Rob Porter’s Ex-Wife Jennifer Willoughby: He Was ‘Verbally and Emotionally Abusive’

RUSH TRANSCRIPT GUTHRIE Rob ░░░░░░░░ s former wife Jennie ░░░░░░░░ is with us now ░░░░░░░░ good morning Thanks for ░░░░░░░░ here It s not ░░░░░░░░ to relive a painful ░░░░░░░░ and certainly not easy ░░░░░░░░ do it publicly What ░░░░░░░░ these last few days ░░░░░░░░ like for you WILLOUGHBY ░░░░░░░░ s certainly been overwhelming ░░░░░░░░ did not seek this ░░░░░░░░ did not ask for ░░░░░░░░ As the moment was ░░░░░░░░ to me to share ░░░░░░░░ intimate and shameful details ░░░░░░░░ I have not even ░░░░░░░░ with family and friends ░░░░░░░░ been really cathartic GUTHRIE ░░░░░░░░ you say shameful what ░░░░░░░░ you mean by that ░░░░░░░░ I think anybody who ░░░░░░░░ been in a toxic ░░░░░░░░ an abusive relationship on ░░░░░░░░ degree you feel as ░░░░░░░░ it s your fault ░░░░░░░░ you carry that shame ░░░░░░░░ you I realize as ░░░░░░░░ started to speak out ░░░░░░░░ about it even now ░░░░░░░░ later that I had ░░░░░░░░ the healing and the ░░░░░░░░ that I felt that ░░░░░░░░ needed I still had ░░░░░░░░ in telling that story ░░░░░░░░ You were married about ░░░░░░░░ years correct WILLOUGHBY Four ░░░░░░░░ GUTHRIE When did you ░░░░░░░░ this has crossed a ░░░░░░░░ WILLOUGHBY You know abuse ░░░░░░░░ a really tricky thing ░░░░░░░░ starts it starts slow ░░░░░░░░ it starts cycles where ░░░░░░░░ don t really see ░░░░░░░░ for what it is ░░░░░░░░ don t think I ░░░░░░░░ that I could even ░░░░░░░░ my marriage abusive until ░░░░░░░░ a year in GUTHRIE ░░░░░░░░ was the moment Was ░░░░░░░░ what we read in ░░░░░░░░ papers when you say ░░░░░░░░ pulled you out of ░░░░░░░░ shower What happened WILLOUGHBY ░░░░░░░░ had been fighting Rob ░░░░░░░░ me to the shower ░░░░░░░░ pulled me out of ░░░░░░░░ shower to continue the ░░░░░░░░ and immediately saw how ░░░░░░░░ I was and recognized ░░░░░░░░ he was doing and ░░░░░░░░ it But that was ░░░░░░░░ moment when I realized ░░░░░░░░ didn t have control ░░░░░░░░ When you say abusive ░░░░░░░░ you mean physically abusive ░░░░░░░░ you mean verbally abusive ░░░░░░░░ was he like as ░░░░░░░░ husband WILLOUGHBY For my ░░░░░░░░ I would say it ░░░░░░░░ very strongly verbally and ░░░░░░░░ abusive A lot of ░░░░░░░░ on my character and ░░░░░░░░ intelligence and things that ░░░░░░░░ felt to be true ░░░░░░░░ myself were systematically and ░░░░░░░░ attacked so that it ░░░░░░░░ an emotional breakdown GUTHRIE ░░░░░░░░ got a restraining order ░░░░░░░░ him You feared some ░░░░░░░░ violence WILLOUGHBY It was ░░░░░░░░ temporary pro ive order ░░░░░░░░ he punched in the ░░░░░░░░ of our door during ░░░░░░░░ separation And the police ░░░░░░░░ pointed out that if ░░░░░░░░ is able to do ░░░░░░░░ even though I didn ░░░░░░░░ expect it I didn ░░░░░░░░ know what else he ░░░░░░░░ capable of Temporary protective ░░░░░░░░ GUTHRIE Colbie Holderness has ░░░░░░░░ come forward his first ░░░░░░░░ And she has put ░░░░░░░░ an image that shows ░░░░░░░░ with a black eye ░░░░░░░░ says rob porter gave ░░░░░░░░ that black eye Do ░░░░░░░░ believe her WILLOUGHBY Of ░░░░░░░░ I believe her GUTHRIE ░░░░░░░░ think he s capable ░░░░░░░░ that WILLOUGHBY I