John Edwards proposes to mistress Rielle Hunter, buys $3.5M beach house

John Edwards is going to make his mistress his missus, according to a report in the National Enquirer.

The disgraced 2008 presidential contender has proposed to his baby-mama, Rielle Hunter, and is even setting her up in a swank $3.5 million beachfront mansion, The National Enquirer reported Wednesday.

But an Edwards spokeswoman, Joyce Fitzpatrick, told CNN in an e-mail that the report was "absolutely untrue."

The supermarket tabloid - which so far has been mostly on target on the Edwards affair - says the cheatin' pol popped the question last month, shortly before he issued a statement claiming paternity of the couple's two-year-old daughter, Frances Quinn.

Six days later, Edward's cancer-stricken wife, Elizabeth, confirmed she had separated from her dog of a husband - paving the way for the ex-senator to make Rielle, 45, his wife.

"John knew Rielle had been waiting for a proposal for two long years," the Enquirer said it was told by a source. "Since they've gotten involved, she's followed every order he gave her, going on a cross-country cover-up, hiding away during her pregnancy and after giving birth for the sake of his presidential aspirations."

"Rielle never uttered a peep about their affair publicly, and remained loyal to John," added the source. "John felt she deserved to know that he wanted to raise their child together, and wanted Rielle in his life as his partner."

"John has said that when his divorce is final, he'll buy her a diamond ring. But in the meantime, he's getting them a house."

Another source told the tab: "John has proposed to Rielle, and she said yes."

The news comes as Hunter and a former Edwards aide, Andrew Young, tussle in court over an alleged sex tape that Young says he found in a box of trash. Young says the tape shows Edwards and a woman he believes to be Hunter in the middle of a sex act.

Hunter has sued to get the tape back, and a judge set Wednesday as a deadline for Young to hand it over.

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/gossip/2010/02/10/2010-02-10_john_edwards_proposes_to_mistress_rielle_hunter_buys_45m_beach_house_report.html