The husband of ABC News’ Elizabeth Vargas has issued a smarmy statement after Page Six revealed he cheated on the “20/20” anchor while she was in rehab.
We reported that “Walking in Memphis” songwriter Marc Cohn embarked on an affair with Flywheel spin guru Ruth Zukerman while Vargas was in treatment for alcohol addiction.
But in his statement, Cohn appears to blame his straying on Vargas’ battle with addiction and “long-standing issues” in their marriage. “I will not comment on what is an extremely sensitive and private family matter — addiction and recovery are serious challenges and it’s been a tough road for all of us,” Cohn told People.
“I have been supportive of Elizabeth in the past — and will continue to be — regardless of the long-standing issues in our relationship,” he continued.
A source also told the magazine that Cohn “has a strong emotional investment in how the story is told because his primary concern are his kids and he doesn’t want to look like a bad guy when he’s not.”
The source added: “It’s a complicated situation since what seems new in the public is a long-standing challenge for them over the years.”
Cohn, 54, and Vargas, 51, have been married since 2002 and have two sons. A rep for Vargas declined to comment.
Vargas and Cohn had both been friends with Zukerman and attended spin classes at one of her three Manhattan studios.
But we’re told he began an affair with divorced mother-of-two Zukerman while Vargas was seeking treatment for alcohol addiction last fall. A source told us the affair came to light when Cohn and Zukerman were spotted dining together at a restaurant just after Vargas left rehab. “A mutual friend spotted Ruth with Marc and called Elizabeth,” the insider said. A second source added, “It was disgusting that he was with Ruth while Elizabeth was in rehab.”
A friend of Cohn claimed that he and Zukerman are “just friends.”