believe ░░░░░░░░ GUTHRIE What did it ░░░░░░░░ to her when you ░░░░░░░░ with her and the ░░░░░░░░ of you looked across ░░░░░░░░ table from each other ░░░░░░░░ shared this experience WILLOUGHBY ░░░░░░░░ s so isolating I ░░░░░░░░ the shame but it ░░░░░░░░ also isolating You don ░░░░░░░░ think that anyone would ░░░░░░░░ To meetcolbie and to ░░░░░░░░ her story and that ░░░░░░░░ both had that experience ░░░░░░░░ a release It was ░░░░░░░░ recognition We were in ░░░░░░░░ together GUTHRIE The reason ░░░░░░░░ is a story at ░░░░░░░░ that we are sitting ░░░░░░░░ talking aboupublicly is because ░░░░░░░░ porter was a top ░░░░░░░░ House aide He worked ░░░░░░░░ and around the oval ░░░░░░░░ He was subject to ░░░░░░░░ background check His clearance ░░░░░░░░ came through for reasons ░░░░░░░░ don t know The ░░░░░░░░ did contact you Did ░░░░░░░░ share with the FBI ░░░░░░░░ you shared this morning ░░░░░░░░ Yeah I ve been ░░░░░░░░ as I ve been ░░░░░░░░ with the media I ░░░░░░░░ part of the background ░░░░░░░░ and I was completely ░░░░░░░░ with my experience of ░░░░░░░░ marriage incing telling them ░░░░░░░░ of abuse or police ░░░░░░░░ GUTHRIE You kept in ░░░░░░░░ with rob and I ░░░░░░░░ tried to maintain a ░░░░░░░░ relationship Did he talk ░░░░░░░░ you about this FBI ░░░░░░░░ Did he ask you ░░░░░░░░ say anything Did he ░░░░░░░░ you it was coming ░░░░░░░░ was his interaction WILLOUGHBY ░░░░░░░░ let me know I ░░░░░░░░ going to be contacted ░░░░░░░░ the FBI once he ░░░░░░░░ tapped for the White ░░░░░░░░ He was curious what ░░░░░░░░ was going to say ░░░░░░░░ said what are you ░░░░░░░░ to tell them And ░░░░░░░░ told him I m ░░░░░░░░ to tell them the ░░░░░░░░ GUTHRIE Did he accept ░░░░░░░░ WILLOUGHBY I think he ░░░░░░░░ my character And he ░░░░░░░░ that is what I ░░░░░░░░ going to share GUTHRIE ░░░░░░░░ then he has said ░░░░░░░░ the claims of his ░░░░░░░░ wife were outrageous and ░░░░░░░░ He accused you of ░░░░░░░░ part of a coordinator ░░░░░░░░ campaign Are you WILLOUGHBY ░░░░░░░░ I was asked that ░░░░░░░░ I m not even ░░░░░░░░ sure how to answer ░░░░░░░░ question because there was ░░░░░░░░ coordination of this This ░░░░░░░░ unexpected that I would ░░░░░░░░ to be speaking about ░░░░░░░░ and mentioning his name ░░░░░░░░ describing the details of ░░░░░░░░ marriage is nothing that ░░░░░░░░ wanted And I have ░░░░░░░░ recently been in contact ░░░░░░░░ colbie to discus it ░░░░░░░░ all GUTHRIE What would ░░░░░░░░ say to him right ░░░░░░░░ WILLOUGHBY I m hopeful ░░░░░░░░ he can face face ░░░░░░░░ reality of these issues ░░░░░░░░ he s dealing with ░░░░░░░░ I rly hope that ░░░░░░░░ in the wake of ░░░░░░░░ his reputation and his ░░░░░░░░ the things he valued ░░░░░░░░ that he will be ░░░░░░░░ to go inside and ░░░░░░░░ the things that do ░░░░░░░░ most about him GUTHRIE ░░░░░░░░ you want him to ░░░░░░░░ that job WILLOUGHBY No ░░░░░░░░ And I ve been ░░░░░░░░ on that I think ░░░░░░░░ is good at his ░░░░░░░░ And I liked that ░░░░░░░░ was in that administration ░░░░░░░░ this is a consequence ░░░░░░░░ his actions GUTHRIE Jennie ░░░░░░░░ thank you for being ░░░░░░░░ sharing your story I ░░░░░░░░ it s not easy ░░░░░░░░ Thank you.”