The Daily Signal - Hunter Ex Lunden Roberts Talks Daughter Ignored by President Biden

Episode Date: July 1, 2024

Lunden Roberts, Hunter Biden’s ex and mother of President Joe Biden’s granddaughter, Navy Roberts, sits down for an exclusive interview to discuss her forthcoming book, “Out of the Shadows: My Life Inside the Wild World of Hunter Biden.” She talks about why she choose to try to keep Hunter in her daughter's life, how her daughter feels about seeing President Biden (who she hasn't met) on TV, and much more. Enjoy the show! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is the Daily Signal podcast for Monday, July 1st. I'm Kate Trinco, and today I speak with London Roberts. London used to be in a relationship with Hunter Biden and had a daughter, Navy, with him. She had to fight in court for Hunter to recognize that he was the father. Now she's coming out with her own side of the story in a new book and talking about her daughter, who still hasn't met Hunter or President Joe Biden or First Lady Jill Biden. Stay tuned for my conversation with London Roberts after that. The Heritage Foundation is the most effective conservative policy organization in the country. Every semester, our interns are a vital part of that mission. We pay competitively. We develop talent, and we give our interns access to some of the sharpest minds in the country.

We're going on offense. So join us. To learn more about the Young Leaders program here at the Heritage Foundation, please go to heritage.org slash intern. joining me today is London Roberts. She is the author of the new book, which is available for pre-order, Out of the Shadows, My Life Inside the Wild World of Hunter Biden. Thanks for having me. It actually comes out August 20th. Okay. The week before my daughter's birthday, it's, you know, what better birthday gift can you give your daughter than your mother's story, right? That is, that's wonderful. I'm sure she will love going to the bookstore and sing her mom's book. I hope so. Take her out of the story time and be like, okay, here's the adult section, you know. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So before we get into your relationship with Hunter Biden, you're from Arkansas. You came to D.C. You've said you love D.C. What brought you to the city? You know, I came for a CSI school. Okay. And I've always been like obsessed with crime and, you know, who isn't these days?

Everybody loves those crime series and whatnot. You get infatuated with them. But I actually came on a field trip to D.C. when I was like in seventh grade. Okay. And fell in love with the city then. Our teacher, our science teacher was teacher at sea for NASA. there was a banquet up here. And so she brought some of her students up. And I always knew I wanted to live up here. And I love it. I always have. Do you have a favorite place in D.C.?

Anywhere. I love Arlington. Arlington area is my favorite. I used to live close to the cemetery. Oh, yeah. And I just thought it was beautiful out there. Okay. And do you have a favorite true crime show or podcast now that you've confessed to this?

You know, I like the following. Okay. I like the serial killer type stuff. If I like any, Ted Bundy was, I don't know. So weird. How did someone so charming and yet do so much damage? Well, right. And not related topics.

So you've talked a lot in interviews about some of the, let's say, less pleasant parts about your relationship with Hunter Biden. You talked about meeting him. I think he was in his boxers, maybe doing drugs or getting ready to do drugs. But I assume your relationship was more than that. What were some of the good moments? What were the happy times that made you say I'm going to stay in this relationship? You know, Hunter had a way of making me laugh.

And, like, we would get under each other's skin and whittiness. You know, like, he was so witty. And we'd go back and forth. And I just, I thought he was so intelligent. And, like, he's one of them people, you know, you come into a room. He's like a magnet. People want to get to knowing, maybe, you know, not. I've never been in a room again.

But he attracts people. He does. He's, he's very charming. And did you know right away that he was Joe Biden's son? Or did you find that later? No, it was a few minutes in. It's like a little bit. Yeah. It was, um, it was in a conversation. I was sitting in a Senator Barack Obama's chair. And it had his label on, on the wooden panel on the side and the years that he served in the Senate. And then, you know, the wheels are turning and it's starting to make sense. So were you at Hunter's house at this point? No, I was at Rosemont Sinica. Oh, and they had. the chair. Yeah, that would, that would trigger some thinking.

