Rielle Hunter Takes John Edwards Up on His Offer to Take a Paternity Test

When John Edwards finally admitted his affair with Rielle Hunter, he denied fathering her child and offered to take a DNA test to prove it. Hunter—conveniently!—turned him down. Now she's changed her mind.

According to the National Enquirer, which Hunter has been using as her mouthpiece, the Edwards' mistress is demanding he take a test and is "working with a lawyer to take legal action."

Last August, Edwards told ABC News' Bob Woodruff that he'd be willing to take a test and make the results public to prove that he is not the father of Hunter's daughter. Hunter's lawyer responded to Edwards' offer by saying that "Rielle will not participate in DNA testing or any other invasion of her or her daughter's privacy now or in the future."

Now something—maybe it was the way Elizabeth Edwards referred to Frances Hunter as "it" on Oprah?—made her change her mind. A cynic would observe that there's a high likelihood that Edwards' offer of a test and Hunter's demurral were pre-arranged to simulate a willingness on Edwards' part to own up to the truth without having to endure the potentially unpleasant consequences.

But now that Hunter is off the reservation, Edwards is in a bit of a bind. How will he lie his way out of this one?