Just one day after news broke that Ed Hartwell had filed for divorce and demanded his wife, Keshia Knight Pulliam, undergo a paternity test to determine if he is the father of the child she is carrying, the “Cosby Show” alum is breaking her silence.
In an interview with “Entertainment Tonight,” which aired on Wednesday, July 27, the mom-to-be addressed the shocking split that came just six months after the couple tied the knot and just one week after the actress announced she’s expecting.
In regard to Hartwell’s request for a paternity test, Pulliam maintained she’s “never cheated on him during my marriage.” Instead, the 37-year-old alleged the former NFL star, 38, was unfaithful. “That’s not who I am,” she added. “That’s not an issue. There’s no problem. I’ve never been unfaithful to my husband. This is his daughter.”
In fact, Pulliam claimed she almost left Hartwell over the alleged infidelity. “When earlier in my marriage I was faced with this, I was ready to leave,” she said. “I had divorce papers ready. I presented them to him. He begged … He said, ‘Please, I want my family,’ he said all the right things. Once I was pregnant I decided to give him another chance.”
Meanwhile, Pulliam revealed she was blindsided by the split. “He left like it was any other day, said goodbye, I was still asleep in bed,” she said. “He texted me saying, ‘Hey, can I talk to you for a moment?’ … He was like, ‘You know, this isn’t working.’ All I heard was, ‘I filed for divorce this morning and I’m coming to get my stuff.’ ”
Although it may be quite some time before the couple dissolves their union, in the meantime, the former child star stated she’s focused only on protecting her unborn child. “It’s one thing when you choose to be in the spotlight. It’s another thing when you have a baby. And it’s not about me,” she said. “The biggest thing and my priority is she doesn’t deserve it.”
In spite of it all, when asked whether she still loves her estranged husband, Pulliam threw some slight shade saying she loves “who he pretended to be.”
“I have no desire to continue to be married to him,” she said. “I’m doing this one interview, and I’m done. I’m not going to continue to revisit, regurgitate, but I’m not going to continue to allow people to tell blatant lies about me.”
That being said, Pulliam said she’s still “grateful.”
“Despite all of this … I am grateful for my blessing, and that’s my little girl,” she said.
For part two of Pulliam’s two-night special interview, tune in tonight to “Entertainment Tonight,” Thursday, July 28. Check out local listings for more information.