Yeah, right. These are not sun at chairs. Sorry. So tell me about the relationship. Did you ever think, oh, maybe we'll get married, maybe this is my happily ever after, or was it meant to be casual? Well, the thing is during that time, and I've always kind of been someone. I talk about that throughout the book, you know, someone who's been kind of detached from feelings, not someone who's, you know, dedicated to commitment when it comes to, you know, relationship and stuff. And I've always reacted on impulse and just kind of, you know, lived in the moment. And that's, that was the time of my life when I was living in the moment. And, you know, Hunter was suffering from what, you know, an addiction he's been very candid about. And throughout, you know, the darkest times of his addiction was, you know, around the time that I knew him. And, you know, a quality of addiction is is in and out. You know, sometimes you're there. Sometimes you go missing for a little bit. And then you come back. And that's what kind of what our relationship consisted of. I, you know, had been attracted to him. You know, I talk about the first night I'm meeting and, you know, seeing his eyes and these beautiful blue-gray eyes.

And they're the most beautiful eyes I'd ever seen. And then I talk about how William Shakespeare even said, you know, the eyes of the windows to the soul. And I knew, like, he was more complex than I knew. And it intrigued me. And, you know, I see that he's suffering from all this in front of me. And I can't help but want to know more because he seemed so brilliant. And did you have any experience? in your own life or in loved ones with addiction before this?

Is there something that made you ready to take it on, I guess? Not really. And maybe, you know, that also intrigued me because I'd not. But that just dawn on me just now. But yeah, no, not really. No, I can't think. No, it's a hard life. It is.

And it's different because I can say, you know, before you know somebody and I've loved and cared for somebody that suffers from addiction, you don't know what it's like to love and care for somebody who suffers from addiction. Right. And that's, I mean, that's a real thing. So did Hunter ever talk to you before you were pregnant about his kids or how he felt about being a father?

Yes. Hunter felt in a lot of ways, you know, that he had let a lot of people down. And, you know, he had been through a whole lot in his life. And now he's one of the darkest times in his life. And, you know, I talked throughout the book how Hunter felt like, you know, there were many times he confided to me about how how. he felt like a disappointment. And maybe he wasn't the best, but I put that on, you know, in his sober years that

he had the potential to be the best. Because even with this addiction, I saw this endless potential in him. And I guess that's part of falling for somebody, right? You just toss the red flags to the side. But I mean, it's also real, the potential. Yeah. And I think that, you know, he was just in a dark place, but he also, like, I've, I've, I felt like sober hunter could have been a good father.

Did he talk at all about being in a political family himself? I mean, my family's Christmas letter feels like enough pressure sometimes. But like, you know, father being the vice president and then obviously looking to run again, was there a lot of emphasis about being picture perfect about, I mean, I know his addiction has come out. But did he grow up in an atmosphere of everything has to be just right? I would say yes and no, because, you know, the conversations that him and I had about it, And I talk, you know, about this throughout the book, Out of the Shadows, I say, you know, Hunter, like I said, felt like a disappointment because he wasn't always perfect. And he didn't live up to that. But, you know, he claims that his brother did. And there were stories, you know, about his childhood. I can't remember the exact name. But he had said that, you know, his friends' parents would call both, like, chief or sheriff or general, something along those lines. And it was because, like, he was like the one that would do everything right. And they knew that if their kid was with Bo, their kid was probably in good hands and was, you know, making the right decisions.

And I was like, what did they say that about you? And he's like, you know, he knew. He was, he grasped that he was the black sheep of the family. He didn't do well with it, though. I know he didn't like being disappointed. That and the scandal-plagued son, you know, of a political family, it, it, you could tell that it, it pained him. So you tell him you're pregnant. And I believe you said, you know, he didn't pressure you to make a decision one way or the other.

Right. But then he, correct me if I'm wrong, he just disappeared at some point. Yes. Yes. And, you know, like I've said, that was in the darkest times of his addiction. And you chop that up to his addiction because you see, you know, the ins and outs of that throughout the first few chapters in the book. And you start to make excuses and enable, you know, that, well, he's ignoring me. He's addicted.

That's a quality. It's a trait of someone who suffers from addiction. And so, you know, at first, when I told him, he was okay with it. And then, you know, it becomes, you become this burden, kind of like the addiction. And so it's like a deflection, dismissive, you know, abandonment. So when you gave birth to your daughter, Navy, were you alone in the room? Was anyone able to be with you? My mom was with me.

