US President Joe Biden on Friday publicly acknowledged his seventh grandchild for the first time. According to the BBC, the 4-year-old, Navy Joan Roberts, is the child of Mr Biden's son Hunter and Arkansas woman Lunden Roberts.
In a statement, Mr Biden said that he and first lady Jill Biden wanted the best for all of their grandchildren, "including Navy". "Our son Hunter and Navy's mother, Lunden, are working together to foster a relationship that is in the best interests of their daughter, preserving her privacy as much as possible going forward," the US President told People magazine.
"This is not a political issue, it's a family matter. Jill and I only want what is best for all of our grandchildren, including Navy," he added.
As per the BBC, Hunter Biden's paternity was established by DNA testing after Ms Roberts sued for child support. The two resolved the outstanding child support issue last month.
Hunter Biden also wrote about his encounter with Ms Roberts in his 2021 memoir, saying it came while he was deep in addiction to alcohol and drugs. "I had no recollection of our encounter," he wrote. "That's how little connection I had with anyone. I was a mess, but a mess I've taken responsibility for," he added.
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Notably, Mr Biden's public acknowledgement of his 7th grandchild comes after he was criticised by both Republicans and Democrats over his previous decision not to recognise her. House Republican Elise Stefanik accused Mr Biden of "cold, heartless, selfish and cowardly" behaviour following the conclusion of the legal battle in June.
"Every American knows that Joe Biden should have done the right thing years ago and acknowledged all of his grandchildren," she said.
Meanwhile, Mr Biden has previously said that he was "crazy" about his six grandchildren and he spoke to them every day. Hunter Biden has four other children - three daughters with his ex-wife Kathleen Buhle, and a son with wife Melissa Cohen. Two other grandchildren of the President are the children of his late son Beau and his wife Hallie.
