DINA MATOS AND JIM McGREEVEY
SEEMED LIKE A MATCH MADE IN POLITICAL HEAVEN.
JIM McGREEVEY WAS NEW JERSEY'S KNIGHT IN SHINING ARMOR.
AND DINA McGREEVEY WAS THE PERFECT FIRST LADY.
I THOUGHT, YOU KNOW,
THIS WAS OUR OPPORTUNITY TO CHANGE THE WORLD.
THANK YOU!
BUT POLITICS MAKES FOR STRANGE BEDFELLOWS...
HE WAS SOMEONE WHO WAS LEADING A DOUBLE LIFE.
...WHEN SECRETS BECOME SCANDALS...
IT WAS WRONG.
IT WAS FOOLISH.
IT WAS INEXCUSABLE.
...AND ETHICS ARE CALLED INTO QUESTION.
IT'S ONE OF THOSE MOMENTS THAT YOU NEVER FORGET.
IN THE MEANTIME, I'M JUST SITTING THERE IN SHOCK.
MY RESIGNATION WILL BE EFFECTIVE ON NOVEMBER 15th OF THIS YEAR.
WHEN IT COMES TO LOVE AND MARRIAGE,
THINGS AREN'T ALWAYS AS THEY SEEM.
THEY SAY THAT POLITICS IS THE ART OF THE POSSIBLE,
AN ADAGE DINA MATOS TOOK TO HEART FROM A YOUNG AGE.
I THOUGHT, YOU KNOW, VERY EARLY ON
THAT IF YOU BECOME AN ACTIVIST,
IF YOU BECOME INVOLVED, THAT YOU CAN EFFECT CHANGE.
IN THE FALL OF 1995, 29-YEAR-OLD DINA
WAS TRYING TO FOLLOW THROUGH ON HER DREAMS,
WORKING IN P.R. FOR A LOCAL HOSPITAL
AND MAKING HERSELF KNOWN IN POLITICAL CIRCLES.
SO WHEN SHE MET JIM McGREEVEY,
THE HANDSOME AND NEWLY SINGLE MAYOR OF WOODBRIDGE, NEW JERSEY,
NO ONE WAS SURPRISED THAT A MUTUAL INTEREST SPARKED.
I THOUGHT HE WAS VERY CHARISMATIC,
CERTAINLY ENERGETIC,
AND HAD THIS WAY ABOUT HIM THAT ATTRACTED PEOPLE TO HIM.
THEY WERE AMBITIOUS, BOTH OF THEM.
SMART, BOTH OF THEM. THEY GOT ALONG VERY WELL.
I DEFINITELY THINK THAT IMMEDIATELY THERE WAS
SOME SORT OF CHEMISTRY BETWEEN US.
DINA QUICKLY FOUND HERSELF
ENTRANCED BY THE DASHING POLITICIAN.
HE WAS TALKING ABOUT THE HOSPITAL WHERE I WORKED.
HE OFFERED, YOU KNOW, ASSISTANCE IF I EVER NEEDED ANYTHING.
I FELT AS IF I HAD KNOWN HIM FOREVER.
BUT THERE WAS REASON TO PROCEED WITH CAUTION.
JIM'S PERSONAL LIFE WAS IN TURMOIL.
SHORTLY AFTER I MET JIM,
I HAD HEARD THAT HIS WIFE HAD LEFT HIM ABRUPTLY.
THEY HAVE A SMALL CHILD,
AND SHE JUST TOOK OFF
AND WENT BACK TO HER NATIVE BRITISH COLUMBIA.
I FELT REALLY BAD FOR HIM.
OVER THE NEXT YEAR, DINA CONTINUED TO SEE JIM
AT POLITICAL FUNCTIONS AROUND TOWN.
THEN, ONE DAY, AN AIDE FROM HIS OFFICE CALLED
TO SCHEDULE A ONE-ON-ONE DINNER.
THE FOUR OR FIVE HOURS WE SPENT TOGETHER SEEMED LIKE TWO HOURS.
WE WERE VERY COMFORTABLE WITH EACH OTHER.
AND I GUESS THAT WAS OUR FIRST DATE.
BEFORE LONG,
JIM AND DINA WERE DATING EXCLUSIVELY,
BUT THE ROMANCE WAS FAR FROM TYPICAL.
