Meet The Women
Eleanor Roosevelt
Eleanor was a 33-year-old mother of five when she discovered a packet of love letters in a suitcase after her husband's trip to Europe on Presidential business. The couple stayed married for another 27 years, but her broken heart launched her on her own journey of political leadership.
Jackie Kennedy
Jackie and her husband, President John F. Kennedy, were raised in homes where the male privilege of outside sexual affairs was tacitly condoned. On balance, she found nurturing her children, her iconic role in American style and the promise of millions in a trust fund filled the void.
Valerie Hobson
Growing up with no permanent home, gutsy actress Valerie parlayed B-movie roles into stardom on the London stage. Her husband, British War Secretary Jack Profumo, was forced to resign after an affair with a call girl. His demise stunned British officialdom and toppled the ruling Conservative Party.
Marion Stein
Marion's Austrian family fled the Nazis to England, where she wed the Queen's cousin in what the press dubbed a fairy-tale match. The tale ended badly when her husband fell for another woman. Marion then married the charismatic head of the Liberal Party, who was later disgraced by a homosexual affair and attempted murder.
Hillary Clinton
The Clintons are the archetypal political match of our time, and Hillary's decision to stay married launched the search for answers for "Why They Stay." Was it for power, for love? There's evidence that fidelity matters less to Hillary than her husband's other signature qualities.
Silda Wall
Harvard-educated legal dynamo Silda stayed with her humiliated husband, Eliot Spitzer, as he resigned New York's governorship over a hooker scandal. She begged him not to quit. They remained married for six more years, as she tried to help him resurrect his political career.
Wendy Vitter
A no-nonsense county prosecutor with a steely command before juries, Wendy has demonstrated the same strong will as a political wife. She and husband David gave a single press conference about his relationship with the "D.C. Madam," and he has remained politically viable.
Huma Abedin
For nearly a decade as Hillary Clinton's increasingly trusted aide, Huma put off Anthony Weiner's advances. After they married, he was forced to resign his congressional seat over a sexting scandal, and then blew his chance to run for NYC mayor by sexting again.
Gila Katsav
She was the quiet woman, the "butterfly," behind her husband, Moshe. She raised their 5 children in a conservative Israeli tradition, while he rose as a dark-horse candidate to become Israel's president. Her loyalty to him didn't waiver as she appealed his 7-year prison sentence for raping his former subordinates.
Melania Trump
An immigrant First Lady, Melania fashioned an improbable rise from a former Communist country to worldwide celebrity. Her icy exterior helps her manage her tempestuous husband.