Herschel Walker Acknowledges Accuser Who is Raising His Child, Denies Knowledge of Abortion She Says He Wanted
Photo by Megan Varner/Getty Images.
Herschel Walker’s abortion scandal took another wild turn Friday evening when the GOP Senate candidate acknowledged he does in fact know the woman whose claims have upended his campaign.
On Monday, a woman whose identity has been protected by now three news agencies told the Daily Beast he paid for an abortion for her in 2009. The woman said she went through with the procedure at his request, and he sent her $700 and a get-well card.
Wednesday, she told the outlet she is raising a child Walker fathered, and she said Friday he wanted that child aborted as well. Little is known about either the woman or the child, other than she gave birth in 2012.
NBC News spoke with Walker Friday, and he acknowledged the woman is an ex-girlfriend. The network also spoke with the woman, and she provided text messages showing Walker’s wife Julie Walker has been texting with her since May about his campaign.
Those messages slowly devolved after they were initially cordial. A message obtained by NBC News showed the woman texted Walker’s wife and asked her if she knew of the abortion, or an abortion Walker proposed for a child the woman gave birth to against his wishes.
The child is 10 and is acknowledged by Walker.
Julie Walker ignored the question about the abortions, when she responded, “[Name redacted] this makes me incredibly sad. You know I have continually tried to bridge a better relationship between Herschel and you putting [redacted child’s name] first.”
Julie Walker added she has seen her husband “pray” for the woman and the child she shares with the candidate. She also said she had seen Walker text the woman and the child.
Walker admitted to NBC News he knows the woman. He claimed he initially said he did not know who she was because he was unaware she had ever had an abortion, and he denied asking for or paying for one.
He said:
The first I knew about any of this was when some reporter asked me about an abortion. And I’m like, “No, that’s a lie.” And then I was asked if I paid for an abortion, and I said No. I did not pay for an abortion… I’m not saying she did or didn’t have one [an abortion]. I’m saying I don’t know anything about that. I don’t know.
[…]
I don’t remember any card or check or anything. But I was dating her. I could have sent some money. I could have sent a card. But not for the reasons she is saying.
The woman told the Daily Beast Friday that Walker only has himself to blame for his campaign woes
“He brought all of this on himself when he decided to get on a platform and denounce abortion and make a mockery of his children who have done NOTHING to deserve this,” she said. “Shame on him.”
A message the woman sent to Julie Walker in May reads, “He’ll do great & you will keep him focused! Proud of you guys!”
After Walker won the Georgia GOP primary as an anti-abortion conservative, the woman texted his wife “Congratulations!!!” NBC reported.
The pair also discussed how to handle media inquiries, specifically after it was reported Walker had children who were previously unknown to the public.
