John Edwards' ex Rielle Hunter sued over horse's vet bills
The woman who infamously engaged in an affair with former U.S. Senator John Edwards in the mid-2000s has been sued in her hometown of Wellington, Florida, for failing to pay some of her bills.
Rielle Hunter, 53, whose affair with the then-married North Carolina politician produced a daughter who just turned nine, is accused of ignoring a mounting veterinarian tab for the care of her daughter's famous pony, Howie.
Howie was a character in the children's book that Hunter and her daughter with Edwards, Frances Quinn Hunter, wrote last year.
And now, an equine care clinic that also caters to show-jumping and polo horses owned by the celebrity families of A-listers like Bill Gates and Bruce Springsteen wants Hunter to pony up $2,590.99.
Hunter is receiving a reported $15,000 in child support from Edwards, who went back to his private law practice in Raleigh, North Carolina.
Rielle Hunter, 53, pictured with her and John Edwards' daughter Quinn, is being sued by Palm Beach Equine Clinic
Hunter became a household name in 2008 when her secret affair with then-Democratic presidential front-runner Edwards blew up into a full-fledged scandal and ended his run
Documents show Hunter has been ignoring a stack of bills for her daughter's horse, Howie
But her tardiness paying her bills to the Palm Beach Equine Clinic started about the time the former actress and Edwards officially broke up, and within months of Hunter and daughter Frances moving into a $518,000-house that Edwards bought for her in the fancy gated community of Palm Beach Polo & Country Club.
There, mother and daughter took up equestrian sports a top their companion Howie.
They also showcased Howie in both illustrations and photos in a book they co-authored last year, Howie Do It: Finding Happiness Now.
According to the bills obtained by DailyMail.com, Howie might have caused the small family to run up a debt.
Howie was a character in the children's book that Hunter and her daughter with Edwards, Frances Quinn Hunter, wrote last year
He was diagnosed with lameness, or an improper stand, last summer. The bills show a veterinarian visited Hunter's horse in a barn near her house four to five times a month between August and November 2016, when the clinic cut her off.
By then, records show she had racked up more than $3,600 in bills.
She eventually paid it down by $1,000, but then stopped paying.
When approached for comment Thursday, Hunter looked out her window then called security. She hasn't responded calls and texts asking for comment.
Palm Beach Equine Clinic lawyer Craig Galle said clients rarely stiff their vets.
'My client is not shy about pursuing collection matters in the rare instances where a client does not pay,' he said, not naming Hunter by name. 'It is beyond reasonable to expect to be paid for services rendered.'
Hunter became a household name in 2008 when her secret affair with then-Democratic Party presidential front-runner Edwards blew up into a full-fledged scandal.
A little-known actress and producer, Hunter was hired to document in video Edwards' campaign. The two also engaged in an affair where Hunter got pregnant with Frances.
One-term U.S. Senator Edwards, who's now 63, refused to admit publicly he fathered Frances for three years, and even asked a campaign staffer named Andrew Young to say the baby was his.
Meanwhile Edwards' wife, Elizabeth, became a symbol of the collateral damages of extra-marital affairs, especially when she revealed she was dying of cancer. Elizabeth, who had become the embodiment of female strength, passed away in 2010 at the age of 61.
In time, Edwards was indicted for using campaign funds to hide the affair but he was acquitted of one count and a mistrial was declared on the others.
Hunter and Edwards are no longer an item, Hunter told ABC News last year in her latest national television appearance. She said they remain 'good friends.'
Edwards' office in North Carolina was closed for Easter, and he couldn't be reached.