New York Addick: A Public Statement

New York Addick would like to make the following public statement:

"Good morning and thank you for joining me. Many of you reading this blog are my friends. Many of you reading this blog know me.

Now every one of you has good reason to be critical of me. I want to say to each of you, simply and directly, I am deeply sorry for the irresponsible and selfish behaviour I engaged in.

I know people want to find out how I could be so selfish and so foolish. People want to know how I could have done these things to my wife, and to my children. And while I have always tried to be a private person, there are some things I want to say.

As I was getting dressed on Tuesday morning, my wife asked me if I would empty the dishwasher before I left.

I told her I didn't have time because I needed to catch an earlier train than usual due to an 8.30am meeting.

There was no meeting. Instead at 8.30am I was up in town, enjoying a relaxing coffee and reading the newspaper.

My wife and I have started the process of discussing the damage caused by my behavior. What I did is not acceptable, and I am the only person to blame.

As she pointed out to me, my real apology to her will not come in the form of words; it will come from my behavior over time. I will need to empty the dishwasher on a regular and consistent basis to earn back her trust.

I have a lot to atone for, but there is one issue I really want to discuss. Some people have speculated that my wife somehow hurt or attacked me on that Tuesday night. It angers me that people would fabricate a story like that.

She never hit me that night or any other night. There has never been an episode of domestic violence in our marriage, ever.

Admittedly she did throw a clean plate from the (unemptied) dishwasher at me, but fortunately it narrowly missed.

She has shown enormous grace and poise throughout this ordeal. She deserves praise, not blame.

I was wrong. I was foolish. I don't get to play by different rules. The same boundaries that apply to everyone apply to me.

I brought this shame on myself. I hurt my wife, my kids, my mother, my wife's family, my friends, my foundation and my sponsors, Hotpoint.

I ran straight through the boundaries that a married couple should live by. I thought I could get away with whatever I wanted to.

I felt that I had worked hard my entire life and deserved to enjoy all the temptations around me. I felt I was entitled. Thanks to living five minutes walk from the train station, I didn't have to go far to find them.

Finally, there are many people in this room, and there are many people at home who believed in me. Today, I want to ask for your help. I ask you to find room in your heart to one day believe in me again.

Thank you."