The Republican candidate for the Georgia Senate, Herschel Walker, has admitted that he has two other children that he has not publicly mentioned before. This is the second time this week that Walker has acknowledged having a child with whom he is not in touch.
The Daily Beast reported that the former National Football League player is actually the father of a 13-year-old son, born and raised by a woman in Texas. Walker also acknowledged that he has a daughter who was born when he was attending the University of Georgia from 1980 to 1982.
The Daily Beast released a report that Walker was the father of a 10-year-old child that he was not involved in raising. The report also found that the 13-year-old son has been seen on social media images with Walker at various times.
Walker, 60, has been very public about his 22-year-old son, Christian, who he raised with his ex-wife Cindy DeAngelis Grossman. Grossman has previously accused Walker in court filings of “physically abusive and extremely threatening behavior.”
Walker spoke out against what he once called a “major, major problem” of living in fatherless households in the black community and he has continued to speak out about it as a candidate.
Walker and his campaign have strongly denied that he is hiding his children. In a statement to The Daily Beast, Walker conceded to having “four children” and emphasized that they were not “undisclosed.” Rather, Walker said he was trying to protect his family from political attention.
“I’ve never denied my children, I confirmed this when I was appointed to the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness and Nutrition, I just chose not to use them as props to win a political campaign,” declared Walker in his statement. “I can take the heat, that’s politics, but leave my kids alone.”
The statement appears to be at odds with an earlier campaign claim that Walker had only one child out of wedlock.
“Herschel had a child years ago when he wasn’t married. He’s supported the child and continues to do so. He’s proud of his children. To suggest that Herschel is ‘hiding’ the child because he hasn’t used him in his political campaign is offensive and absurd,” Scott Paradise, the campaign manager of Walker, said in a statement on June 14th.
The revelations surrounding Walker’s children come as he prepares to face incumbent Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga.
Walker seems to have support from former President Donald Trump. The former NFL running back also gained notoriety when he called out Olympic athletes who protest the American flag and national anthem, asking why are they there in the first place.
Walker said during a Fox News interview: “People think I’m very harsh when I say this… This is the United States of America, and if people don’t like the rules here — and there’s no doubt we can make some things better — but if people don’t like the rules here, why are you here?”