BY 1997, JIM HAD DECIDED TO RUN FOR GOVERNOR OF NEW JERSEY.
IT WAS LIKE I WAS ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL FROM DAY ONE.
SO OUR DATES CONSISTED OF PICNICS AND RALLIES
AND, YOU KNOW, DINNERS...
SOMETIMES TWO OR THREE DINNERS IN ONE NIGHT.
SHE SAID TO ME, "YOU KNOW, HE'S LIKE ABRAHAM LINCOLN.
HE'S EVERYTHING I'VE EVER IMAGINED."
AS ELECTION DAY APPROACHED,
IT ACTUALLY LOOKED LIKE JIM COULD PULL OFF AN UPSET,
BUT IN THE END, HE LOST BY LESS THAN 1% OF THE VOTE.
AFTER CAMPAIGNING TIRELESSLY BY JIM'S SIDE,
DINA WAS DEVASTATED.
BUT SHE DUSTED HERSELF OFF AND STOOD BY HER MAN,
WHO WAS ALREADY PLANNING HIS NEXT RUN
FOR THE GOVERNOR'S MANSION.
DINA AND JIM WERE A GOOD TEAM. THEY REALLY WERE.
YOU SAW THE PRESIDENT OR SOMEONE LIKE THAT TAKE OVER A ROOM.
THAT'S WHAT THEY DID.
THEY COMPLIMENTED EACH OTHER PRETTY WELL THAT WAY.
JIM SEEMED TO THINK SO, TOO,
AND IN JANUARY OF 2000,
HE SLIPPED AN ENGAGEMENT RING ON DINA'S FINGER.
EIGHT MONTHS LATER, THE COUPLE TIED THE KNOT
IN A WASHINGTON, D.C., WEDDING.
IT WAS AT THE HAY-ADAMS,
AND IT HAS A ROOFTOP TERRACE THAT OVERLOOKS THE WHITE HOUSE.
DINA WAS GLOWING.
TALK ABOUT A GLOWING BRIDE... SHE WAS GLOWING.
I DON'T THINK I'VE EVER SEEN DINA THAT HAPPY.
EVERYONE THAT WE WANTED THERE WAS THERE,
AND IT WAS JUST MY DREAM WEDDING.
JUST SIX MONTHS LATER, DINA LEARNED SHE WAS PREGNANT.
IT SEEMED THE YOUNG COUPLE
WAS ON THE FAST TRACK TO HAVING IT ALL.
BUT DINA COULD NEVER HAVE GUESSED
HOW DRASTICALLY THE TIDES WOULD TURN IN JUST FOUR SHORT YEARS.
ON AUGUST 9, 2004,
DINA WAS RUNNING ERRANDS AFTER WORK
WHEN SHE GOT A CALL FROM HER HUSBAND.
JIM ASKED WHAT TIME I WAS GONNA BE HOME.
THIS WAS UNCHARACTERISTIC FOR HIM,
BECAUSE IT WAS EARLY IN THE DAY AND HE WAS ALWAYS OUT LATE.
I FELT A KNOT IN MY STOMACH.
I'M LIKE, "SOMETHING'S NOT RIGHT HERE."
DINA IMMEDIATELY RACED HOME, AND WHEN SHE ARRIVED,
SHE WAS CERTAIN THINGS WERE HORRIBLY WRONG.
JIM AND I BOTH SAT ON THE COUCH IN THE LIVING ROOM,
AND HE SAID, "THIS IS VERY DIFFICULT FOR ME.
I WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW THAT I'M BEING BLACKMAILED."
THE NEWS WAS TERRIBLE,
BUT WHAT JIM McGREEVEY SAID NEXT WAS LIKE A KNIFE IN DINA'S BACK.
I HAD AN ANXIETY ATTACK.
AND I THOUGHT, "THIS IS THE END OF MY LIFE."
I TOOK ONE LOOK AT DINA, AND I SAID,
"MY GOD. THIS CANNOT BE GOOD."
I DID NOT RECOGNIZE HER.
IN THE FALL OF 2001,
THREE YEARS BEFORE THE CONVERSATION
THAT WOULD CHANGE HER LIFE,
DINA MATOS WAS ON TOP OF THE WORLD.