I actually drove myself and out, well, my mom was with me. But I drove after my water broke about 2 o'clock in the morning. I drove the hour, hour and a half to the hospital. So you're having contractions and driving? Yeah. Did you speed a little? If I would have. Probably.

Probably, I think so much trauma, I don't remember all the details of that because it was just that time specifically, you know, I get into detail throughout the book about how dark of a place that his dark place led me to. And you're alone, you're pregnant. It's the father is. is suffering from addiction. The father is absent. The future is unknown. His father, this might be the first son. You know, his father might run for presidency. I'm finding out my dad has cancer. I'm becoming a mom. The future is, there's a lot of stuff. And that you go through all of that

with me in the book. I know it sounds like a lot. It does. But you go through it step by step with me through the book. And that's why I talk about so many emotions that are put into here, because I become in a dark place and get to thinking, you know, I become Hunter's scandal. And I was somebody that, you know, he had claimed that he could trust and somebody he can confide in or, you know, at least that's what I was told. And now I've let him down, right? So I spent that entire time in a really dark place. And I go into detail throughout the book describing that to the point where it felt like,

you know, I was not only a burden to hunter, I was. a burden to my family. I brought this scandal upon them. I brought this scandal upon a daughter who didn't ask for it, you know, and maybe things would be better if I wasn't here. And, you know, that dark place, mental health is real. And if you let yourself get to that dark place, it can get, it can get pretty dark. And, you know, you'll, you'll think about things that you would never think of with a healthy mind. Do you feel like it ever drew you toward, oh, I understand addiction more now. If I could escape, I would. It's kind of like the same. It's kind of the same. It's like the, well, not exactly. Not exactly. Yeah, but I see, I see the connection you're making there. So, yeah, and to be clear,

I'm not saying you're ever addicted to anything. No, no, no, I know that. I was saying, I could see that. So how did you pick the name, Navy? That's, that's a good question. So I was against it at first. I loved it when I first heard it. I know. Okay. So I was actually on the rooftop of of a house of Sweden where Rosemont Seneca was located. And me and another one of Hunter's assistants were moving a couch from the house. We're having one of his couches moved. And we're watching these movers and stuff from this rooftop. And my sister calls me.

And she's like, if it's a girl, I have found the most perfect name. And I was like, what? She's like, Navy. And I was like, yeah, I like it. And I was like, no, I can't do that. And she's why? Well, Hunter was discharged from the Navy. And she's like, oh.

Well, nobody will ever know, right? And I'm like, yeah, you're right. Nobody's ever going to know about it anyways. So, but I love the name. I love, I wanted something short and I wanted something unique. And I'll say it had absolutely nothing to do with a hunter's relation to the Navy. That's not why I picked that name. It was solely because of that phone call, I'll say. So how was being a single mom for you, especially in the early days? Like, I'm assuming Navy was like a normal baby and cried at night a lot. Did anyone else get up at night with you? Um, no, you know, I talked about the dark place that I was in. And in the book, I, I I talk about coming out of that dark place while being a mother.

And, you know, once you're out of that dark place, you and becoming, I don't know if you have children, but becoming a mother, you find this selfless, unconditional love. And you know that you will break down any barrier for your child. And you'll do whatever it takes for your child. to have the best life possible and for your child to get what they rightfully deserve in any in any way and so um yeah i becoming a mother changed everything you had the strengths to do it yeah it took a lot it took a lot of time that's why i'm here today and not five years ago right not in the middle of the three a i'm crying so does your daughter ever remind you of hunter or are there ways in which you're like oh she must be getting that from the biden side like i don't recognize this yeah

Initially, when she was first born, I hadn't seen her and my mom had seen her first. And, you know, I talk about being detached. And I was like, you know, who does she look like? Because mom was like, she had a head full of black hair. Well, I was born with a head full of black hair. So immediately is like, does she look like me? Mom was like, she looks like someone I've never got to be kidding me, nine months of this. And she looks like him.

