Senate Hopeful Herschel Walker, Who Says Every Kid Needs a Father, Has an Estranged 10-Year-Old Son: Report

In a 2021 interview, Walker spoke about the importance of fathers, saying, "even if you have to leave that woman — you don't leave that child"

Photo: Nathan Posner/Shutterstock

Former football star Herschel Walker — who has publicly spoken out about absentee fathers — has a second son whom he supports financially but otherwise does not see, a new report by The Daily Beast details.

The Daily Beast cites court records showing that the now 10-year-old child's mother sued Walker in 2013 to obtain child support.

The news about Walker's second child (his other son, Christian, is a right-wing social media star) comes to light as the former athlete has made numerous public comments about the importance of fathers.

In a 2021 interview with conservative social media personalities Diamond and Silk, he said: "The father leaves in the Black family. He leaves the boys alone so they'll be raised by their mom. If you have a child with a woman, even if you have to leave that woman — even if you have to leave that woman — you don't leave that child."

In a statement to The Daily Beast, Walker's campaign manager confirmed the news of the second child, telling the outlet: "Herschel had a child years ago when he wasn't married. He's supported the child and continues to do so. He's proud of his children. To suggest that Herschel is 'hiding' the child because he hasn't used him in his political campaign is offensive and absurd."

Herschel Walker (left) and son Christian Walker. Christian Walker/Twitter

The news about his son is the latest in a string of controversies for the College Football Hall of Famer, who won Georgia's Republican Senate primary last month.

Walker made headlines after advocating for a "spray" or a "mist" that can "kill" the virus that causes COVID-19 in a 2020 interview with conservative commentator and author Glenn Beck. Walker claimed the product, which does not exist, was "EPA-, FDA-approved."

He also raised eyebrows after he expressed skepticism about human evolution during an appearance at a local church in March, when he said, "If [evolution] is true, why are there still apes? Think about it."

Questions about Walker's college career have also been raised in recent months.

Walker attended the University of Georgia, where he became a Heisman Trophy winner and a College Football Hall of Famer, before leaving after his junior season to play football professionally in the short-lived United States Football League.

But he falsely claimed on his campaign website that he later returned to UGA to finish his studies and graduate with a bachelor's degree in criminal justice. After The Atlanta Journal-Constitution asked about the graduation claim, the Walker campaign deleted the reference from his biography.

The line about earning his degree is still visible in screenshots from the Internet Archive's Wayback Machine and also still included in an author bio for an edition of his book Breaking Free on Amazon.

According to an April CNN report, Walker has made the claim about graduating from the school as recently as 2017 — even stating that he was a top student.

"People say, 'Herschel, you played football.' But I said, 'Guys, I also was valedictorian of my class. I also was in the top 1 percent of my graduating class in college,'" Walker said during an 2017 interview with Sway Calloway on his SiriusXM radio show.

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Walker announced his candidacy for the U.S. Senate last summer.

"I will stand up for conservative values and get our country moving in the right direction," he said at the time. "I'm a kid from a small town in Georgia who lived the American Dream and I'm ready to fight to keep that dream alive for you too."

He secured the endorsement of former President Donald Trump in September, who called the former athlete a "friend, a Patriot, and an outstanding American who is going to be a GREAT United States Senator."

His family life has also been the subject of headlines.

In 2008, Walker wrote about having dissociative identity disorder, and his ex-wife said that he had violent episodes in their marriage, including holding a gun to her head — which CNN reported he did not deny, saying he had blackouts and memory loss and did not remember the episodes.

"I'm troubled by my actions and will always deeply regret any pain I've caused Cindy," he said at the time.