LA: Eliot Spitzer and his wife Silda, who stood by him as he admitted to spending thousands on high-class prostitutes, are calling it quits after 26 years of marriage.
Rumors have long circulated that the Spitzers were no longer a happy couple, but they waited until Tuesday - Christmas Eve - to formally announce that they weren't ending their marriage.
According to the Daily Mail report, the couple sent out a statement after Spitzer, 54, was pictured slipping into the home of 31-year-old Lis Smith, a press secretary who worked on his failed bid for New York City Comptroller.
The former governor, who resigned in 2008 after he was fingered as 'Client-9' in a federal bust of a high-class escort ring, was seen twice last week arriving at Smith's Soho apartment, taking her to a candle-lit dinner, then disappearing back upstairs.
'We regret that our marital relationship has come to an end and we have agreed not to make any other public statement on this subject,' Spitzer family spokeswoman Lisa Linden said in a terse statement released Tuesday night.
It is unclear whether the couple is already divorced or whether they are planning to divorce. Ms Linden would not elaborate on the statement.
Multiple reports indicate that Eliot and Silda have been living apart for some time. Mrs Spitzer was also noticeably absent from the campaign trail this past year.
Spitzer has repeatedly refused to comment on his personal life and says he is only staying at his parents' apartment because they are in poor health.
The couple have three grown daughters together: Elyssa, 23, Sarabeth, 20, and Jenna, 18.
Spitzer and his wife Silda stayed married for five and a half years after the scandal that cratered his meteoric political career.
It's unknown whether the timing of Silda and Eliot's split has anything to do with the his relationship with Miss Smith going public.
A friend of the new couple told MailOnline: 'The relationship began long after Eliot and his wife were living separately and it was not a secret to any of their friends or family.
'It's sad to see lots of outright lies about Lis and her career - Lis is an incredibly smart and dynamic woman who is at the top of her profession and is universally respected.
'She's dealing with this well and is looking forward to getting on with her career and life.'
The New York Post snapped pictures of Spitzer arriving around 10pm two nights in a row last week, then leaving before dawn.
The disgraced politician was seen dashing from the building shortly before 6am before hopping in a cab a few streets away.
On one occasion, the pair walked together from the apartment to a nearby restaurant, the cozy French bistro Le Pescadeux.
The manager of the restaurant told the Post that the couple were regulars, adding: 'The first time I saw Spitzer, I didn’t know if he was Eliot Spitzer or Anthony Weiner. Those two are like the same exact guy.'
After the romantic meal, the couple were seen entering Miss Smith's apartment building together.
Miss Smith joined De Blasio after Spitzer lost in the September primary. She has also served as the spokeswoman for the Mayor-elect during his transition.
The Daily News reports that Miss Smith is a frontrunner to become De Blasio's press secretary after he is formally sworn in.
In 2012, she led the 'rapid response team' on President Obama's reelection campaign.
A former colleague of Miss Smith's told MailOnline: 'Lis is one of the best political operatives in the country and her private dating life is not going to change any of that. Her accomplishments stand on their own.'
Miss Smith refused to directly comment about whether or not she is in a relationship with the disgraced former Governor.
Spitzer has been named as a possible presidential candidate before a federal investigation revealed him as 'Client 9' of Emporer's Club VIP, which ran $1,000-an-hour call girls.
