother in 2008 and that continued until September 2011, though it is unclear why it ended. The child was born nine months after their relationship ended, per the report. The child’s name was not reported because he is a minor.
The Daily Beast described Walker’s second child as a “secret son,” but Walker’s campaign rejected that, stressing Walker was proud of his child and was not “hiding” anything. The former football star sends birthday and Christmas presents to his second son, but has “not played an active parental role in raising” him, according to the report.
News of his second son comes as his Senate campaign has shifted gears from a primary fight to a general election battle against incumbent Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-GA).
“Raphael Warnock is currently engaged in both a nasty mudslinging campaign and a nasty custody dispute with his ex-wife. He’s dodged voters by sealing the case and even has tried to dodge authorities,” Paradise said.
Walker had married his college sweetheart Cindy DeAngelis Grossman, but they divorced in 2002. He had his first son, Christian, with her.
Walker has said he has collaborated with Grossman to raise Christian. Like his father, Christian has built up a strong social media following in conservative circles. So far, Christian Walker has declined to comment on the reporting about his step-brother.
Critics of the Senate contender point to his past comments stressing the importance of the black father — a common stance among conservatives. He has frequently railed against fathers who abandon their children.
“I want all African Americans to know, even though you may leave the mom, don’t leave the child,” Walker told WABE-TV last month, per the Associated Press. “Continue to be a dad. Continue to be a strong figure in that child’s life, because that happens, that happens. I said, ‘I’m going to continue to raise him, and be right there with him.’”
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
During his campaign for the hotly contested Georgia Senate seat, Walker has faced a number of controversies, including allegations that he threatened to kill his ex-wife, the Associated Press reported. His campaign has “emphatically” denied those claims.
Walker is a former University of Georgia star and NFL running back. Walker played for several NFL teams including the Dallas Cowboys, Minnesota Vikings, Philadelphia Eagles, and New York Giants. With a 50-50 Senate, the outcome of his Senate race could determine the balance of power in Washington, D.C.
