RICHMOND, Va. -- Former Virginia Delegate Joe Morrissey has confirmed that he fathered the child of his former teenage staffer, Myrna Pride.
The now 19-year-old gave birth to the child in mid-March days after Morrissey completed a 90-day jail sentence for contributing to the delinquency of a minor. The sentence was the result of a plea deal Morrissey struck after he was accused of having a sexual relationship with an underage secretary in his law office.
Morrissey directly addressed the controversy, which he had promised to do months ago, on "The Jack Gravely Show" Wednesday morning on WLEE News Talk 990.
Gravely said during the interview that a lot of people like Morrissey, but have misgivings about his relationship with Pride because he “walked away” from the scandal.
“You walk away from it. Never apologize. Never say anything. No regrets. That’s Joe Morrissey,” Gravely said.
“Let’s stop right there. “Where, Jack, in this universe do you say, ‘Walk away from it?’” Morrissey asked. “Walk away from it? I got up this morning and the first person I kissed was Chase.”
“My baby. My son. I don’t walk away from anything," Morrissey continued.
“Joe, have you ever admitted that publicly – your son?”
"Everybody knows that Chase is my boy,” Morrissey said.
"But have you ever admitted it,” Gravely asked.
“Yes, I did it 30 seconds ago,” Morrissey said.
With that Gravely reiterated that Morrissey, after months of speculation, had confessed that he was the father of the teen’s baby.
“But Jack, I don’t walk around on the street corners saying, ‘Hey, Chase is mine.'” Morrissey added.
"But I walked down Monument Avenue on Easter Sunday with Myrna and with our baby," Morrissey said.
Morrissey also said his young children are the “two most precious things in the world” to him.
He said he sees his other child, Kennedy, who is two-and-a-half, every day.
The former delegate took exception with comments made by a former Richmond city council member who said Morrissey laid down with a Black woman and then walked away.
“I was down when Myrna gave birth to Chase. I am as engaged in Chase’s life as a man could be. There’s no walking away from anything. I’m super proud of Myrna and I love Chase,” Morrissey proclaimed.
“Let me tell you, I said on this show, ‘Joe Morrissey was going to help raise that boy,’” Gravely said. “Because that is his blood and that is his son. And that is his only son.”
"I’ve been… changing poopy diapers, giving him milk. I’m making it sound like it’s a chore [but] I love it. Chase is my blood," Morrissey said.
Just last week Morrissey handed an odd portrait to WTVR CBS 6 political reporter Joe St. George with no explanation.
When St. George asked if the photo was Morrissey’s way of confirming he was in fact the baby’s father, Morrissey said “no” and walked away.
Pride appeared with Morrissey days after the child’s birth when Morrissey announced he planned to run for Virginia’ s 16th Senate District seat.
In April, the State Democratic Committee ruled Morrissey did not have enough signatures to run in the Democratic primary.
Morrissey gave up his 74th House of Delegates seat in order to run for the Senate. He could still seek the Senate seat as an independent candidate.
