John Edwards and Elizabeth Edwards Separated

By: Stephanie Condon
Topics: In The News

(CBS/ AP)

Updated 6:45 p.m. ET

Former senator and Democratic vice presidential candidate John Edwards has legally separated from his wife Elizabeth Edwards, CBS News has confirmed with someone familiar with the situation.

"It is an extraordinarily sad moment, but I love my children more than anything and still care deeply about Elizabeth," John Edwards said in a statement given to the Associated Press.

ABC News broke the news the separation in a report on the new book "The Politician" from former Edwards aide Andrew Young. John Edwards is reportedly no longer living at the Edwards home in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

Elizabeth Edwards is disputing a number of charges from Young's book, such as the claim that the Edwards considered Elizabeth's bout with cancer a political advantage.

"Once Elizabeth was diagnosed with cancer... within 12 hours they were openly talking about how her cancer prognosis was going to help them in the polls," Young told ABC News.

Elizabeth Edwards' publicist said in a statement given to ABC News that "the allegation that she sought to politicize her cancer is unconscionable, hurtful and patently false."

Young reportedly provided ABC news with a number of voicemails from Elizabeth Edwards in which she harrasses him about the woman with whom her husband was having an affair, Rielle Hunter.

"Elizabeth is moving on with her life and wants to put this difficult chapter behind her," Edwards' publicist said. "It was an excrutiatingly painful period for her and she no interest in rehashing the past. Based on the limited portions of the book that have been made available, it is clear it contains many falsehoods and exaggerations."

Read more about Young's book here.