June 21, 2024 • 40 mins
Lunden Roberts, the mother of one of Joe Biden's grandchildren, speaks out about her relationship with Hunter Biden and the challenges she faced. She met Hunter while working for him and their relationship started as a friendship. The media covered up their friendship and portrayed it as a one-night stand. Lunden describes Hunter's charm and the struggles he faced with addiction. She talks about the denial and public scrutiny she faced when she became pregnant with their daughter, Navy. The Biden family initially denied Navy's existence and it was a painful experience for Lunden. Despite the challenges, Lunden remains hopeful for a positive relationship between Navy and Hunter. The Tudor Dixon Podcast is part of the Clay Travis & Buck Sexton Podcast Network. For more visit TudorDixonPodcast.com
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to the Tutor Dixon Podcast. Today. I am pleased
to have the opportunity to have a conversation with London Roberts,
the mother of one of our president's grandchildren. The kicker
is that President Biden hasn't met his granddaughter, Hunter's daughter,
Navy Roberts. London, who has had to fight to have
her daughter acknowledged by Hunter himself, has been quiet and
(00:21):
somewhat behind the scenes, but now she's speaking out in
a new book titled Out of the Shadows, My Life
inside the wild World of Hunter Biden, and that book
is coming out in August. London, thank you so much
for joining us. Thank you for having me absolutely so.
I wanted to kind of jump into how the relationship
started because I feel like that has been sort of well,
(00:43):
a certain narrative went out and sounds like that's not
the truth because we were all told that this was
kind of like a one night stand from a strip club.
But you actually worked for Hunter, right.
Speaker 2 (00:52):
I did. And I did not meet Hunter at a
strip club. I actually met him at Rosemont Seneca at
the House of and that was that was the first
time I met Hunter and got the full Hunter package.
Speaker 1 (01:06):
So how was it a relationship that started over time
working together or how did it begin?
Speaker 2 (01:11):
It? Did? I mean, eventually, you know, I started working
for him, but it was a relationship that started off
as like we would even call each other best friends,
you know, at some point in the beginning. And he
would always tell people, you know, when they asked like
how long have y'all known each other? Like if we
were someone, like how long have y'all known each other?
(01:32):
Like y'all seem like y'all known each other for every
He's like, oh, like years. I'm like, no, it's almost
a year, hunt like, you know at that point.
Speaker 1 (01:40):
But but that's really different than what we heard Grue
do what that's really different than what we heard? And
I just wondered, do you ever feel like the media
kind of covered up that friendship because they wanted to
make it seem like you were someone that should just
go away?
Speaker 2 (01:56):
It's possible, you know, I don't know why. I don't
know why everything you know, happened the way that it
did and why everything was said that's been said. But
you know, that's that's why I'm telling my story because
it's been a long journey and a long process, you know,
for me to get through. And I'm at a point where,
you know, I can talk about it and I can
(02:17):
share my story and my book, and you know, we
talked about the books being released in August, a week
before my daughter's birthday, and I've told everyone I can't
imagine a better gift for my daughter this year than
her mother's story.
Speaker 1 (02:31):
Yeah, and her father's story. I mean, it's both together,
and and I think that that is important for people
to understand that she doesn't have just a mom. And
you've fought really hard to make sure that her dad
is in her life, and I appreciate that because being
a single mom is not easy. I think the most
interesting part about it is I looked at the cover
(02:52):
of the book and the striking resemblance between Navy and
her dad.
Speaker 2 (02:57):
The blue eyes, very striking and mannerisms. It's a furrowed
eyebrows when she's talking to you. Everything. She's so much
of her father, it's crazy. And I always had a
great relationship with my father, like a great upbringing, and
you know, you want your child to have those same things, right,
(03:19):
and I know that there's you know, that potential one hunter.
Speaker 1 (03:23):
And though you fought very hard, for that. You were
at with him at a time where obviously he was struggling.
And I believe that any of us who have seen
someone who struggles with addiction, we know that when crisis occurs,
addiction gets worse. And he had lost his brother and
things were very hard. You were at with him at
a time where you saw him probably at his worst.
(03:43):
You even describe a time when you thought that he
was potentially overdosing. You also got to know his sister
in law. You talk about that a little bit, that
he wanted you to meet Hallie and he introduced you.
Did you know that they were in a relationship at
the same time.
Speaker 2 (04:03):
Yes and no, because it didn't really come across that way,
and you know, being on the outside and this all
being so new at the time, you know, you know,
I'd known Hunter before it ever came out in the tabloids.
You know, I'd been with him a few times, and
I'm just like, Okay, this, you know, is shocking, and
I write about it in the book how shocking it was.
(04:24):
But you know, I was around him a few times,
and it never really came off, you know, as they
were in this like really strong relationship or anything like that,
and you know, I think I even talk in the
book how it almost seemed is toxic, and it was,
you know, very toxic for Hunter during that time, because
I feel like that's a time where he needed love
(04:45):
the most, and you.
Speaker 1 (04:47):
Feel like your relationship was going somewhere. I mean, the
way you talk about him, I guess I'm struck because
what we saw in the media was kind of this battle.
But I see you talk about him in very loving way,
and so I think that that's kind of how we
feel about those that we want to protect, and especially
those that we have seen go through something challenging, like
(05:10):
losing a family member. But I mean, if we look
back at Hunter's life, if we're being very honest, you know,
the car accident when he was very young, he lost
his mother, He's now at this point in his life,
lost his brother. He was going through being very addicted
to drugs at the time. I just wonder if you
can tell us a little bit. You talk about his charm,
(05:31):
and I think that's kind of confusing for all of
us because we're like, oh my gosh, he seems like
the most frustrating person on earth. But I know that
when you're with someone you see a different side.
Speaker 2 (05:41):
So what is it like to be charmed by people?
You know, people criticize me for that for you know,
humanizing him in the book, and it's just it's the
person that I knew. It's you know what I watch,
what I experienced, my experience with Hunter, and yeah, to
see him on the news and stuff, it's just like,
you know, everybody has this you know, where's Hunter and
(06:04):
and makes up you know, this this version of him,
But to know him is different, and I you know,
I could be critics. I am being criticized for that
because people see it as me defending him. But in
all honesty, I'm I'm just letting my experience be known.
And in my journey with him and he, you know,
in the book, like we could we could go places
(06:26):
and like the there's a time I talk about in
the book he related to everyone that he encountered anybody,
you know, like we were at our restaurant one time
and he, you know, related to this girl about this
bracelet that she was wearing and complimented her on it
and stuff and showed her that his bracelet he used
to always wear this like silver metal bracelet, where I've
(06:49):
always thought it looked like the what would Jesus do
fish like engraved around it, and he's, you know, starts
telling her the backstory on that, and I'm I even
ask him in that moment, you know, how do you
do it? Like you to hear your story and to
read what you've obviously had googled him at the time,
I expect you to be some entitled jerk, and you're
(07:13):
you're not. He's like, it's easy. You just treat people
how you want to be treated, like it's it's pretty simple.
And I was like, oh, I mean that's a good point.
Speaker 1 (07:22):
But then he didn't. I mean, ultimately, he didn't treat
you that way, and I think that may be the disconnect.
Let me ask you at the time when you were
with him, did you understand the gravity of being with
someone with that amount of power and that close to
someone who was at that time talking about running for
president but had just been vice president. Did you do
(07:45):
you think that? I mean, you were young, you were
in your twenties. Did you understand the gravity of the situation.
I don't.
Speaker 2 (07:51):
I don't think so, because also, you know, part of
the Hunter package and being with him is you know,
Hunter was like yes, bigger than being with him an
adventuress and whatnot. But Haunter was he was Hunt. He
wasn't Haunter Biden, the former vice president's son and cross
(08:11):
like that do what?
Speaker 1 (08:12):
He was just your friend?
Speaker 2 (08:14):
Yeah, like he and he never he never really came
across as being this entitled. You know, my dad's this person,
and you know he didn't do that in our relationship.
Speaker 1 (08:27):
You saw him though, at times that were probably what
you would consider someone's worst, right. You talk about the
night that you stayed up with him all night and
you worried that he may not make it. And I
know there are so many people across this country that
know that feeling, that have had a loved one who
becomes addicted to drugs and just doesn't know, like what
will tomorrow bring? And that moment that night, I just wonder,
(08:50):
did you ever say to yourself, what do I do
if I'm in this room with the former vice president's
son and he doesn't make it through? Yes?