ALL SIGNS SUGGESTED THAT HER HUSBAND, JIM McGREEVEY,
WOULD BE NEW JERSEY'S NEXT GOVERNOR.
HE WAS RUNNING FOR GOVERNOR, AND SHE WAS AT HIS SIDE,
AND YOU WOULD SEE HER ON THE NEWS ON TV...
NOT DINA MY SISTER,
BUT DINA THE PROPOSED FIRST LADY OF NEW JERSEY.
IT WAS THE HAPPIEST TIME OF MY LIFE.
BUT ON NOVEMBER 3rd,
THE DAY OF JIM'S LAST BIG RALLY BEFORE THE ELECTION,
DINA REALIZED SOMETHING WAS WRONG.
ONLY SEVEN MONTHS PREGNANT, SHE'D STARTED BLEEDING.
SO INSTEAD OF GOING TO THE RALLY,
SHE RUSHED TO THE HOSPITAL.
AS SOON AS I GOT THERE,
THEY STARTED HOOKING ME UP TO EVERYTHING,
PUT ME IN A HOSPITAL BED, PUT ME IN A GOWN,
AND I'M THINKING, "OKAY, THIS IS NOT A GOOD THING."
DINA WAS IN PREMATURE LABOR,
SO JIM IMMEDIATELY SUSPENDED HIS CAMPAIGN
AND RUSHED TO HER SIDE.
THE HOSPITAL BECAME, YOU KNOW,
CAMPAIGN HEADQUARTERS FOR AWHILE.
THE DOCTORS INSISTED SHE REMAIN ON BED REST.
MEANWHILE, ON NOVEMBER 7th,
JIM McGREEVEY WON THE ELECTION BY A LANDSLIDE.
DINA WATCHED THE COVERAGE FROM HER HOSPITAL BED.
MORE THAN ANYONE,
SHE SACRIFICED AND WORKED HARD MORE THAN ANYONE.
DINA, I LOVE YOU.
IT WAS A "WOW" MOMENT.
IT WAS LIKE, "MY GOD, MY SISTER'S THE FIRST LADY.
DO I STILL TREAT HER LIKE DINA?"
YOU KNOW, "GET OUT OF MY WAY,"
OR IS IT, "DINA, THE FIRST LADY, HOW ARE YOU?"
ON DECEMBER 7th,
DINA AND JIM WELCOMED THEIR DAUGHTER INTO THE WORLD.
NEW JERSEY'S NEW FIRST FAMILY WAS OFF TO A GREAT START.
I THOUGHT, "WE'RE GOING TO CHANGE THIS STATE,
"AND WE'RE GOING TO DO EVERYTHING
THAT WE PROMISED PEOPLE WE WOULD DO."
FOR JIM, THE FIRST ORDER OF BUSINESS
WAS TO STAFF UP HIS NEW ADMINISTRATION.
AND HE SEEMED TO HAVE SOME INTERESTING PROSPECTS.
ONE IN PARTICULAR WAS A YOUNG ISRAELI MAN
WHO HAD WORKED ON JIM'S CAMPAIGN.
HIS NAME WAS GOLAN CIPEL.
IN JANUARY 2002,
JIM McGREEVEY NAMED CIPEL HIS NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER,
A MOVE THAT RAISED SOME EYEBROWS.
WHILE GOLAN CIPEL HAD HAD LOTS OF PUBLIC-RELATIONS EXPERIENCE,
IT WASN'T REALLY CLEAR WHAT HIS EXPERIENCE WAS
IN HOMELAND SECURITY.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THE PEOPLE HAD CONCERNS ABOUT
IS THE FACT THAT HE WASN'T AN AMERICAN,
AND SO, THEREFORE, IT WOULD BE DIFFICULT FOR HIM
TO GET THE PROPER SECURITY CLEARANCES,
AND ALSO PEOPLE WONDERED, YOU KNOW,
WHY WOULD YOU MAKE A POLITICAL APPOINTMENT
TO SUCH AN IMPORTANT POST RIGHT AFTER 9/11?
BACK IN THE GOVERNOR'S MANSION,
DINA WASN'T DWELLING ON HER HUSBAND'S STAFFING CHOICES.