And, you know, she does. She got his beautiful eyes. And there's a lot of similarities there where like even my friend, him and I had a mutual friend from D.C. And when she comes around me and Navy, she laughs. She's like, oh, my God, Navy, you were giving me PTSD. Like, this is so bad. And it's funny. And, you know, we can laugh about it now.

But I've always seen great qualities in Hunter. And people see that people think, you know, that I'm just clueless and I'm stupid and oblivious. And, you know, it's a girl in love, despite, you know, everything. else and always saw great qualities in him and I can remember when I was pregnant I was might have been nine months I was on the line I mean I was fixing to have this baby and um I think in my head I'm like oh my gosh this baby is going to be half of him like what if it looks like him what if it talks like him like you know nature over nurtured what what do I do and so I call that mutual friend and she's like um okay she said well think about think about it this way what is

one good thing that you would want her to get from Hunter. And I was like, okay, I was like, well, his heart. And, you know, he had a good heart and he was caring. He went out of his way to try to help people. He did. And I witnessed that several times and even going to stories throughout the book where, you know, that happens. And it seems genuine and sincere. She says, okay, well, what's one thing you don't want her to get from Hunter? And I was like, his feet. Turns out she got both of them. So, and a lot more. So, you know, you just deal with it. Wow, that's beautiful in a way, like the potential you saw in him,

you're seeing in your daughter, all those good things. Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. So was there ever a time where you were thinking, you know, he's disappeared, is she better off with him in her life? I know you fought very hard legally for that. But was there ever a time where you thought maybe I should just let him go? I wanted him to take accountability for that. And I'd even had friends that, you know, he had met with after she was born.

and me standing here today able to write this book is, you know, embracing my story. And that's something I want my daughter to be able to do. I don't want her, was I supposed to just tell her that her father was some random man or tell her that, you know, I didn't know who her father was because I did. And I mean, if he was Joe Blow on the street, I was going to tell her who her father was when that day came. And I don't ever to want her to think, I didn't fight for her. Or at least, you know, offer that relationship. And so, and, you know, another part was that accountability when he had met with some of my friends after I'd had Navy and told them, you know, well, how does I, how do I even know it's mine? And it's like, and they even told them, like, huh, you know it's yours. He's like, I know, I know, but I knew then in my head. And so, you know, throughout the pregnancy and stuff, I talk about, um, how I make excuses for him and I protect him. And I feel like that's what I'm doing by staying hidden in these shadows. And then,

coming out of them is is not sabotaging him, is not, you know, sabotaging anyone other than just telling my story. And that's something that I want Navy to be able to admire her mother for. Stand ten toes down and, you know, tell your story and have that accountability. And also, you know, it's also a story of forgiveness and redemption and having grace for people. And those are things that I want to instill in her. And so, you know, would it be easier if he weren't my child's father? Absolutely, but these are these are the cards I was dealt. He is her father. I don't ever want her to be ashamed of where she comes from or I don't want her to ever question that as she shouldn't. And so I think part of me getting him to take that accountability was just like owning

the truth. I want you to, I want you to own this. So my understanding is that there was a legal settlement last year that resulted in Navy getting to talk to her father. on a regular basis, but also in her getting some of his art for her room if she wanted. Can you, did she pick out a painting of his? What does it look like? Yes. And, you know, normally I don't, I'm, I'm there when she's like zooming him and stuff, but I'm not like, you know, in the screen, hey, how you doing? What's going on? You know, we chat, we co-parent, you know, through Zoom. And he's asked her, you know, which painting and whatnot and she'll pick one, but I haven't paid attention to those. And I'll be honest, me and Hunter are still working out a place.

to put them because even though she's picked them out and stuff, he's got them wrapped and, like, at an attorney's office and they take up a lot of space. And so we've talked about even like, do you, do you have enough room for these? Where can these go? And it's like, I'm going to decorate my house in paintings or. Do he even paint when you were together? No. You know, okay, this has been a new interest. Okay. I think it helped him, you know, during his recovery. He's always been kind of artistic and like doodled and stuff, but it was, I didn't, not to this extreme that I was aware of. So with President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden, they have not met Navy yet. They have not.