Speaker 2 (09:03):
I talk about that in the book. It means very tough.
What do you do?
Speaker 1 (09:06):
Do you?
Speaker 2 (09:07):
You know, he's obviously completely out of it and I'm
sitting there. I watched his breathing that entire night, you know,
and I cried as I watched his where I had
a friend with me, you know, he sat there and
helped me, and then, you know, every now and then
he let out a snore. I'd be okay, it's okay,
and give me. But I kept my phone in my
hand the entire time, because no, I didn't want anything
(09:27):
to happen to him. But at the same time, what
if you know, he's okay by morning, he just needs
to sleep it off, you know, and and I've called
the ambulance and now it's this huge scandal, and then
he's gonna hate me, you know, and the entire family
will hate me. And so it was. It was a
rough night, and you know, a really hard night to
(09:48):
write about, because, yeah, you feel like his life is
in your hands. And then, you know, I talk about
the end of it. Him being in that state, he
had to have been somewhat scared, very can fuse you know,
he had been on this bench or whatever. But he
found he came to me, and he found me, and
I took care of him that night, and I said,
(10:08):
how damn honored am I? He could have went anywhere
in the world that night, but he found me and
I took care of me.
Speaker 1 (10:16):
That's a special bond, but it can be a manipulative
bond too, And I think that's what when you say
you've been you've gotten criticism. It's easy to stand on
the outside when you haven't experienced that and say why
would you? Why would you? And I think I can
fully understand how you feel about it. So let me
ask you. When you went to him and you told
(10:37):
him you were pregnant, your story is that he immediately
you said it's yours, and he said, of course, I
know it's mine. So what was it like after going
through that with him, and you clearly care about him
so much, having him come out and deny the baby heartbreaking?
Speaker 2 (10:55):
It was, it was There was a lot of emotions,
and you know, I'll say again, a lot of these
chapters were so hard to write because now I'm at
a point now where you know, I have I can't
carry those burdens on me and that hate and that
anger and the resentment, and so I have to forgive
for myself, and going back and writing this book was
(11:17):
a therapy, but also like there was some hard times
where I had to put the book down and you know,
not be able to avoid this chapter for a second.
Let me come back to it, because I just can't
deal with it right now. And I think that denial
it triggered something in me to where I had been
(11:39):
given him grace. And you know, a quality and a
trait of addicts is to you know, avoid and deflect,
and I felt like that's what he had done during
you know, my entire pregnancy and whatnot. But at this
point there's there's a public denial, and I'm just like,
oh no, I told my attorney. I was like, I
just I don't care what you do. I just want
(12:01):
accountability to be taken for this job. He knows me.
Speaker 1 (12:05):
And you're in You're suddenly thrust into the public eye
someplace you've never been before. Absolutely so when he needed
you most, and when he needed no, when he needed
someone most, he went to you, and you didn't hesitate.
Then suddenly you're in a position you've never been in
before and he bails, which I know, I understand that
(12:29):
how you feel, and I understand making that excuse, you know,
because I think we all make excuses for the people
that we love, especially when we've seen them go through
a struggle. I think that some people would say, well,
you did what you needed to, though, because in that moment,
you didn't just walk away and say, Okay, he needs
to bail, he needs an escape. You pushed and this
is a hard family to push against, to push against
(12:52):
the future president of the United States and his son,
and I applaud you for doing that. I wanted to
know if you're comfortable sharing. Did anyone ever ask you
to terminate the pregnancy.
Speaker 2 (13:06):
No? No, that was a big deal. You know, everyone
assumed that Hunter was just, you know, get an abortion,
have an abortion. But Hunter made it very clear to
me during the time when he said that he was,
you know, going to support me and everything moving forward.
He still said, you know, this is your decision ultimately
(13:28):
as a woman, and I'll respect whatever decision you make.
And I think one of our last conversations that i'd
had with him in DC, he he come across as
if like, you know, I'm broke, and I'm I'm I've
lost all my money, and you know he's I think
he said his daughter needed a laptop and he didn't
(13:48):
even have enough money to buy our a laptop. And
it dawned on me to any of those things.
Speaker 1 (13:54):
Do what he had a laptop that he lost legedly No, no, no,
that's been proven now by the oh yeah.
Speaker 2 (14:05):
So you know, and he's telling me these things, but
it registers with me that the reason he's telling me
these things is because I'm pregnant and he doesn't want
to take that accountability. And I think that was the
first time, and you know, you read it in the
book I go from. I'd always called him Hunt, you know,
like the people that are close to him always called
him that, And I started calling that From that day forward,
(14:28):
he's been Hunter like it was because it the way
that he the type of person that I felt like
he portrayed me. That day hurt, and you know that's
where that hurt started. And then I get the phone
call from my dad and he says, you know, you
can always come home, and and that's what I did,
and I came home and surrounded myself with my family
(14:50):
and got through that time.
Speaker 1 (14:54):
But you made a comment, you said, initially he said,
whatever you decide, I will support you. So did you
feel like there was a chance that you would even
if you weren't together, that you would still be raising
navy together in some way?
Speaker 2 (15:08):
I'd always just like I guess, had hope for that,
you know, because it's like I said, I had an
incredible relationship with my father growing up, and I would
want that same experience for my daughter. I would want
her to, you know, be able to come in the
house and call dad when she wants to, or call
mom when she wants to. You know, you as a mother,
you can't have enough people to be positive influences in
(15:32):
their life and to love them. And I know that
Hunter had that. He was just and he's just in
a dark place.
Speaker 1 (15:39):
Let's take a quick commercial break. We'll continue next on
the Tutor Dixon Podcast. I think that's the shocking part
for folks on the outside, is that the first family
has always talked about how close they are to the
entire family and to the grandchildren, and Joe Biden, the President,
has come out multiple times as that he talks to
(15:59):
his grandchildren every week. Now. For a long time, they
never acknowledged maybe they didn't even acknowledge her until last year.
That was the first time, when she was what almost
five years old, was when they first came out and
said that they acknowledged that they have another grandchild. A
seventh grandchild. And this was after they had all the
(16:22):
stockings up and everything at the White House. What was
it like in those moments when you I mean, regardless
of having a relationship with Hunter, as you said, your family,
and I think most families, most people listening, I'm sure
can relate to the fact that, regardless of what happens
in relationships, the children always come first. I mean, the
(16:45):
family always rallies around the kids. And that was the
attitude that was portrayed by the First family. But Jill
Biden went so far as to write a book and
dedicate it to her grandchildren and put every child's name
in there except for Navy. They went and they put
all of the stockings up at the White House, every
child's name except for Navy. Then when they finally came
(17:07):
out and said, oh, turns out we're actually going to
admit that we do have another grandchild, no stockings went
up that year. What does that feel like for you?
Speaker 2 (17:18):
A slap in the face, A slap in my child's face.
And I think, you know, one day she's gonna get
older and she's gonna have access to the Internet, and
she's going to read everything that happened and see everything
that happened, and my heart every time something like that happens,
(17:41):
my heart breaks for her because there's this beautiful little
girl running around that looks just like their son and
has a lot of his qualities, and you know, to
accept her and to love her and to get to
know I mean, to know her, it's to love her,
but it's a it would be a feather in their
cap I I can't say I understand those actions. I'd
(18:06):
like to think that maybe had some new pr and
whatever their reason behind it. But it was hurtful, very hurtful.
And that's one of the first things that when Hunter
and I set down, you know, I told him about
that was very hurtful.
Speaker 1 (18:22):
I think about that. Just what you say about your
family and my I've won. I have four girls. One
of them is kind of like the spitting image of
me when I was a kid, and when my dad
was around. My dad would put her on his knee
and he would go, I've been in this moment before. Man,
this is like looking straight into your eyes again. And
I that, to me is like that moment. And I
(18:45):
don't know if it's because something else is going on
in the Biden family and I really do believe that
there has been, you know, something happening with Joe Biden.
But I just don't understand how a father who says
that he his children so much, especially the striking resemblance
like you say, and that's what I think about my Bonnie,
(19:05):
when my dad would hold her and say that, how
does he not want a relationship? Have you? Have you
ever received any type of a birthday card or anything
from the from the first Lady and the President.
