--- title: Woman Who Accused Eric Greitens of Blackmail Speaks Out description: The woman who alleged the Missouri Governor blackmailed her after their affair says she feels "used" by investigators. canonical: https://time.com/5286878/woman-missouri-governor-eric-greitens-used-me/ author: Alana Abramson article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2018-05-22T13:30:13.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-10-12T09:28:21.874Z article:section: Politics og:title: Woman Who Accused Missouri Governor of Blackmail Says She Feels 'Used' og:description: But she still has not publicly identified herself og:url: https://time.com/5286878/woman-missouri-governor-eric-greitens-used-me/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt338f5bfe3c7a5524/69892f7efb4eac4a2a89686e/gettyimages-953959958.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 2400 og:image:height: 1350 og:image:alt: Gov. Greitens pays tribute to fallen officers at the 27th Annual Police Officer Memorial Prayer Breakfast og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Woman Who Accused Missouri Governor of Blackmail Says She Feels 'Used' twitter:description: But she still has not publicly identified herself twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt338f5bfe3c7a5524/69892f7efb4eac4a2a89686e/gettyimages-953959958.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 video:duration: 00:51 video:published: 2018-04-12 section: politics topics: gubernatorial response, sexual misconduct allegations, political witch hunt, personal conduct vs. public office, defamation accusations, Missouri politics, Washington political attacks genre: political statement, news clip tones: defensive, combative, dismissive, assertive emotions: defiance (high), indignation (medium), contempt (medium) sentiment: negative audience: Missouri voters, political news followers, general news audiences people: Eric Greitens organizations: Missouri state government content_suitability: sexual content [00:00-00:51]; politics [00:00-00:51]; crime [00:14-00:26] transcript_source: publisher captions transcript_reviewed: not applicable ---  # 'They Used Me.' Woman Who Was Allegedly Blackmailed by Missouri Governor Says She Doesn't Want to Be Involved > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: September 2026. ## TIME Newsletters: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition TIME publishes seven free email newsletters, written and edited by TIME journalists, reaching more than 1.1 million engaged readers. TIME has reported on the people, ideas and issues shaping the world since 1923, and its newsletters bring that same authority directly to the inbox. 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Named editors include Richard Hall (The Brief), Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs (Inside TIME), Eliza Berman (Worth Your Time), Philip Elliott (D.C. Brief), Justin Worland (Future Proof) and Harry Booth (In the Loop). Health Matters is written by TIME's health desk. #### How do I sign up for a TIME newsletter? Go to time.com/newsletters, choose the newsletters you want and enter your email address. There is no cost and no subscription requirement. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=53148ca0-4b82-49ed-b8f1-f7e3eed5628b&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1) ## Video: Missouri Governor Calls Allegations Of Sexual Abuse 'Political Witchhunt' [Watch (HLS stream): Missouri Governor Calls Allegations Of Sexual Abuse 'Political Witchhunt'](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/MJdDS6Fp.m3u8) (0:51)  _Published 2018-04-12. Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens initiated a physically aggressive unwanted sexual encounter with his hairdresser and threatened to distribute a partially nude photo of her if she spoke about it, according to testimony from the woman._ Description, summary, key points, chapters, key quotes, questions and transcript, where present, were produced automatically from the video or its captions and were not reviewed. ## Summary Missouri Governor Eric Greitens responds to allegations about a personal matter, calling it a private mistake unrelated to government and describing the accusations as a political witch hunt. He says the accusers are spreading lies and that he is not afraid of their falsehoods. He compares the situation to attacks on people seeking change in Washington, D.C., arguing that smearing such people is wrong in both places. ## Key points - Greitens describes the matter as a private mistake that has nothing to do with government and should not be political. (00:00) - He says people are turning the personal mistake into a political spectacle and telling new lies about it. (00:06) - He calls the allegations a political witch hunt based on testimony from someone who said under oath they may be remembering it through a dream. (00:14) - Greitens states that he and