National Enquirer Publishes Article Stating John Edwards Has Fathered A "Love Child"

The story alleges that the 43 year old divorcee Rielle Hunter is currently carrying Edwards' baby, and has since gone into hiding. She is a well known filmmaker that reportedly worked with Edwards on a series of webisodes for his One America Committee.

The ENQUIRER has learned exclusively that Rielle Hunter, a woman linked to Edwards in a cheating scandal earlier this year, is more than six months pregnant — and she's told a close confidante that Edwards is the father of her baby!

And in a bizarre twist, Young — a 41-year-old married man with young children — now claims HE is the father of Rielle's baby! But others are skeptical, wondering if Young's paternity claim is a cover-up to protect Edwards.

The Enquirer has included a number of photos, all showing an obviously pregnant Hunter. When questioned, she admits that she is pregnant, but states that the father is Edwards operative Andrew Young, a married man who confirms both his extramarital affair with Hunter and that the baby is his. Hunter, who most recently lived in New York, has relocated to a gated community in North Carolina, close to Hunter and his family. The Enquirer goes on to state that although Hunter is publicly denying that the child is actually that of Edwards, she is telling friends privately that the baby belongs to the Senator.

A source extremely close to the 43-year-old divorcée says Rielle has told a far different story privately: "Rielle told me she had a secret affair with Edwards. When she found out that she was pregnant, she said he was the father."

Rielle loves Edwards and will do anything to protect him, the source says.

In The ENQUIRER's Oct. 22 issue, we revealed that Edwards, 54, was involved in a mistress scandal and the shocking allegations — if proven true — could devastate the Democratic hopeful's campaign.

Edwards, when questioned in November regarding the first story published in the Enquirer in October which indicated he was having an ongoing affair with a secret mistress denied the story and said it was "made up". The Enquirer however never retracted the article, and this most recent publication indicates they have more evidence and information and consider the situation to be truthful. Following the October 22nd story published in the Enquirer, Edwards and the woman identified as Rielle Hunter denied allegations they'd had an affair. But one Enquirer source insisted that the tabloid would provide further evidence in the form of e-mails to a friend in which Hunter supposedly confided details about her love for the former senator.

But seven weeks after the first story, one Enquirer insider admits, "There's a lot of smoke" but "no smoking gun." Enquirer editor David Perel insists, "I never like to talk about what's not published, but we are still doing the story. The original story was 100% accurate."

Edwards himself has another explanation for the delay. "The story disappeared because it's made up," the Democratic candidate tells us.

Apparently the Enquirer has found enough information to continue with this story line, now revealing that the mistress is carrying Edward's "love child". So, what do you think? Is this just media fodder, or could it be possible that Edwards has been fooling around with this woman, and when she turned up pregnant, he used his clout and influence to force his personal operative to take the blame?