Speaker 2 (19:17):
I have not. I'm not. And you know it's funny
you talk about the similarities and stuff. My mother was
with me and in the room. She I drove myself
to the hospital when I went into labor, and it
was an hour drive, but I did it. My water
my water broke and I drove an hour by myself.
Speaker 1 (19:38):
Well, well, you becoming like a bigger and bigger champion
in this. I'm like, holy cow, I was like carry
me in.
Speaker 2 (19:47):
It got to a point where I was like, you
know what, you know, I'm doing this. I'm doing this
on my own, and I'm going to use my independence
and I'm you know, I'm gonna prove to everybody that
I can do this. And I drove myself an hour
to the hospital. My mom was, you know, in the
room with me when I had her. My mom was
(20:07):
the first person, you know, to see her. She cut
her in velical cord and like she she saw her,
and I just I looked over at her and I saw,
you know, maybe had a head full of black hair.
And I had a headful of black hair when I
was born. And so I'm thinking, maybe she looks like me.
And I look at my mom and I say, does
she look like me? And mom said, no, what do
(20:29):
you mean? She said, she looks like somebody I've never
met in person before. I'm like, oh, no, she looks
like and yeah, like since she was a baby, she's
had like those furrowed brows and everything just like makes
those same facial expressions, and she's stunning.
Speaker 1 (20:47):
What a stunning baby. I mean, when I've seen the
pictures of her, I'm like, I, you know, I think
that all children are beautiful, because if they weren't, you
would it would drive you crazy when they's screaming and
crying all the time. But when you look at her,
you're like, there's something you talked about in it. When
you talk about your experience with Hunter, you talk about
(21:11):
his eyes being so deep and mysterious. She has those eyes, Yes.
Speaker 2 (21:15):
She does. Somebody one day we were looking at a
house and this guy, he says Navy. He says, you
have the most beautiful eyes, like I have never seen
eyes like that before. And I was like, well, do
you ever.
Speaker 1 (21:32):
Pick up a newspaper, You'll see them. So let me
ask you. Then, when you hear a lot of this discussion.
I know this is tough because it's politics, but when
you hear a lot of the discussion about protecting women's rights,
you have a daughter. You hear this hole where we
as Democrats want to protect women's rights and the reproductive
(21:56):
rights of women. I would argue that the reproductive rights
are also too. Be allowed to have your child and
get support of your child. And when you went through
this battle, because maybe it was born in twenty eighteen,
you didn't get a final a final decision on child
support until twenty twenty, so you went through two years,
(22:16):
two of the hardest years when your child is a
baby fighting for support. Is it frustrating to hear the
bidens come out and say, hey, we want women to
be supported when you know that you fought them on that.
Speaker 2 (22:29):
Yes and no, because it's it's one of those things
where I haven't been as involved in politics as I
used to be, because you know, there was a time
where you would turn on the TV and you know
there's some not so great pictures of my child's father leaked,
and I did not want her to see any of
(22:50):
that because you know, at that point, she's learning who
her father is, and I'm trying to show her the
you know, she wants to see pictures of him, and
I want to show her the best pictures I can
find of and you know, she wants to hear his
voice for the first time. And the first thing that
resonates with me is, you know, I let her hear
or watch a video of his eulogy that he gave
(23:11):
at Bo's funeral, because I felt that was more heartfelt
and she could see her father as you know, a
human and and someone you know, with so much love
in his heart. And so that's what I let her,
you know, listen to to hear his voice. And I'll
never forget how to talk about it in the book.
You know, she she looks at the screen and as
he says in the eulogy, you know, I love you,
(23:31):
I love you, I love you. You know she she kisses
the screen and says, I love you, and you know
she she's never she had never met him, she had
never talked to him at that time, and so, you know,
I I I think I think that women have that
right to choose what they want to do, and you know,
(23:54):
whether they're going to fight forward to whether they want
to abort it or whatever they want to do, that's
on each woman to choose for themselves. And I think
if I probably if I looked more into it, yeah,
I would. I don't know if I would agree with
you know, his his standpoint as far as how can
(24:16):
he say that when when we've been through what we've
gone through? Right?
Speaker 1 (24:20):
Yeah, you have also fought over Maybe's last name. And
I think that most of us had heard Navy Biden
for a long time and we just kind of assumed that,
and it was surprising to us that they were they
suddenly started fighting over whether or not she could use
her rightful surname. I mean, we had never I don't
(24:43):
think anybody in the country had considered that a father
could deny his child his surname and say no, you
legally can't use it, and so that was also a
stunning move. Now I know you guys have come to
a compromise on that, and by and Navy will be
taking the name Roberts. Do you think that, I mean
you talked about when she gets old enough. Do you
(25:05):
think when she gets old enough to understand this, she's
gonna say, how could he love me? And yet say
I can't hold his name. It's a very personal thing.
Speaker 2 (25:18):
Well, you know, from the beginning, like you said, you know,
most children do take their father's surname. And when I
filled out her birth certificate, I could have put his
last name on there, but I didn't. And I did
that solely for you know, I know he's going to
be running for president. I thought it was, you know,
the safest thing for her at the time, and I
(25:38):
was torn. And it wasn't until the day I filled
out the certificate, right there in front of me, that
I decided that because that's something that I contemplated. I
even thought about putting her middle name as Navy Joan
Hunter Roberts, you know, like something, you know, instilling something
from her father to her. And I reached out after
(25:59):
the fraternity, you know, I expected to hear something because
there's a child. You know that pattorney's been established that
it's yours, and from what I know about Hunter, I
expected him to, you know, reach out and want that relationship.
And when he didn't, I had talked to my attorney
(26:19):
and said, you know, well, maybe by asking them they
want to change her last name, would that be like
a door opener? And it was not. They thought it
might be political warfare and whatnot. Which is it's fun
Robert's name, my dad's company and what he does. The
Roberts name holds a lot of weight around here, and
(26:39):
I think that you know, she's fine with the last
name Roberts, and if she wants to change it, that
will solely depend on his relationship with her moving forward.
Speaker 1 (26:51):
He's been told he has to zoom with her, and
you've talked about the fact that they have connected over zoom.
When did those meetings.
Speaker 2 (26:58):
Start those and he started last year, last September, I
believe so.
Speaker 1 (27:04):
Was that the first time that he had ever met her?
Speaker 2 (27:08):
Yes, through zoom?
Speaker 1 (27:10):
So she was five, she had just turned five then
and he met her through zoom. You've talked about the
fact that he is required to zoom with her once
a month, and he's been zooming with her more often,
and that she had some surgery or a medical issue
and he contacted her more regularly after that. He's never
(27:33):
seen her in person. Though, how do you feel about that?
Speaker 2 (27:37):
I like to give grace and I want to think,
you know, I think we're all aware. Hunter has a
lot on his plate right now as a mother, and
there's there's not enough times that she is asked over
Zoom you know, maybe I'll come see you sometime or okay,
(27:58):
well maybe you know, she asked him he wanted to
talk to her, like for his birthday and she's like, well,
what do you have planned for your birthday? And he's like, oh,
you know, nothing much, you know, and downplad it. She's like,
well maybe I'll come see you, you know. And as
as a mother, it's heartbreaking, you know, to see that,
because this this little girl yearns so much for her
(28:20):
father's love. And you know, they've got to a point
on Zoom where she tells them all the time how
much she loves him, and you know, now he's telling
her that, you know, he loves her too, and they'll
go back and forth with it, and it's it's hard
for a little girl who doesn't understand everything that's, you know,
going on around her.
Speaker 1 (28:42):
Let's take a quick commercial break. We'll continue next on
the Tutor Dixon Podcast. I mean, I think it's hard
for all of us because and I think that's one
of the things that watching someone who has the means
and has the access to go anywhere, has gone everywhere
(29:02):
in the world. And I know that he's claimed that
he's had hardship, but his father is the president of
the United States right now, and I think from that standpoint,
it's frustrating for the country to go. Kissing through the
screen is not enough. I want a hug, you know,
if I'm if that's my baby girl, I want him
(29:23):
to hold her and under and see her and see
her fully full dimensional face, you know, like this is
it is a different thing seeing someone through a screen
than holding their hand and telling them you love them.
And I think that's just I can't imagine. And I
feel like there needs to be an awareness for other moms,
(29:46):
like you've You've been so strong in this and you've
pushed as hard as you possibly can, I think, but man,
I feel like there needs to be a connection there.