THERE WERE OTHER THINGS OCCUPYING HER MIND,
THINGS THAT SEEMED THREATENING TO HER MARRIAGE.
BY 2002, DINA NOTICED THAT JIM HAD A TROUBLING SECRETIVE SIDE,
ESPECIALLY WHEN IT CAME
TO HIS EX-WIFE AND THEIR YOUNG DAUGHTER.
I ALWAYS WANTED TO HAVE A RELATIONSHIP
WITH JIM'S DAUGHTER.
I OFTEN ASKED HIM TO HAVE HER COME AND SPEND HOLIDAYS WITH US,
AND HE ALWAYS SAID NO BECAUSE HER MOTHER WOULD HAVE TO COME,
IT WOULD COMPLICATE THINGS.
EVEN MORE UPSETTING, WHEN JIM'S EX-WIFE CALLED,
DINA NOTICED HE WOULD TAKE THE CALL
AS FAR AWAY FROM HER AS POSSIBLE.
WE RARELY ARGUED, BUT WHEN WE DID ARGUE,
IT WAS ABOUT SOMETHING WITH HIS EX-WIFE.
I HAD SUSPICIONS THAT THERE WAS POSSIBLY SOMETHING GOING ON.
AT THE SAME TIME, JIM SEEMED TO BE GOING TO GREAT LENGTHS
TO KEEP DINA FROM SEEING HIS SCHEDULE.
I THINK JIM WAS DEFINITELY HIDING THE SCHEDULE FROM ME,
SO I DIDN'T KNOW WHERE HE WAS OR WHERE HE WAS SUPPOSED TO BE.
DINA COULDN'T HELP BUT WONDER
IF JIM AND HIS EX HAD SECRETLY REKINDLED THEIR ROMANCE.
AND JUST TWO MONTHS LATER,
IT SEEMED HER SUSPICIONS WERE SPOT-ON.
ONE DAY OUT OF THE BLUE, JIM SAYS TO ME,
"WELL, MY EX-WIFE AND DAUGHTER
ARE COMING NEXT WEEK FOR A VISIT."
AND I WAS JUST SHOCKED.
ALL OF A SUDDEN, HE HAD MADE THE DECISION WITHOUT TELLING ME.
THE NEWS WAS STUNNING ENOUGH, BUT THE VISIT WAS EVEN WORSE.
JIM'S BEHAVIOR WAS VERY ODD AND BIZARRE.
HE HAD PLANNED THE ENTIRE TRIP WITHOUT MY KNOWLEDGE.
SHE WAS ALSO WEARING HER WEDDING RING,
WHICH I THOUGHT WAS VERY BIZARRE.
DINA THOUGHT MAYBE HE WAS REGRETTING
BREAKING UP WITH HIS FIRST WIFE, THAT HE THOUGHT,
"IF I HAD JUST HANDLED THINGS DIFFERENTLY
WITH MY FIRST WIFE, PERHAPS I'D STILL BE IN THAT RELATIONSHIP."
DINA COULDN'T HELP BUT THINK
THE MAN SHE LOVED WAS HIDING SOMETHING.
OBVIOUSLY, THERE'S SOMETHING GOING ON.
BUT NEVER IN A MILLION YEARS
COULD SHE HAVE GUESSED WHAT HIS SECRET REALLY WAS.
I WAS JUST COMPLETELY INCREDULOUS.
I COULDN'T BELIEVE IT.
I WAS JUST IN A COMPLETE STATE OF SHOCK.
BY THE SUMMER OF 2004,
TWO YEARS INTO HER HUSBAND'S GOVERNORSHIP,
DINA MATOS-McGREEVEY HAD HIT HER STRIDE
AS NEW JERSEY'S FIRST LADY.
I REALLY ENJOYED HAVING THE ABILITY
TO GET INVOLVED IN CAUSES THAT WERE IMPORTANT TO ME.
BUT BEING MARRIED TO THE GOVERNOR WAS NO CAKE WALK.
SO ONE EVENING THAT JULY,
WHEN JIM ASKED DINA WHAT SHE WOULD THINK
IF HE DIDN'T RUN FOR A SECOND TERM,
SHE COULDN'T HELP BUT FEEL RELIEVED.
