North Carolina ? Elizabeth Edwards has separated from husband John Edwards, the former presidential candidate who lied about cheating on his cancer-stricken wife and the child he fathered during his affair.

The disclosure Wednesday came as a longtime aide to the two-time candidate promotes a tell-all book that provides an unflattering portrait of the couple and the tumultuous relationship they tried to maintain after he first acknowledged the liaison.

Elizabeth Edwards, 60, declined to comment through a friend, Andrea Purse, who confirmed the separation.

A week earlier, John Edwards, 56, finally confirmed that he fathered a child, now almost 2 years old, with his mistress, Rielle Hunter. He issued a brief statement Wednesday, expressing care for his wife of more than three decades and the mother of four of his children.

“It is an extraordinarily sad moment, but I love my children more than anything and still care deeply about Elizabeth,” he said.

Purse did not reveal how long the couple has been apart. North Carolina law typically requires couples to be separated for a year before divorcing.