He needs to. I know you can't make person do it,
but it's just so hard to hear.
Speaker 2 (30:03):
Yeah, it's very hard and it's very you know, hard
to deal with. And I've continued from the beginning having
that hope and keeping that hope because you know, I've
seen a lot of good and hunter that apparently, you know,
most people don't see, but I've seen that. And I've
always wanted him to just do the right thing, and
(30:26):
I think that he's capable of doing that. I think
the hesitation, you know, it might lie towards me, and
you know, they don't think I can be trusted or.
Speaker 1 (30:36):
That doesn't but it's not that doesn't matter. I mean,
I hate to say it, but you know.
Speaker 2 (30:41):
She's the most important one, right So it's about our daughter.
Speaker 1 (30:48):
Have they invited her to the White House? Has she
ever been to the White House?
Speaker 2 (30:52):
No? There is a segment I talk about in the
book where I take Navy to d C. Of course,
I lived in DC and like the people that know me,
and it's my favorite place in the world. I've always
loved d C. I've always wanted to live there and
it was a dream when I did. And I have
a lot of friends there that have turned into family
and so, you know, I took her to d C.
(31:14):
And my friends used to always laugh because the National
Mall area where the monuments was like my favorite part.
Like I would go for walks there when I lived there.
And they're like, you live here, and you still act
like a tourist, Like you do realize that. They're like,
we know, any weekend we spend with you, like we're
like doing DC tourist stuff, like you live here. And
(31:36):
I took my daughter. We started going. I started dating,
you know, during the fraternity suit or right before it,
and that ended pretty badly, and I push all of
that into the book and his insecurities when it came
to who you know, Navy's father was, and it didn't
work out, and we went to get away, and so
(31:56):
what better place to get away than my favorite place
in the world. And I take Navy to DC and
I take her to the National Mall, and of course,
you know, the White House was as part of the
National Mall, and she she stopped there, and you know,
every every mom takes a picture of their kid in
front of those monuments and stuff like that. But that
(32:18):
one is when I said, you know, I captured on
my phone, but I've captured it in my mind, in
my heart forever, because there's this little girl on the
outside of these gates looking in at this big house
and I'm just you know her.
Speaker 1 (32:34):
And she should be playing on the inside.
Speaker 2 (32:36):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (32:38):
Last year, President Biden said he told the press that
all of his grandchildren enjoy Secret Service protection. Does maybe
have Secret Service protection?
Speaker 2 (32:46):
No, she does not.
Speaker 1 (32:49):
It's been asked multiple times if that was true of
Navy and doesn't respond. If he offered a tour, would
you take her to the White House?
Speaker 2 (33:02):
I would be open to you know, like I said,
if they will step into her life, be good influences
and lover. She's very easy to love. Absolutely, I would
allow that door open for her sake.
Speaker 1 (33:17):
Well, let me ask you this. If President Trump wins
and he offers Navy a tour of the White House,
would you take her there? Then?
Speaker 2 (33:26):
Well, how do you take Hunter Biden's child on a
tour with Donald Trump?
Speaker 1 (33:34):
I mean, is it is a very important house. I know,
I understand. I just you know, the former presidents are
kind of like a fraternity, and I know Trump is
not necessarily a part of that. Have any of the
other former presidents reached out to you and offered kind
of that discussion. I mean, this is like a very
special special club to be a part of, to have
(33:57):
your grandfather be the president of the Uni States, and
and quite honestly, I think most of us believe that
those years are few and far between life for Joe
Biden because he's elderly and he's shown signs that he's
elderly and there may not be that many years left.
But some of the presidents are younger. Have any of
them reached out to you and said, hey, I want
(34:18):
to I want to just explain to her what it's like.
Speaker 2 (34:23):
No, I can't, you know, I can't. I can't say
that much. You know, my dad has gone on My
dad's real big in the hunting industry, and he's actually
gone on a hunt with Donald Trump Junior and they
know each other, and you know, one of the first
things they said, you know, Donald Junior wanted a gun
(34:46):
done by my dad. He wanted the custom work done
and you know, my dad did it for him and stuff.
And when they met, my dad said, my dad made
it clear heus did one things off limits, and that
that's my daughter and my granddaughter and that's one thing
we won't discuss. And he said, hey, when it comes
to family, I completely understand, and I won't and I'll
(35:06):
be very you know, very respectful. And you know, my
dad made that clear from the jump, even though I
wasn't too happy with it, because I'm worried about you know,
how that might make Hunter feel. And you're very protective
of him, you know, everyone says that.
Speaker 1 (35:25):
I just think, I mean, he is one of the
most well protected men in the world and has access
to everything, and you still, I can see your heart
for him is still to protect him, which I do
think that considering the fact that you haven't had the
been able to enjoy what it is to have a
(35:45):
daughter who is the granddaughter of the President of the
United States, there would be some frustration and you aren't there,
and maybe you've worked through that frustration over these years.
Speaker 2 (35:55):
Absolutely, absolutely, I mean there are times, you know, I
think the first few chapters are kind of the hardest
to write because that kind of gives stories about our relationship,
different times with him and stuff. You know, he was
battling addiction, and I don't ever want to make it
seem like I'm telling his story because it's not my
(36:16):
story to tell. But I was very raw in those chapters,
and I wouldn't see that as you know, protecting him,
but it was just One of my editors described it
as like sweetly raw the way I would tell the stories,
like you know, but there it's crazy and like out
(36:36):
of this world stories. And then it's also you know,
there's that that sweetness that comes with it too, and
it's just you know, caring about someone who is going
through addiction and battling it to the worst degree.
Speaker 1 (36:56):
Just before I let you go, I'll ask you did
he ever talk of when you were together or did
he ever talk about his family or any of the
struggles that they were going through.
Speaker 2 (37:04):
Yes, and no, I mean nothing nothing crazy there was.
There was always, of course the struggle in his family
with his addiction. You know, that was that was something
that they were aware of, and they he would deflect
and you know, run away from it, and they wanted to,
you know, get him help. There's a story and in
the book I talk about you know, I'm in Bow's
(37:28):
house in Delaware with with Hunter and there's a knock
at the door and you know, Hunter goes out outside
and I stay in the back and I kind of
creep around the corner to see who it is, and
and it's his dad. And I talk about the look
on his dad's face. And now being a mother and
(37:48):
you know, loving my child the way that I do,
I can't imagine, you know, how he must have felt
watching his son go through that addiction, and how helpless
and you know that he was because the hunter would
tell you, you know, I'll get help when I want to,
and I'm not ready yet.
Speaker 1 (38:05):
And I talk about it kind of the life of
an addict.
Speaker 2 (38:08):
Yeah, And I talk about, you know, seeing Joe's face
to that window and the hurt that was on his
faces is something that I'll never forget. And as a mother,
I can't say I fully understand it because I'm not
in that situation. But as a mother and my love
for my child, you know, I can only imagine.
Speaker 1 (38:28):
Did you meet him then, before he found out you
were pregnant. Did you ever meet Joe Biden? No, Well,
I appreciate everything you've shared with us today. I think
you are one of the strongest women I've ever met,
because you've been through a lot, and I know I
thinked about the desire at times to commit suicide and
(38:51):
they being thrust into the media and all of this,
and I cannot imagine. I know what it's like to
raise girls, and I just can't imagine doing it in
the spot likely like this and having the pressure. And
you've done just an amazing job, and so I so
appreciate you coming on today. Yes, and tell us where again.
Give us the information about your book really quick before
(39:13):
I let you go.
Speaker 2 (39:14):
So the book is called Out of the Shadows, you know,
Like you said, I've tried to stay in this little
shill for as long as I can, but now I'm
able to talk about the journey and everything that I've
gone through. So this is coming Out of the Shadows.
And I think we could pre order it on Amazon,
and I've been told that I can pre order it
(39:34):
on Target, but I have not seen that link yet,
but I know there's links to pre order on Amazon.
It comes out August twentieth, the week before my daughter's birthday.
Speaker 1 (39:44):
Well happy birthday to Navy. It's a very exciting time
to turn She's twenty six, right, Yes, that is some
of the best years and I am sorry that there
are people that are missing out on that, but hopefully
some of this will convince that to change, because she
sounds like an amazing little girl.
Speaker 2 (40:02):
Well, thank you she is.
Speaker 1 (40:04):
Thank you London Roberts, thank you so much for being
on today.
