Judge Grants Jenny Sanford a Divorce from Cheating Gov. Mark Sanford
The divorce between Jenny Sanford and Gov. Mark Sanford has been granted.
Feb. 26, 2010 — -- A family court judge granted a divorce today to Jenny Sanford, the wife of philandering South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford.
The court agreed with Jenny Sanford's request to seal the divorce settlement because there were many details included in the agreement that her young children were not aware of.
The divorce was approved after Jenny Sanford testified today in family court in Charleston that her husband referred to his mistress as his "soul mate" and requested time and time again to be permitted to see her.
Family Court Judge Jocelyn Cate approved Jenny Sanford's request to divorce her husband of nearly 20 years. The divorce will become official in mid-March.
Wearing a dark suit and a tan scarf, Jenny Sanford took the stand for approximately 10 minutes and requested that the divorce settlement, which she believes is "fair and equitable and in the best interest of their children," be kept sealed.
The judge asked Jenny Sanford if she was expecting to have any more children with the governor.
She replied "Oh gosh no."
Jenny Sanford and the couple's four children moved out of the governor's mansion in August.
She testified that she had permitted her husband to see his lover one last time with a "chaperone."
"It was very clear he was not allowed to see her again," Jenny Sanford told the court.
But it became clear that her husband had kept seeing his lover, dissolving any hopes of reconciliation for the couple.
Gov. Sanford, who was not present in court, was represented by two attorneys.
The governor's office released a statement ahead of the hearing, asking for privacy and taking responsibility for his actions.
"I want to take full responsibility for the moral failure that led us to this tragic point," said the statement. "Jenny is a great person, and has been a remarkable wife, mother and First Lady. She has been more than gracious these last six months and gone above and beyond in her patience and commitment to put the needs of others in front of her own."
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