South Carolina’s first lady, Jenny Sanford, announced today that she will file for divorce from Gov. Mark Sanford.
“This came after many unsuccessful efforts at reconciliation,” Jenny Sanford said in a statement.
She also pleaded for some measure of privacy.
“The dissolution of any marriage is a sad and painful process. It is also a very personal and private one. Because Mark and I are public figures, we have naturally had less privacy with which to deal with our difficulties than do other couples. Indeed, I know it will soon become known so I choose to release this brief notice that I am now filing for divorce,” she said. “I am still dedicated to keeping the process that lies ahead peaceful for our family.”
Jenny Sanford and her sons had moved out of the governor’s mansion, even as the couple said they were working on their marriage.
Earlier this year, Mark Sanford admitted to an affair with an Argentine woman after disappearing from the state for several days.
Yesterday, Mark Sanford said he wanted to reconcile with his wife. In a recent interview with Barbara Walters, Jenny Sanford revealed that she asked her husband to have no contact with her or the boys for 30 days when she found out about the affair. Although she told him not too, he said, he flew to Argentina to be with his mistress.
On Wednesday, a committee voted not to impeach the governor.
Late update: Mark Sanford released a statement, saying he takes “full responsibility” for his “moral failure.”