Speaker 2 (40:07):
Thank you for having me.
Speaker 1 (40:08):
Absolutely, thank you all for joining us on the Tutor
Dixon Podcast. For this episode and others, go to Tutor
disonpodcast dot com or head over to the iHeartRadio app,
Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts and join
us next time on the Tutor Dixon Podcast. Top a
blessing
Welcome to the Tutor Dixon Podcast. Today. I am pleased
to have the opportunity to have a conversation with London Roberts,
the mother of one of our president's grandchildren. The kicker
is that President Biden hasn't met his granddaughter, Hunter's daughter,
Navy Roberts. London, who has had to fight to have
her daughter acknowledged by Hunter himself, has been quiet and
(00:21):
somewhat behind the scenes, but now she's speaking out in
a new book titled Out of the Shadows, My Life
inside the wild World of Hunter Biden, and that book
is coming out in August. London, thank you so much
for joining us. Thank you for having me absolutely so.
I wanted to kind of jump into how the relationship
started because I feel like that has been sort of well,
(00:43):
a certain narrative went out and sounds like that's not
the truth because we were all told that this was
kind of like a one night stand from a strip club.
But you actually worked for Hunter, right.
Speaker 2 (00:52):
I did. And I did not meet Hunter at a
strip club. I actually met him at Rosemont Seneca at
the House of and that was that was the first
time I met Hunter and got the full Hunter package.
Speaker 1 (01:06):
So how was it a relationship that started over time
working together or how did it begin?
Speaker 2 (01:11):
It? Did? I mean, eventually, you know, I started working
for him, but it was a relationship that started off
as like we would even call each other best friends,
you know, at some point in the beginning. And he
would always tell people, you know, when they asked like
how long have y'all known each other? Like if we
were someone, like how long have y'all known each other?
(01:32):
Like y'all seem like y'all known each other for every
He's like, oh, like years. I'm like, no, it's almost
a year, hunt like, you know at that point.
Speaker 1 (01:40):
But but that's really different than what we heard Grue
do what that's really different than what we heard? And
I just wondered, do you ever feel like the media
kind of covered up that friendship because they wanted to
make it seem like you were someone that should just
go away?
Speaker 2 (01:56):
It's possible, you know, I don't know why. I don't
know why everything you know, happened the way that it
did and why everything was said that's been said. But
you know, that's that's why I'm telling my story because
it's been a long journey and a long process, you know,
for me to get through. And I'm at a point where,
you know, I can talk about it and I can
(02:17):
share my story and my book, and you know, we
talked about the books being released in August, a week
before my daughter's birthday, and I've told everyone I can't
imagine a better gift for my daughter this year than
her mother's story.
Speaker 1 (02:31):
Yeah, and her father's story. I mean, it's both together,
and and I think that that is important for people
to understand that she doesn't have just a mom. And
you've fought really hard to make sure that her dad
is in her life, and I appreciate that because being
a single mom is not easy. I think the most
interesting part about it is I looked at the cover
(02:52):
of the book and the striking resemblance between Navy and
her dad.
Speaker 2 (02:57):
The blue eyes, very striking and mannerisms. It's a furrowed
eyebrows when she's talking to you. Everything. She's so much
of her father, it's crazy. And I always had a
great relationship with my father, like a great upbringing, and
you know, you want your child to have those same things, right,
(03:19):
and I know that there's you know, that potential one hunter.
Speaker 1 (03:23):
And though you fought very hard, for that. You were
at with him at a time where obviously he was struggling.
And I believe that any of us who have seen
someone who struggles with addiction, we know that when crisis occurs,
addiction gets worse. And he had lost his brother and
things were very hard. You were at with him at
a time where you saw him probably at his worst.
(03:43):
You even describe a time when you thought that he
was potentially overdosing. You also got to know his sister
in law. You talk about that a little bit, that
he wanted you to meet Hallie and he introduced you.
Did you know that they were in a relationship at
the same time.
Speaker 2 (04:03):
Yes and no, because it didn't really come across that way,
and you know, being on the outside and this all
being so new at the time, you know, you know,
I'd known Hunter before it ever came out in the tabloids.
You know, I'd been with him a few times, and
I'm just like, Okay, this, you know, is shocking, and
I write about it in the book how shocking it was.
(04:24):
But you know, I was around him a few times,
and it never really came off, you know, as they
were in this like really strong relationship or anything like that,
and you know, I think I even talk in the
book how it almost seemed is toxic, and it was,
you know, very toxic for Hunter during that time, because
I feel like that's a time where he needed love
(04:45):
the most, and you.
Speaker 1 (04:47):
Feel like your relationship was going somewhere. I mean, the
way you talk about him, I guess I'm struck because
what we saw in the media was kind of this battle.
But I see you talk about him in very loving way,
and so I think that that's kind of how we
feel about those that we want to protect, and especially
those that we have seen go through something challenging, like
(05:10):
losing a family member. But I mean, if we look
back at Hunter's life, if we're being very honest, you know,
the car accident when he was very young, he lost
his mother, He's now at this point in his life,
lost his brother. He was going through being very addicted
to drugs at the time. I just wonder if you
can tell us a little bit. You talk about his charm,
(05:31):
and I think that's kind of confusing for all of
us because we're like, oh my gosh, he seems like
the most frustrating person on earth. But I know that
when you're with someone you see a different side.
Speaker 2 (05:41):
So what is it like to be charmed by people?
You know, people criticize me for that for you know,
humanizing him in the book, and it's just it's the
person that I knew. It's you know what I watch,
what I experienced, my experience with Hunter, and yeah, to
see him on the news and stuff, it's just like,
you know, everybody has this you know, where's Hunter and
(06:04):
and makes up you know, this this version of him,
But to know him is different, and I you know,
I could be critics. I am being criticized for that
because people see it as me defending him. But in
all honesty, I'm I'm just letting my experience be known.
And in my journey with him and he, you know,
in the book, like we could we could go places
(06:26):
and like the there's a time I talk about in
the book he related to everyone that he encountered anybody,
you know, like we were at our restaurant one time
and he, you know, related to this girl about this
bracelet that she was wearing and complimented her on it
and stuff and showed her that his bracelet he used
to always wear this like silver metal bracelet, where I've
(06:49):
always thought it looked like the what would Jesus do
fish like engraved around it, and he's, you know, starts
telling her the backstory on that, and I'm I even
ask him in that moment, you know, how do you
do it? Like you to hear your story and to
read what you've obviously had googled him at the time,
I expect you to be some entitled jerk, and you're
(07:13):
you're not. He's like, it's easy. You just treat people
how you want to be treated, like it's it's pretty simple.
And I was like, oh, I mean that's a good point.
Speaker 1 (07:22):
But then he didn't. I mean, ultimately, he didn't treat
you that way, and I think that may be the disconnect.
Let me ask you at the time when you were
with him, did you understand the gravity of being with
someone with that amount of power and that close to
someone who was at that time talking about running for
president but had just been vice president. Did you do
(07:45):
you think that? I mean, you were young, you were
in your twenties. Did you understand the gravity of the situation.
I don't.
Speaker 2 (07:51):
I don't think so, because also, you know, part of
the Hunter package and being with him is you know,
Hunter was like yes, bigger than being with him an
adventuress and whatnot. But Haunter was he was Hunt. He
wasn't Haunter Biden, the former vice president's son and cross
(08:11):
like that do what?
Speaker 1 (08:12):
He was just your friend?
Speaker 2 (08:14):
Yeah, like he and he never he never really came
across as being this entitled. You know, my dad's this person,
and you know he didn't do that in our relationship.
Speaker 1 (08:27):
You saw him though, at times that were probably what
you would consider someone's worst, right. You talk about the
night that you stayed up with him all night and
you worried that he may not make it. And I
know there are so many people across this country that
know that feeling, that have had a loved one who
becomes addicted to drugs and just doesn't know, like what
will tomorrow bring? And that moment that night, I just wonder,
(08:50):
did you ever say to yourself, what do I do
if I'm in this room with the former vice president's
son and he doesn't make it through? Yes?
Speaker 2 (09:03):
I talk about that in the book. It means very tough.
What do you do?
Speaker 1 (09:06):
Do you?