JIM SAID IT WAS BECAUSE IT WAS NOT WHAT HE HAD EXPECTED,
PEOPLE WERE FIGHTING,
AND THERE WERE ALSO A NUMBER OF SCANDALS
INVOLVING SOME OF HIS STAFFERS.
I DIDN'T WANT HIM TO GIVE UP,
BUT ON THE OTHER HAND, I THOUGHT,
"THIS IS OUR OPPORTUNITY
TO FINALLY HAVE OUR OWN LIFE OUT OF THE PUBLIC EYE."
BUT DINA DIDN'T KNOW
THERE WAS MUCH MORE TO THE STORY.
THE EVENING OF AUGUST 9th,
DINA WAS RUNNING ERRANDS AFTER WORK
WHEN JIM CALLED AND ASKED HER TO COME HOME RIGHT AWAY.
WHEN I ARRIVED AT HOME,
HE WAS ALREADY HOME, WHICH WAS EARLY FOR HIM.
I THOUGHT, "OKAY, HE'S GOING TO FINALLY ADMIT
THAT THERE'S SOMETHING GOING ON WITH HIS EX-WIFE."
BUT DINA WAS ABOUT TO FIND OUT
HER HUSBAND WAS STRUGGLING WITH SOMETHING ELSE ENTIRELY.
HE PROCEEDED TO TELL ME THAT HE WAS BEING BLACKMAILED,
AND I ASKED BY WHOM.
AND HE SAID BY GOLAN CIPEL,
AND HE WANTS $50 MILLION.
JIM CLAIMED GOLAN CIPEL
WAS THREATENING HIM WITH A SEXUAL-HARASSMENT LAWSUIT.
THE $50 MILLION WOULD BUY CIPEL'S SILENCE.
AND I ASKED WHY, AND HE SAID,
"WELL, WE HAD A RELATIONSHIP.
IT WAS SEXUAL, BUT NONSEXUAL."
AND I JUST STARTED CRYING.
THAT WAS A COMPLETE SHOCK.
IF I SUSPECTED ANYTHING,
IT WAS THAT HE WAS HAVING AN AFFAIR WITH HIS EX-WIFE,
NOT ANYONE ELSE, AND CERTAINLY NOT ANOTHER MAN.
DINA WAS DEVASTATED,
BUT RATHER THAN CONSOLE HIS WIFE,
JIM GOT RIGHT DOWN TO BUSINESS.
IMMEDIATELY, HIS CONVERSATION TURNED
TO, "HOW AM I GOING TO RESOLVE THIS?
"THIS GUY WANTS $50 MILLION.
WHERE AM I GONNA GET THE MONEY FROM?"
JIM WAS OBLIVIOUS TO MY FEELINGS.
THE NEXT MORNING,
DINA TRIED TO MAKE SENSE OF HER MARRIAGE AND HER LIFE.
I STILL WASN'T QUESTIONING WHETHER HE WAS GAY OR NOT.
THE FIRST QUESTION WAS, "WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN TO US?"
YOU KNOW, "WHAT'S OUR DAUGHTER'S LIFE GONNA BE LIKE AFTER THIS?"
DINA KNEW JIM DIDN'T HAVE THE ANSWERS,
SO SHE CALLED HER FAMILY AND SHARED THE NEWS.
HEY. HOW ARE YOU? HEY. HOW ARE YOU?
I WAS SHOCKED. JUST, MY HEART WENT OUT TO HER.
AND SHE WAS JUST A MESS, AND I JUST TRIED TO COMFORT HER,
BUT HOW DO YOU COMFORT SOMEBODY IN THAT SITUATION?
WHAT DO YOU TELL THEM? WHAT DO YOU TELL THEM?
BY AUGUST 11th,
TWO DAYS AFTER HIS CONFESSION TO DINA,
JIM AND HIS ADVISERS HAD DECIDED
THE BEST PLAN OF ATTACK WAS TO HOLD A PRESS CONFERENCE.
HE THOUGHT BY GOING PUBLIC WITH THIS,
HE COULD TAKE AWAY ANY THREAT OF BLACKMAIL
AND POTENTIALLY ANY LAWSUIT.
THAT'S THE REASON THAT THE GOVERNOR GAVE.
