John Edwards Saga to Become Movie
Ex-aide Andrew Young reaches movie deal for tell-all memoir "The Politician."
July 16, 2010— -- John Edwards' story had the makings of a movie from the start: a presidential candidate involved in an affair, a sex scandal, and an elaborate cover-up. Now, it could be coming to a theater near you. Andrew Young's tell-all book, "The Politician," will be made into a movie, Edwards' ex-aide confirms.
Young said that Aaron Sorkin, the writer and producer known for the TV series "The West Wing," has acquired the screen rights to the memoir. Sorkin will make his directorial debut with the adaptation, Young said.
"This is a first-hand account of an extraordinary story filled with motivations, decisions and consequences that would have lit Shakespeare up," Sorkin said in a statement. "There's much more to Andrew's book than what has been reported, and I'm grateful that he's trusting me with it."
In the book, Young chronicles his time with Edwards, including his efforts to hide the secret that would eventually shock the American public.
Edwards concocted an elaborate scheme to keep his affair, sex scandal and pregnant mistress Rielle Hunter a secret, according to Young who helped smuggle the woman in and out of a series of luxurious hideaways. Young said that Edwards called on wealthy benefactors and their sizable contributions to fund Rielle Hunter's lavish life on the lam.
The once-loyal aide falsely claimed he was the father of Hunter's and Edwards' love child to protect the candidate, who was just two weeks away from the Iowa Caucuses.
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The Fallout of the Edwards Scandal
Edwards admitted that he cheated on his wife with Rielle Hunter in an August 2008 interview with ABC's Bob Woodruff, but denied paternity. In January 2010, Edwards finally confessed that he actually fathered Hunter's daughter, Frances Quinn.
Click here for a timeline of the scandal according to Andrew Young.
Since then, Edwards has disappeared from the limelight, taking refuge from the media firestorm in January to help with the Haiti earthquake relief effort.
A federal grand jury in Raleigh, N.C. is investigating whether any crimes were committed in an effort to conceal Edwards' affair with Hunter, namely payments totaling more than $1 million from Edwards' presidential campaign to Hunter after she stopped working as the campaign's videographer. Young has testified before that grand jury.
In the fallout from the scandal, John and Elizabeth Edwards announced they have legally separated. They couple has three children, Cate, 27; Emma, 11; and Jack, 9.
Click here for complete coverage of the John Edwards scandal.