Speaker 2 (09:07):
You know, he's obviously completely out of it and I'm
sitting there. I watched his breathing that entire night, you know,
and I cried as I watched his where I had
a friend with me, you know, he sat there and
helped me, and then, you know, every now and then
he let out a snore. I'd be okay, it's okay,
and give me. But I kept my phone in my
hand the entire time, because no, I didn't want anything
(09:27):
to happen to him. But at the same time, what
if you know, he's okay by morning, he just needs
to sleep it off, you know, and and I've called
the ambulance and now it's this huge scandal, and then
he's gonna hate me, you know, and the entire family
will hate me. And so it was. It was a
rough night, and you know, a really hard night to
(09:48):
write about, because, yeah, you feel like his life is
in your hands. And then, you know, I talk about
the end of it. Him being in that state, he
had to have been somewhat scared, very can fuse you know,
he had been on this bench or whatever. But he
found he came to me, and he found me, and
I took care of him that night, and I said,
(10:08):
how damn honored am I? He could have went anywhere
in the world that night, but he found me and
I took care of me.
Speaker 1 (10:16):
That's a special bond, but it can be a manipulative
bond too, And I think that's what when you say
you've been you've gotten criticism. It's easy to stand on
the outside when you haven't experienced that and say why
would you? Why would you? And I think I can
fully understand how you feel about it. So let me
ask you. When you went to him and you told
(10:37):
him you were pregnant, your story is that he immediately
you said it's yours, and he said, of course, I
know it's mine. So what was it like after going
through that with him, and you clearly care about him
so much, having him come out and deny the baby heartbreaking?
Speaker 2 (10:55):
It was, it was There was a lot of emotions,
and you know, I'll say again, a lot of these
chapters were so hard to write because now I'm at
a point now where you know, I have I can't
carry those burdens on me and that hate and that
anger and the resentment, and so I have to forgive
for myself, and going back and writing this book was
(11:17):
a therapy, but also like there was some hard times
where I had to put the book down and you know,
not be able to avoid this chapter for a second.
Let me come back to it, because I just can't
deal with it right now. And I think that denial
it triggered something in me to where I had been
(11:39):
given him grace. And you know, a quality and a
trait of addicts is to you know, avoid and deflect,
and I felt like that's what he had done during
you know, my entire pregnancy and whatnot. But at this
point there's there's a public denial, and I'm just like,
oh no, I told my attorney. I was like, I
just I don't care what you do. I just want
(12:01):
accountability to be taken for this job. He knows me.
Speaker 1 (12:05):
And you're in You're suddenly thrust into the public eye
someplace you've never been before. Absolutely so when he needed
you most, and when he needed no, when he needed
someone most, he went to you, and you didn't hesitate.
Then suddenly you're in a position you've never been in
before and he bails, which I know, I understand that
(12:29):
how you feel, and I understand making that excuse, you know,
because I think we all make excuses for the people
that we love, especially when we've seen them go through
a struggle. I think that some people would say, well,
you did what you needed to, though, because in that moment,
you didn't just walk away and say, Okay, he needs
to bail, he needs an escape. You pushed and this
is a hard family to push against, to push against
(12:52):
the future president of the United States and his son,
and I applaud you for doing that. I wanted to
know if you're comfortable sharing. Did anyone ever ask you
to terminate the pregnancy.
Speaker 2 (13:06):
No? No, that was a big deal. You know, everyone
assumed that Hunter was just, you know, get an abortion,
have an abortion. But Hunter made it very clear to
me during the time when he said that he was,
you know, going to support me and everything moving forward.
He still said, you know, this is your decision ultimately
(13:28):
as a woman, and I'll respect whatever decision you make.
And I think one of our last conversations that i'd
had with him in DC, he he come across as
if like, you know, I'm broke, and I'm I'm I've
lost all my money, and you know he's I think
he said his daughter needed a laptop and he didn't
(13:48):
even have enough money to buy our a laptop. And
it dawned on me to any of those things.
Speaker 1 (13:54):
Do what he had a laptop that he lost legedly No, no, no,
that's been proven now by the oh yeah.
Speaker 2 (14:05):
So you know, and he's telling me these things, but
it registers with me that the reason he's telling me
these things is because I'm pregnant and he doesn't want
to take that accountability. And I think that was the
first time, and you know, you read it in the
book I go from. I'd always called him Hunt, you know,
like the people that are close to him always called
him that, And I started calling that From that day forward,
(14:28):
he's been Hunter like it was because it the way
that he the type of person that I felt like
he portrayed me. That day hurt, and you know that's
where that hurt started. And then I get the phone
call from my dad and he says, you know, you
can always come home, and and that's what I did,
and I came home and surrounded myself with my family
(14:50):
and got through that time.
Speaker 1 (14:54):
But you made a comment, you said, initially he said,
whatever you decide, I will support you. So did you
feel like there was a chance that you would even
if you weren't together, that you would still be raising
navy together in some way?
Speaker 2 (15:08):
I'd always just like I guess, had hope for that,
you know, because it's like I said, I had an
incredible relationship with my father growing up, and I would
want that same experience for my daughter. I would want
her to, you know, be able to come in the
house and call dad when she wants to, or call
mom when she wants to. You know, you as a mother,
you can't have enough people to be positive influences in
(15:32):
their life and to love them. And I know that
Hunter had that. He was just and he's just in
a dark place.
Speaker 1 (15:39):
Let's take a quick commercial break. We'll continue next on
the Tutor Dixon Podcast. I think that's the shocking part
for folks on the outside, is that the first family
has always talked about how close they are to the
entire family and to the grandchildren, and Joe Biden, the President,
has come out multiple times as that he talks to
(15:59):
his grandchildren every week. Now. For a long time, they
never acknowledged maybe they didn't even acknowledge her until last year.
That was the first time, when she was what almost
five years old, was when they first came out and
said that they acknowledged that they have another grandchild. A
seventh grandchild. And this was after they had all the
(16:22):
stockings up and everything at the White House. What was
it like in those moments when you I mean, regardless
of having a relationship with Hunter, as you said, your family,
and I think most families, most people listening, I'm sure
can relate to the fact that, regardless of what happens
in relationships, the children always come first. I mean, the
(16:45):
family always rallies around the kids. And that was the
attitude that was portrayed by the First family. But Jill
Biden went so far as to write a book and
dedicate it to her grandchildren and put every child's name
in there except for Navy. They went and they put
all of the stockings up at the White House, every
child's name except for Navy. Then when they finally came
(17:07):
out and said, oh, turns out we're actually going to
admit that we do have another grandchild, no stockings went
up that year. What does that feel like for you?
Speaker 2 (17:18):
A slap in the face, A slap in my child's face.
And I think, you know, one day she's gonna get
older and she's gonna have access to the Internet, and
she's going to read everything that happened and see everything
that happened, and my heart every time something like that happens,
(17:41):
my heart breaks for her because there's this beautiful little
girl running around that looks just like their son and
has a lot of his qualities, and you know, to
accept her and to love her and to get to
know I mean, to know her, it's to love her,
but it's a it would be a feather in their
cap I I can't say I understand those actions. I'd
(18:06):
like to think that maybe had some new pr and
whatever their reason behind it. But it was hurtful, very hurtful.
And that's one of the first things that when Hunter
and I set down, you know, I told him about
that was very hurtful.
Speaker 1 (18:22):
I think about that. Just what you say about your
family and my I've won. I have four girls. One
of them is kind of like the spitting image of
me when I was a kid, and when my dad
was around. My dad would put her on his knee
and he would go, I've been in this moment before. Man,
this is like looking straight into your eyes again. And
I that, to me is like that moment. And I
(18:45):
don't know if it's because something else is going on
in the Biden family and I really do believe that
there has been, you know, something happening with Joe Biden.
But I just don't understand how a father who says
that he his children so much, especially the striking resemblance
like you say, and that's what I think about my Bonnie,
(19:05):
when my dad would hold her and say that, how
does he not want a relationship? Have you? Have you
ever received any type of a birthday card or anything
from the from the first Lady and the President.
Speaker 2 (19:17):
I have not. I'm not. And you know it's funny
you talk about the similarities and stuff. My mother was
with me and in the room. She I drove myself
to the hospital when I went into labor, and it
was an hour drive, but I did it. My water
my water broke and I drove an hour by myself.
Speaker 1 (19:38):
Well, well, you becoming like a bigger and bigger champion
in this. I'm like, holy cow, I was like carry
me in.
