Donald Trump blasted Joe Biden’s son Hunter over his drug use and ‘baby mama’ scandal – what other controversies has the recovering addict faced?
Despite the drama, the incoming president has stood by his son’s side. But what were the controversies surrounding Robert Hunter Biden, and what was he like before his time in the spotlight? Here’s everything you need to know about the supposed black sheep of the Biden family.
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Early life
Hunter and his older brother Beau lost their biological mother Neilia and younger sister Naomi in a car accident in 1972. Hunter was only two years old at the time. The brothers also became the subject of media attention a few months later when Joe was sworn in as the sixth-youngest member of the US Senate at age 29.
A fraught first marriage
Hunter was married to his first wife Kathleen Buhle for over 20 years, and the couple share three children. Their split was a bitter one, with Buhle claiming that Hunter spent large amounts of their money on drugs and prostitutes.
His battle with drugs
It’s no secret that Hunter has had a history of drug use, which he has openly spoken about to the press. It ended his brief military career in 2014 when he tested positive for cocaine. He also had a brush with the law in 2016, when officers found a pipe and a baggie of white powder in a car he had rented, although he was never charged.
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Dating his sister-in-law
After Beau died of brain cancer in 2015, Hunter dated his widow, Hallie, for around two years. In an interview with The New Yorker, he explained that he connected with Hallie because they “were sharing a very specific grief”.
His court case with an ex-stripper
After splitting from Hallie in early 2018, Hunter was the subject of yet another media scandal after he entered into a paternity case battle with ex-stripper Lunden Alexis Roberts. He denied her claims that he was the father of her child, but a DNA test proved otherwise. Eventually the two reached an out-of-court settlement where Hunter agreed to pay monthly child support.
His marriage to a South African filmmaker
Hunter married South African filmmaker Melissa Cohen in Los Angeles in May 2019, allegedly days after meeting her. The couple had their first child this March.
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Joe supported his son through it all
Joe has offered his support to his son throughout the years, even when Hunter’s drug problem was used against him by the Trump campaign. “My son, like a lot of people at home, had a drug problem,” he said during the first 2020 presidential debate. “He’s overtaking it. He’s fixed it. He’s worked on it. And I’m proud of him. I’m proud of my son.”
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You might know about the alleged Ukraine scandal, but Trump has also criticised Hunter over his personal life – he’s a recovering drug addict, dated his brother’s widow, and had a paternity case battle with an ex-stripper