THE NIGHT BEFORE THE PRESS CONFERENCE,
JIM AND DINA SAT AT THE KITCHEN TABLE
AND HAD ONE FINAL, EYE-OPENING CONVERSATION.
HE SAID HE WAS CONFUSED ABOUT WHO HE WAS,
ABOUT HIS SEXUALITY,
AND THAT HE THOUGHT HE MIGHT BE GAY.
BUT FOR DINA, THIS WASN'T ABOUT WHETHER HER HUSBAND WAS GAY.
THIS WAS ABOUT BETRAYAL.
SO I ASKED HIM WHY HE MARRIED ME.
AND HE SAID THAT HE LOVED ME
AND HE WANTED US TO BUILD A LIFE TOGETHER,
AND THAT WAS, YOU KNOW, ANOTHER... ANOTHER BLOW.
HOW CAN HE BE TELLING ME THAT HE LOVED ME
WHEN, YOU KNOW, HE HAD DONE ALL THESE OTHER THINGS?
DID HE LOVE ME EVER, AND WHY DID HE MARRY ME?
IT SEEMED LIKE THINGS COULDN'T POSSIBLY GET ANY WORSE.
IT FELT LIKE THIS WAS NOT THE MAN THAT I MARRIED.
THIS WAS AN IMPOSTER.
BUT THERE WAS MORE TO JIM'S STORY,
AND THE NEXT MORNING, DINA WOULD GET THE SHOCK OF HER LIFE.
I FLIPPED THE TV ON. IT WAS SCARY, HOW SHE LOOKED.
IT FELT LIKE AN OUT-OF-BODY EXPERIENCE FOR ME.
MY RESIGNATION WILL BE EFFECTIVE ON NOVEMBER 15th OF THIS YEAR.
ON AUGUST 12, 2004, DINA MATOS WAS REELING.
HER HUSBAND, NEW JERSEY GOVERNOR JIM McGREEVEY,
WAS ABOUT TO GIVE A PRESS CONFERENCE
ADMITTING TO AN AFFAIR WITH A MALE STAFFER.
HERE I AM, THINKING THAT THE PRESS CONFERENCE
IS GOING TO BE ABOUT HIM NOT SEEKING ANOTHER TERM,
AND THAT WAS IT.
BUT DINA WAS ABOUT TO GET
ANOTHER UNWELCOME SURPRISE.
HE HAD BEEN IN MEETINGS WITH HIS ADVISERS ALL DAY
ON THE FIRST FLOOR OF THE GOVERNOR'S MANSION.
AND HE CAME UP WITH ONE OF HIS ADVISERS
AND HANDED ME A COPY OF HIS SPEECH.
AND I STARTED READING IT,
AND I READ THE PHRASE "I AM A GAY AMERICAN."
AND...
I JUST COULDN'T BELIEVE WHAT I WAS READING,
BECAUSE HE HAD NOT ADMITTED TO BEING GAY.
I THOUGHT, "HOW DID HE RESOLVE THAT ISSUE OVERNIGHT?"
HE WAS CONFUSED,
AND NOW ALL OF A SUDDEN,
HE KNOWS THAT HE'S A GAY AMERICAN.
THERE WERE POINTS IN MY LIFE
WHEN I BEGAN TO QUESTION
WHAT AN ACCEPTABLE REALITY REALLY MEANT FOR ME.
THAT AFTERNOON, THE WORLD WATCHED IN SHOCK
AS JIM McGREEVEY DELIVERED HIS SPEECH,
HIS BLINDSIDED WIFE BY HIS SIDE.
AND SO MY TRUTH IS THAT I AM A GAY AMERICAN.
MY RESIGNATION WILL BE EFFECTIVE ON NOVEMBER 15th OF THIS YEAR.
I FLIPPED THE TV ON, AND I TOOK ONE LOOK AT DINA.
I DID NOT RECOGNIZE HER. IT WAS SCARY HOW SHE LOOKED.
HE'S AT THE PODIUM SPEAKING,
AND I'M STANDING NEXT TO HIM
WITH SOME SORT OF SMILE PLASTERED ON MY FACE.
AND IT FELT LIKE AN OUT-OF-BODY EXPERIENCE FOR ME.
I ENGAGED IN AN ADULT, CONSENSUAL AFFAIR
WITH ANOTHER MAN,
WHICH VIOLATES MY BONDS OF MATRIMONY.
