The nation loves a racy political scandal. This certainly held true as the details about the Weiner-Twitter scandal were leaked to the press. Like many Americans, Anthony Weiner seems to have fallen victim to the temptation of sexting, as he reportedly sent a lewd photograph to a college student via Twitter. Not only did Weiner manage to harm his own political career, but also his relationship with his wife, Huma Abedin.
Huma Abedin\’s roll throughout this appears to be that of a supporting wife. Though this incident, and all of the publicity that followed, certainly was not the crowning moment of their relationship, Huma Abedin will stay with her husband. Weiner announced to the press, “We have no intention of splitting over this. We have been through a lot together. We will weather this. I love her. She loves me.†When the publicity began, Abedin was in the early stages of her first pregnancy, and devoted to not only her husband\’s political career, but her own. Though those around her have reported that Abedin seems distressed by the incident and the publicity, she has remained dedicated to her position as Hillary Clinton\’s aide and her husband.
But how can Abedin and Weiner hope to repair their marriage after this fallout? How can any of us respond to infidelity?
When initially responding to instances of infidelity, especially for couples who plan to remain together, it is important to give each other space. Abedin appears to have taken this to heart. Only weeks after the scandal hit, she left for the Middle East with Hillary Clinton. Abedin has also formed a small support group, including Clinton who is no stranger to these sex scandals or the press that follows.
It is also important that Abedin doesn\’t remain distant forever. Like all couples, Weiner and Abedin will need to talk about what happened, and why. Weiner has already taken responsibility for his actions; now the couple will need to create a plan to avoid these same encounters in the future.
Marriage counseling should be in the card for Abedin and Weiner. With the added stress of their first pregnancy and the publicity of the infidelity, an impartial third party could only help as they weather and work through these hard times. Some sources have indicated that Weiner has had a problem with sexting behavior previously, and a therapist could work with the couple to curb his impulse for this racy technological craze.
Most importantly, Abedin and Weiner will need to spend quality time together. After infidelity, couples benefit from spending time with each other. Quality time encourages the wronged party to forgive, while letting the other know that they are forgiven; this rebuilds trust, which is so significant to any newly married couple, and new, growing family.
Will Abedin and Weiner move past this incident in their relationship? The odds are in their favor. Though she may feel disheartened, Huma Abedin is taking every step to ensure that she is an accepting, forgiving wife.