Speaker 2 (19:47):
It got to a point where I was like, you
know what, you know, I'm doing this. I'm doing this
on my own, and I'm going to use my independence
and I'm you know, I'm gonna prove to everybody that
I can do this. And I drove myself an hour
to the hospital. My mom was, you know, in the
room with me when I had her. My mom was
(20:07):
the first person, you know, to see her. She cut
her in velical cord and like she she saw her,
and I just I looked over at her and I saw,
you know, maybe had a head full of black hair.
And I had a headful of black hair when I
was born. And so I'm thinking, maybe she looks like me.
And I look at my mom and I say, does
she look like me? And mom said, no, what do
(20:29):
you mean? She said, she looks like somebody I've never
met in person before. I'm like, oh, no, she looks
like and yeah, like since she was a baby, she's
had like those furrowed brows and everything just like makes
those same facial expressions, and she's stunning.
Speaker 1 (20:47):
What a stunning baby. I mean, when I've seen the
pictures of her, I'm like, I, you know, I think
that all children are beautiful, because if they weren't, you
would it would drive you crazy when they's screaming and
crying all the time. But when you look at her,
you're like, there's something you talked about in it. When
you talk about your experience with Hunter, you talk about
(21:11):
his eyes being so deep and mysterious. She has those eyes, Yes.
Speaker 2 (21:15):
She does. Somebody one day we were looking at a
house and this guy, he says Navy. He says, you
have the most beautiful eyes, like I have never seen
eyes like that before. And I was like, well, do
you ever.
Speaker 1 (21:32):
Pick up a newspaper, You'll see them. So let me
ask you. Then, when you hear a lot of this discussion.
I know this is tough because it's politics, but when
you hear a lot of the discussion about protecting women's rights,
you have a daughter. You hear this hole where we
as Democrats want to protect women's rights and the reproductive
(21:56):
rights of women. I would argue that the reproductive rights
are also too. Be allowed to have your child and
get support of your child. And when you went through
this battle, because maybe it was born in twenty eighteen,
you didn't get a final a final decision on child
support until twenty twenty, so you went through two years,
(22:16):
two of the hardest years when your child is a
baby fighting for support. Is it frustrating to hear the
bidens come out and say, hey, we want women to
be supported when you know that you fought them on that.
Speaker 2 (22:29):
Yes and no, because it's it's one of those things
where I haven't been as involved in politics as I
used to be, because you know, there was a time
where you would turn on the TV and you know
there's some not so great pictures of my child's father leaked,
and I did not want her to see any of
(22:50):
that because you know, at that point, she's learning who
her father is, and I'm trying to show her the
you know, she wants to see pictures of him, and
I want to show her the best pictures I can
find of and you know, she wants to hear his
voice for the first time. And the first thing that
resonates with me is, you know, I let her hear
or watch a video of his eulogy that he gave
(23:11):
at Bo's funeral, because I felt that was more heartfelt
and she could see her father as you know, a
human and and someone you know, with so much love
in his heart. And so that's what I let her,
you know, listen to to hear his voice. And I'll
never forget how to talk about it in the book.
You know, she she looks at the screen and as
he says in the eulogy, you know, I love you,
(23:31):
I love you, I love you. You know she she kisses
the screen and says, I love you, and you know
she she's never she had never met him, she had
never talked to him at that time, and so, you know,
I I I think I think that women have that
right to choose what they want to do, and you know,
(23:54):
whether they're going to fight forward to whether they want
to abort it or whatever they want to do, that's
on each woman to choose for themselves. And I think
if I probably if I looked more into it, yeah,
I would. I don't know if I would agree with
you know, his his standpoint as far as how can
(24:16):
he say that when when we've been through what we've
gone through? Right?
Speaker 1 (24:20):
Yeah, you have also fought over Maybe's last name. And
I think that most of us had heard Navy Biden
for a long time and we just kind of assumed that,
and it was surprising to us that they were they
suddenly started fighting over whether or not she could use
her rightful surname. I mean, we had never I don't
(24:43):
think anybody in the country had considered that a father
could deny his child his surname and say no, you
legally can't use it, and so that was also a
stunning move. Now I know you guys have come to
a compromise on that, and by and Navy will be
taking the name Roberts. Do you think that, I mean
you talked about when she gets old enough. Do you
(25:05):
think when she gets old enough to understand this, she's
gonna say, how could he love me? And yet say
I can't hold his name. It's a very personal thing.
Speaker 2 (25:18):
Well, you know, from the beginning, like you said, you know,
most children do take their father's surname. And when I
filled out her birth certificate, I could have put his
last name on there, but I didn't. And I did
that solely for you know, I know he's going to
be running for president. I thought it was, you know,
the safest thing for her at the time, and I
(25:38):
was torn. And it wasn't until the day I filled
out the certificate, right there in front of me, that
I decided that because that's something that I contemplated. I
even thought about putting her middle name as Navy Joan
Hunter Roberts, you know, like something, you know, instilling something
from her father to her. And I reached out after
(25:59):
the fraternity, you know, I expected to hear something because
there's a child. You know that pattorney's been established that
it's yours, and from what I know about Hunter, I
expected him to, you know, reach out and want that relationship.
And when he didn't, I had talked to my attorney
(26:19):
and said, you know, well, maybe by asking them they
want to change her last name, would that be like
a door opener? And it was not. They thought it
might be political warfare and whatnot. Which is it's fun
Robert's name, my dad's company and what he does. The
Roberts name holds a lot of weight around here, and
(26:39):
I think that you know, she's fine with the last
name Roberts, and if she wants to change it, that
will solely depend on his relationship with her moving forward.
Speaker 1 (26:51):
He's been told he has to zoom with her, and
you've talked about the fact that they have connected over zoom.
When did those meetings.
Speaker 2 (26:58):
Start those and he started last year, last September, I
believe so.
Speaker 1 (27:04):
Was that the first time that he had ever met her?
Speaker 2 (27:08):
Yes, through zoom?
Speaker 1 (27:10):
So she was five, she had just turned five then
and he met her through zoom. You've talked about the
fact that he is required to zoom with her once
a month, and he's been zooming with her more often,
and that she had some surgery or a medical issue
and he contacted her more regularly after that. He's never
(27:33):
seen her in person. Though, how do you feel about that?
Speaker 2 (27:37):
I like to give grace and I want to think,
you know, I think we're all aware. Hunter has a
lot on his plate right now as a mother, and
there's there's not enough times that she is asked over
Zoom you know, maybe I'll come see you sometime or okay,
(27:58):
well maybe you know, she asked him he wanted to
talk to her, like for his birthday and she's like, well,
what do you have planned for your birthday? And he's like, oh,
you know, nothing much, you know, and downplad it. She's like,
well maybe I'll come see you, you know. And as
as a mother, it's heartbreaking, you know, to see that,
because this this little girl yearns so much for her
(28:20):
father's love. And you know, they've got to a point
on Zoom where she tells them all the time how
much she loves him, and you know, now he's telling
her that, you know, he loves her too, and they'll
go back and forth with it, and it's it's hard
for a little girl who doesn't understand everything that's, you know,
going on around her.
Speaker 1 (28:42):
Let's take a quick commercial break. We'll continue next on
the Tutor Dixon Podcast. I mean, I think it's hard
for all of us because and I think that's one
of the things that watching someone who has the means
and has the access to go anywhere, has gone everywhere
(29:02):
in the world. And I know that he's claimed that
he's had hardship, but his father is the president of
the United States right now, and I think from that standpoint,
it's frustrating for the country to go. Kissing through the
screen is not enough. I want a hug, you know,
if I'm if that's my baby girl, I want him
(29:23):
to hold her and under and see her and see
her fully full dimensional face, you know, like this is
it is a different thing seeing someone through a screen
than holding their hand and telling them you love them.
And I think that's just I can't imagine. And I
feel like there needs to be an awareness for other moms,
(29:46):
like you've You've been so strong in this and you've
pushed as hard as you possibly can, I think, but man,
I feel like there needs to be a connection there.
He needs to. I know you can't make person do it,
but it's just so hard to hear.
Speaker 2 (30:03):
Yeah, it's very hard and it's very you know, hard
to deal with. And I've continued from the beginning having
that hope and keeping that hope because you know, I've
seen a lot of good and hunter that apparently, you know,
most people don't see, but I've seen that. And I've
always wanted him to just do the right thing, and
(30:26):
I think that he's capable of doing that. I think
the hesitation, you know, it might lie towards me, and
you know, they don't think I can be trusted or.