IT WAS WRONG.
IT WAS FOOLISH.
IT WAS INEXCUSABLE.
IT WAS JUST HEARTBREAKING,
AND I THOUGHT SHE WAS SO BRAVE TO BE STANDING THERE WITH HIM,
AND HALF OF ME THOUGHT
SHE WAS SO STUPID TO BE STANDING THERE WITH HIM.
DINA SAID TO ME LATER, WHEN WE TALKED ABOUT IT,
SHE WAS SORT OF DETERMINED TO TAKE THE HIGH ROAD,
BECAUSE SHE DIDN'T WANT HER DAUGHTER TO LOOK BACK ONE DAY
AND SAY, "YOU WEREN'T THERE FOR DAD IN HIS HOUR OF NEED."
AND FOR THIS,
I ASK THE FORGIVENESS AND THE GRACE OF MY WIFE.
I THINK IT'S FAIR TO SAY
THAT PEOPLE WERE VERY CONCERNED FOR HER.
WOULD THE MARRIAGE LAST?
THEY HAD A CHILD. HOW WOULD THIS ALL PLAY OUT?
I KNOW NOW HE HAD MARRIED ME FOR POLITICAL GAIN,
AND THAT WAS JUST DEVASTATING.
IN NOVEMBER 2004,
DINA AND HER DAUGHTER LEFT THE GOVERNOR'S MANSION
AND MOVED INTO THEIR OWN HOME IN THE NEW JERSEY SUBURBS.
MORE THAN TWO YEARS LATER,
DINA AND JIM BEGAN DIVORCE PROCEEDINGS.
THE FACT THAT ALL THIS WAS GOING ON IN THE PUBLIC EYE
WAS EXTREMELY HARD,
'CAUSE WHEN THINGS HAPPEN TO FAMILIES
AND IT'S QUIET, YOU DEAL WITH IT DIFFERENTLY.
WHEN IT'S IN THE PUBLIC EYE AND PEOPLE ARE QUESTIONING YOU...
AND PEOPLE ARE NOT JUST QUESTIONING YOU,
THEY'RE MAKING ASSUMPTIONS, AND THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT YOU...
THAT'S THE HARD PART.
IN AUGUST 2008,
THE COUPLE'S DIVORCE WAS FINALIZED.
AS FOR GOLAN CIPEL,
HE RETURNED TO HIS NATIVE ISRAEL WITHOUT FILING A LAWSUIT.
THE CLAIMS OF BLACKMAIL HAVE NEVER BEEN SUBSTANTIATED.
TODAY, DINA LIVES IN A SMALL NEW JERSEY TOWN
WITH HER YOUNG DAUGHTER,
AND SHE WORKS FOR A HEALTHCARE NONPROFIT.
I STILL HAVE MY DIFFICULT DAYS,
AND IT HASN'T BEEN AN EASY ROAD.
BUT I KNOW THAT I CAN STAND ON MY OWN
AND CONFRONT WHATEVER COMES MY WAY.
DINA ALSO WROTE A BESTSELLER
ABOUT HER MARRIAGE TO JIM McGREEVEY.
I THINK THAT BY TELLING MY STORY
THAT I CAN GIVE OTHER PEOPLE COURAGE TO MOVE ON.
DINA IS BACK, AND SHE'S SELF-ASSURED.
IF ANYTHING, I THINK MAYBE SHE'S A LITTLE MORE WORRIED
ABOUT JUMPING BACK INTO THE DATING LIFE,
BECAUSE SHE THOUGHT JIM McGREEVEY WAS THE ONE.
THESE DAYS,
DINA HAS VERY LITTLE INTERACTION WITH JIM,
WHO LEFT POLITICS BEHIND TO BECOME AN EPISCOPAL PRIEST.
STILL, DESPITE EVERYTHING,
SHE HASN'T GIVEN UP ON THE PROSPECT OF A NEW MARRIAGE.
MARRIAGE IS VERY IMPORTANT.
I THINK IT COULD BE VERY POSITIVE,
AND IT COULD BE VERY REWARDING.
AND WHO KNOWS?
MAYBE I'LL EXPERIENCE IT SOME TIME.