Cathy Paladino Stands By Her Man

When Carl Paladino decided to run for governor of New York, his aides warned his wife, Cathy, that she would have to get over any qualms about discussing her personal life. So she did, and sat down for an interview with The New York Times to discuss how 18 months ago, after her 29-year-old son died in a car crash, her husband confessed that he’d had an affair, fathered a child with another woman, and had told Cathy’s children long before. “Everybody knows anyway,” Cathy says, explaining that “things happen.” “He said he was very sorry to cause me pain, the relationship with the mother was over ... and there was a child,” she says. She told him “every child is a gift.” The girl has become a close part of the family, even making campaign appearances. The Paladinos call her a sister, not a half-sister, to their daughter. Cathy doesn’t portray her marriage as a perfect blending of souls, and sometimes they don’t speak for days while he’s on the campaign trail. But she supports him, and his campaign.