Evan Vucci/AP
- Hunter Biden had a daughter named Navy with Lunden Roberts, a former stripper, in 2018.
- For years, President Joe Biden never acknowledged Navy, who is his seventh grandchild.
- "Jill and I only want what is best for all of our grandchildren, including Navy," Biden told People.
President Joe Biden broke his silence on his 4-year-old granddaughter, Navy Joan Roberts, for the first time on Friday after facing backlash for failing to acknowledge his seventh grandchild.
The president told People magazine in a statement, "Jill and I only want what is best for all of our grandchildren, including Navy."
Biden's son Hunter, who is currently in the midst of a legal snag after his plea deal in a case related to alleged tax crimes and a gun possession charge fell apart on Wednesday, fathered Navy in August 2018 with Lunden Roberts.
Hunter and Roberts met at a strip club in Washington, DC, The New York Times reported. By mid-2018, Roberts began working as a personal assistant to Hunter, a person close to her told the newspaper.
Roberts filed a lawsuit in May 2019 and requested a DNA test to establish Hunter's paternity shortly after he removed Roberts and the child from his health insurance, according to The Times.
After a lengthy and contentious courtroom battle, Hunter and Roberts settled the suit, with Hunter agreeing to provide an undisclosed amount in child support, an undisclosed number of his paintings, and a college fund.
"Our son Hunter and Navy's mother, Lunden, are working together to foster a relationship that is in the best interests of their daughter, preserving her privacy as much as possible going forward," President Biden said in the statement to People.
The president added, "This is not a political issue it's a family matter."
Until now, Biden had not publicly acknowledged Navy, who is his seventh grandchild.
During the White House's "Take Your Child to Work Day" in April, the president said, "I have six grandchildren. And I'm crazy about them. And I speak to them every single day."
Sources also told The Times that aides were told in recent years during strategy meetings that the Bidens have six grandchildren.
The president's refusal to acknowledge Navy recently attracted more backlash, with critics calling the dismissal "cruel" and that it went against the image of a family-first father and grandfather that Biden tries to portray.
It's unclear if the Bidens will make a visit to Navy and Roberts who both now reside in Arkansas.
The White House did not respond to a request for comment.
from Business Insider https://ift.tt/DqngPBo
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