Herschel Walker.Photo: NBC News
A woman is allegingHerschel Walkertried to get her to have an abortion in 2011 before she gave birth to their son.
Speaking toThe New York Timesin an article published Friday, the woman — who was not identified to protect her son — said the Republican Georgia Senate candidate first paid for her to have an abortion in 2009, which she went through with. Then, in 2011 she became pregnant again; Walker allegedly wanted her to terminate that pregnancy, too.
Instead, she said she decided to have that child, leading to their breakup.
She alleges that Walker, who has been vocal about his stance against abortion, has no connection to their 10-year-old son beyond the child support a court makes him pay. She said he also sends gifts from time to time, later adding that it is Walker’s current wife, Julie Blanchard, who typically calls before sending presents. As for Walker, she said he has “maybe only seen” the child they allegedly share three times.
“As a father, he’s done nothing. He does exactly what the courts say, and that’s it,” she told theTimes. “He has to be held responsible, just like the rest of us. And if you’re going to run for office, you need to own your life.”
She also claimed that it’s been years since she’s spoken to Walker herself.
Though Walker has publicly denied claims that he’s paid for an abortion, the woman gaveThe Timesa $575 receipt she received from a women’s clinic in Atlanta after she paid for the abortion. She also shared a copy of a $700 check that she alleged the former NFL athlete paid her back with.
She also provided a sympathy card with a handwritten note that reads, “Pray you are feeling better,” and that was signed, “H.”
A friend of the woman’s also told the publication that she supported the accuser during her first abortion. The friend also recalled the woman refusing to get another one despite Walker’s alleged persistence for her to terminate the pregnancy.
The unidentified woman, who stated that Walker never physically abused her, said she began asking for child support in spring 2013. Her lawyer said back then that she was “struggling to make ends meet” as a graduate student at Columbia University.
A judge ordered the aspiring politician to pay $2,500 a month before increasing it to $3,500 a month, with the last order being ruled on in July 2014, per theTimes. The accuser said Walker had made his payments on time.
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She is speaking out as Walker has saidhe is staunchly pro-life, and expressed a belief that abortion should be outlawed in all cases. He has also condemned absentee fathers.
“The fact that I had a choice — now he’s in the public trying to say he wants to put a ban on abortion completely,” she said. “It appalled me.”
She said she was surprised to hear he was running for Senate.
When it came to accusations against Walker that he himself is an absentee father, the woman said Blanchard reached out and asked if she would provide child support payments he’s made to dispute the claims, to which the woman refused.
On Monday, Walker said the claims thathe paid for a former girlfriend’s abortionin 2009 are a “lie,” and that he simply sends money “to a lot of people.”
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He told Fox News host Sean Hannity he had “no idea” who the woman making the accusation was.
“I haven’t seen it,“Walker said of the “get well” cardhe allegedly sent the woman. “I send out so many get well — I send out so much of anything. But I can tell you right now, I never asked anyone to get an abortion. I never paid for an abortion, and it’s a lie. And I’m going to continue to fight.”
Walker did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
source: people.com