Speaker 1 (30:36):
That doesn't but it's not that doesn't matter. I mean,
I hate to say it, but you know.
Speaker 2 (30:41):
She's the most important one, right So it's about our daughter.
Speaker 1 (30:48):
Have they invited her to the White House? Has she
ever been to the White House?
Speaker 2 (30:52):
No? There is a segment I talk about in the
book where I take Navy to d C. Of course,
I lived in DC and like the people that know me,
and it's my favorite place in the world. I've always
loved d C. I've always wanted to live there and
it was a dream when I did. And I have
a lot of friends there that have turned into family
and so, you know, I took her to d C.
(31:14):
And my friends used to always laugh because the National
Mall area where the monuments was like my favorite part.
Like I would go for walks there when I lived there.
And they're like, you live here, and you still act
like a tourist, Like you do realize that. They're like,
we know, any weekend we spend with you, like we're
like doing DC tourist stuff, like you live here. And
(31:36):
I took my daughter. We started going. I started dating,
you know, during the fraternity suit or right before it,
and that ended pretty badly, and I push all of
that into the book and his insecurities when it came
to who you know, Navy's father was, and it didn't
work out, and we went to get away, and so
(31:56):
what better place to get away than my favorite place
in the world. And I take Navy to DC and
I take her to the National Mall, and of course,
you know, the White House was as part of the
National Mall, and she she stopped there, and you know,
every every mom takes a picture of their kid in
front of those monuments and stuff like that. But that
(32:18):
one is when I said, you know, I captured on
my phone, but I've captured it in my mind, in
my heart forever, because there's this little girl on the
outside of these gates looking in at this big house
and I'm just you know her.
Speaker 1 (32:34):
And she should be playing on the inside.
Speaker 2 (32:36):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (32:38):
Last year, President Biden said he told the press that
all of his grandchildren enjoy Secret Service protection. Does maybe
have Secret Service protection?
Speaker 2 (32:46):
No, she does not.
Speaker 1 (32:49):
It's been asked multiple times if that was true of
Navy and doesn't respond. If he offered a tour, would
you take her to the White House?
Speaker 2 (33:02):
I would be open to you know, like I said,
if they will step into her life, be good influences
and lover. She's very easy to love. Absolutely, I would
allow that door open for her sake.
Speaker 1 (33:17):
Well, let me ask you this. If President Trump wins
and he offers Navy a tour of the White House,
would you take her there? Then?
Speaker 2 (33:26):
Well, how do you take Hunter Biden's child on a
tour with Donald Trump?
Speaker 1 (33:34):
I mean, is it is a very important house. I know,
I understand. I just you know, the former presidents are
kind of like a fraternity, and I know Trump is
not necessarily a part of that. Have any of the
other former presidents reached out to you and offered kind
of that discussion. I mean, this is like a very
special special club to be a part of, to have
(33:57):
your grandfather be the president of the Uni States, and
and quite honestly, I think most of us believe that
those years are few and far between life for Joe
Biden because he's elderly and he's shown signs that he's
elderly and there may not be that many years left.
But some of the presidents are younger. Have any of
them reached out to you and said, hey, I want
(34:18):
to I want to just explain to her what it's like.
Speaker 2 (34:23):
No, I can't, you know, I can't. I can't say
that much. You know, my dad has gone on My
dad's real big in the hunting industry, and he's actually
gone on a hunt with Donald Trump Junior and they
know each other, and you know, one of the first
things they said, you know, Donald Junior wanted a gun
(34:46):
done by my dad. He wanted the custom work done
and you know, my dad did it for him and stuff.
And when they met, my dad said, my dad made
it clear heus did one things off limits, and that
that's my daughter and my granddaughter and that's one thing
we won't discuss. And he said, hey, when it comes
to family, I completely understand, and I won't and I'll
(35:06):
be very you know, very respectful. And you know, my
dad made that clear from the jump, even though I
wasn't too happy with it, because I'm worried about you know,
how that might make Hunter feel. And you're very protective
of him, you know, everyone says that.
Speaker 1 (35:25):
I just think, I mean, he is one of the
most well protected men in the world and has access
to everything, and you still, I can see your heart
for him is still to protect him, which I do
think that considering the fact that you haven't had the
been able to enjoy what it is to have a
(35:45):
daughter who is the granddaughter of the President of the
United States, there would be some frustration and you aren't there,
and maybe you've worked through that frustration over these years.
Speaker 2 (35:55):
Absolutely, absolutely, I mean there are times, you know, I
think the first few chapters are kind of the hardest
to write because that kind of gives stories about our relationship,
different times with him and stuff. You know, he was
battling addiction, and I don't ever want to make it
seem like I'm telling his story because it's not my
(36:16):
story to tell. But I was very raw in those chapters,
and I wouldn't see that as you know, protecting him,
but it was just One of my editors described it
as like sweetly raw the way I would tell the stories,
like you know, but there it's crazy and like out
(36:36):
of this world stories. And then it's also you know,
there's that that sweetness that comes with it too, and
it's just you know, caring about someone who is going
through addiction and battling it to the worst degree.
Speaker 1 (36:56):
Just before I let you go, I'll ask you did
he ever talk of when you were together or did
he ever talk about his family or any of the
struggles that they were going through.
Speaker 2 (37:04):
Yes, and no, I mean nothing nothing crazy there was.
There was always, of course the struggle in his family
with his addiction. You know, that was that was something
that they were aware of, and they he would deflect
and you know, run away from it, and they wanted to,
you know, get him help. There's a story and in
the book I talk about you know, I'm in Bow's
(37:28):
house in Delaware with with Hunter and there's a knock
at the door and you know, Hunter goes out outside
and I stay in the back and I kind of
creep around the corner to see who it is, and
and it's his dad. And I talk about the look
on his dad's face. And now being a mother and
(37:48):
you know, loving my child the way that I do,
I can't imagine, you know, how he must have felt
watching his son go through that addiction, and how helpless
and you know that he was because the hunter would
tell you, you know, I'll get help when I want to,
and I'm not ready yet.
Speaker 1 (38:05):
And I talk about it kind of the life of
an addict.
Speaker 2 (38:08):
Yeah, And I talk about, you know, seeing Joe's face
to that window and the hurt that was on his
faces is something that I'll never forget. And as a mother,
I can't say I fully understand it because I'm not
in that situation. But as a mother and my love
for my child, you know, I can only imagine.
Speaker 1 (38:28):
Did you meet him then, before he found out you
were pregnant. Did you ever meet Joe Biden? No, Well,
I appreciate everything you've shared with us today. I think
you are one of the strongest women I've ever met,
because you've been through a lot, and I know I
thinked about the desire at times to commit suicide and
(38:51):
they being thrust into the media and all of this,
and I cannot imagine. I know what it's like to
raise girls, and I just can't imagine doing it in
the spot likely like this and having the pressure. And
you've done just an amazing job, and so I so
appreciate you coming on today. Yes, and tell us where again.
Give us the information about your book really quick before
(39:13):
I let you go.
Speaker 2 (39:14):
So the book is called Out of the Shadows, you know,
Like you said, I've tried to stay in this little
shill for as long as I can, but now I'm
able to talk about the journey and everything that I've
gone through. So this is coming Out of the Shadows.
And I think we could pre order it on Amazon,
and I've been told that I can pre order it
(39:34):
on Target, but I have not seen that link yet,
but I know there's links to pre order on Amazon.
It comes out August twentieth, the week before my daughter's birthday.
Speaker 1 (39:44):
Well happy birthday to Navy. It's a very exciting time
to turn She's twenty six, right, Yes, that is some
of the best years and I am sorry that there
are people that are missing out on that, but hopefully
some of this will convince that to change, because she
sounds like an amazing little girl.
Speaker 2 (40:02):
Well, thank you she is.
Speaker 1 (40:04):
Thank you London Roberts, thank you so much for being
on today.
Speaker 2 (40:07):
Thank you for having me.
Speaker 1 (40:08):
Absolutely, thank you all for joining us on the Tutor
Dixon Podcast. For this episode and others, go to Tutor
disonpodcast dot com or head over to the iHeartRadio app,
Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts and join
us next time on the Tutor Dixon Podcast. Top a
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