What would you say to them if you could get, you know, 10, 15 minutes in a room alone with them? What would you want to say? They've missed out. And I would let them know that. They've missed out on some great years and a great child that, you know, they probably could have learned a lot from. I know me and my family have learned a lot. And I'd tell them about, you know, how she is. what they've missed out on, things that they've missed out on, and I just want to know why,

because that didn't have to be the case. And if it was, you know, if you want to blame me for this toxic litigation that was surrounding her, that was just, you know, accountability, right? That was just me trying to say, you have a grandchild out there, you know, and Hunter has a child, and it's scientific certainty, like, it's proven. And does your daughter, does she ever see President Biden on TV? Does she know who he is? You know, I keep the, news and stuff off at the house and the media for obvious reasons. And she does. She's, she's walked by, you know, TV screens. I can't help what, like, other people have on. But, you know, there's, we were in a nail salon one time. And she's like, mom, look, there's my

grandpa. And I'm like, first of all, lower your voice. Second off, yes. And so she sees him as like this grandfather that she loves from a distance, but, like, has this relationship where it doesn't exist. But, you know, she knows that that's her grandfather. She's aware. And throughout this book, I also talk, you know, listen, it's a wild ride, okay? We go from this relationship to this pregnancy and these dark places and these coming out of them and being a mom and the legal stuff that takes place. But, you know, there's also, towards the ending, you know, she gets an age where she wants to know, you know, why don't I have a dad? And I want her to be resilient. I want her to be resilient. I want her to be strong. I want her to be open-minded. And so, you know, I just, I tell her,

I make excuses and tell her, well, well, what haven't I seen him? Well, he lives far away. Like, he's, he's a busy man. He lives far away. And, you know, I tell her about her grandparents and why everyone's so busy and she, and I, you know, I take her with her with me my first election, or my first election, her first election since she was born on mine. But, um, the 2020 election? Yeah. And, you know, I let her know. who they are and what she comes from. And like, you know, she, I tell her about the president how he has all these different, you know, tasks and he's so important.

He's the leader of the free world. You know, I go into all these details what they're kind of like, you know, the books about kings and queens. Like, well, we have a president, you know, and she understands to that, you know, extent. And I talk about, you know, one of the stories throughout the book is telling her that. And she says, oh, well, that. That's why he hasn't been to see me because he's out there helping so many other people. But when he's done, he's going to come see me.

I was like you. That's beautiful and her breaking. Yeah. And I mean, she gives them grace from afar as well. Did you tell Hunter you were writing this book? I could not. You know, you sign different terms and stuff with publishers. And I wasn't allowed to speak with people about the book until a certain date.

And, you know, you know, you. been a figure who's been covered by the media for years. And yet without you, I think, ever speaking out until this book came out, correct me if I'm wrong. I wasn't able to. I'm telling you today, you know, people say, why now? Oh, it's because it's an election year and she wants fame. Well, people don't see the anxiety that I have behind the scenes and coming on and being able to talk to you and stuff. I wouldn't have been able to do that years ago. I wouldn't have been able to do that this time last year. This has been a healing journey. And I think that it's this story, this book is something that could impact a lot of people's lives who need that sort of

healing in their life. So what do you want Americans to know about you? Who are, who's the real London, Robert? It's not the one that's been in all these articles, all these years, with all these rumors spreading around. Like, who do you see yourself as? You know, I talk throughout the book about identifying, you know, I had detached from like who I am and these feelings. But one thing I've always put on, the only label I've ever wore is mother. And that's something I wear proudly. I'm a proud mom. I love my child to, you know, the end of the world. But I talk about all those things throughout the book. And this is, you know, out of the shadows. It's part of it coming out, embracing this, embracing who I am and embracing my daughter and where she comes from and

standing on that. That's something that, you know, I would hope that she could only admire me for at one point when she's old enough to, you know. Right now, I'm just mom. Hey, it's a good place to be. Yeah. Well, thank you so much for Doran. us. Well, thank you. Thank you for having me. And that'll do it for today's episode. If you haven't gotten a chance, please be sure to check out our evening show right here in this podcast feed where we bring you the top news of the day. Also, please make sure you subscribe to The Daily Signal wherever you get your podcasts. And help us reach more listeners by leaving a five-star rating and review. We read all of your feedback.

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