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The Effect Of Sexting (Again) On Abedin & Weiner

by Elizabeth Strassner

In the wake of her husband being linked to yet another alleged sexting scandal, Huma Abedin announced her separation from Anthony Weiner. Weiner, a former congressman for New York's Ninth District, was forced to resign in 2011, when it was revealed that he had been sending sexually charged pictures and texts to other women. This week, Weiner was implicated in another major sexting scandal. The New York Post published sexts and images allegedly sent by Weiner to a woman, including a picture of his bulging boxers next to what appears to be his sleeping son. Weiner's Twitter account appears to have been deleted as of Monday morning.

Abedin announced the separation in a statement released Monday: "After long and painful consideration and work on my marriage, I have made the decision to separate from my husband. Anthony and I remain devoted to doing what is best for our son, who is the light of our life. During this difficult time, I ask for respect for our privacy."

This latest report is only the most recent instance of Weiner's online behavior catching up with him. His 2013 New York City mayoral campaign was derailed by the revelation that his sexting had continued during and after the initial 2011 scandal. The disastrous campaign was featured in the documentary Weiner , which was released earlier this year.

Weiner's marriage to Abedin, who is best known for her role as a longtime aide to Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, was also in headlines recently when it was revealed that she reportedly did not consent to appearing in the documentary. Just this month, Abedin discussed her marriage with Vogue, saying that her Muslim faith, four-year-old son, and supportive friends helped her weather the earlier sexting scandals. “That support system enabled us — enabled me — to get up and to keep doing what I thought were the right things for my family and for myself,” she told the magazine. It appears, though, that may not be enough after this latest sexting scandal deja vu.