The estranged
wife of former New Jersey governor James E. McGreevey knew
he was gay before they married, he claimed in court papers
filed Monday.
McGreevey wrote
that Dina Matos McGreevey "knew of my sexual
orientation before our marriage[;] she chose to either
ignore it or block it out of her mind, even when
questioned by her friends."
The former
governor does not detail how she knew he was gay but objects
to his wife's contention in recent court papers that he is
bisexual.
"On the offhand
chance she wasn't paying attention, I AM A GAY
AMERICAN," he wrote, referencing the term he used to
describe himself when he announced his resignation as
governor in August 2004. "She is in deep denial."
An after-hours
telephone message left at Matos McGreevey's workplace was
not immediately returned Monday. Her lawyer, John Post, did
not immediately respond to an e-mail message seeking
comment.
McGreevey
resigned after saying he was gay and had had an affair with
a staff employee.
The former
governor also defended his parenting skills in the filing.
He said despite the demands of being governor he was
never "indifferent" to their 5-year-old daughter, as
his estranged wife claims.
Last week Matos
McGreevey claimed in court papers that he exposed their
young daughter to erotic artwork at the home he now shares
with partner Mark O'Donnell, an Australian money
manager. She is seeking primary custody.
McGreevey, 49,
countered in Monday's filing that his wife "has never
seen the photograph" of the nude male model.
Matos McGreevey's
memoir is scheduled to reach bookstores May 1. (AP)