his side are not scared of the accusers' lies or falsehoods. (00:26) - He draws a parallel between the Missouri allegations and witch hunts he says are happening in Washington, D.C. (00:35) - He argues that smearing, lying, and attacking people who want to change how things are done is wrong in both Washington and Missouri. (00:44) ## Chapters - [00:00 to 00:14] Greitens calls matter a private mistake. Greitens says the matter is a private mistake unrelated to government and criticizes its political turn and new lies. - [00:14 to 00:35] Dismissing testimony as a witch hunt. Greitens characterizes the allegations as a political witch hunt based on questionable testimony and says he is not afraid of falsehoods. - [00:35 to 00:51] Comparison to Washington attacks. Greitens compares the situation to witch hunts in Washington, D.C., and argues that smearing reformers is wrong in both places. ## Key quotes - [00:00] Eric Greitens: "This was a private mistake that has nothing to do with government, and shouldn't be about politics" - [00:14] Eric Greitens: "Let's call this what it is, a political witch hunt" - [00:19] Eric Greitens: "based on the testimony of someone who said under oath That they may be remembering this through a dream." - [00:26] Eric Greitens: "We're not scared by their lies." - [00:44] Eric Greitens: "Smearing, lying, and attacking people who wanna change how things are done is wrong in Washington, and it's wrong in Missouri." ## Questions this video answers - How does Governor Greitens characterize the allegations against him? [00:14] - What does Greitens say about the testimony of the accuser? [00:19] - How does Greitens respond to the spreading of claims about him? [00:26] - What parallel does Greitens draw between Missouri and Washington, D.C.? [00:35] - What does Greitens say is wrong in both Washington and Missouri? [00:44] ## Content suitability - sexual content [00:00-00:51]: The video addresses allegations of sexual misconduct, referenced indirectly through the description of the controversy and the accuser's testimony. - politics [00:00-00:51]: The entire video is political commentary responding to allegations against a sitting governor. - crime [00:14-00:26]: The allegations discussed involve criminal-type misconduct, which the speaker disputes as a witch hunt.  by [Alana Abramson](https://time.com/author/alana-abramson/)  ## Alana Abramson May 22, 2018 1:30 PM UTC Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens initiated a physically aggressive unwanted sexual encounter with his hairdresser and threatened to distribute a partially nude photo of her if she spoke about it, according to testimony from the woman.  by [Alana Abramson](https://time.com/author/alana-abramson/)  ## Alana Abramson May 22, 2018 1:30 PM UTC The woman who Missouri Governor Eric Greitens is accused of blackmailing is speaking out for the first time, claiming that she felt coerced into cooperating with law enforcement after her ex-husband went public with her story. The woman, who has not been publicly identified, says she feels “used” and just wants to move on her life. “I didn’t want this. I wasn’t out to get anyone. I really was just trying to live my life,” the woman [told the Missouri television KSDK-TV](https://www.ksdk.com/article/news/politics/i-didnt-want-this-woman-at-center-of-greitens-case-tells-her-story/63-556921384). “I’m in the middle of the most difficult, crazy fight that I didn’t ask to be a part of.” In January, local St. Louis station KMOV-TV reported that Greitens, a former Navy SEAL who was elected in November 2016, had an affair with the woman in 2015, and allegedly threatened to release nude photographs of her if she ever spoke publicly about their extramarital relationship. KMOV learned of the report from the woman’s husband, who claimed to have audio of her describing the allegations. One day later, a St. Louis circuit attorney launched a formal investigation into the allegations. Greitens has [acknowledged](http://www.circuitattorney.org/docs/CAOGreitensInvestigation%5F.pdf) the affair but denied any claims he coerced or blackmailed her. Greitens, a Republican once seen as one of the party’s rising stars, was indicted – and arrested – for invasion of privacy in February, which is a felony, but the charges were [dropped](http://time.com/5277347/missouri-gov-greitens-charges-dropped/) earlier this month as the trial was slated to begin. The woman said her ex-husband had provided the story without her consent, and that she is befuddled by claims that her husband’s attorney, Al Watkins, has [received](https://www.ksdk.com/article/news/politics/greitens-lawyers-say-mystery-payment-was-delivered-by-highly-connected-political-individual/547345337) $100,000 from what he said were anonymous sources for representing the woman’s husband. “I have no clue with this money thing. I don’t know who it was and what they wanted to accomplish,” she told KSDK. “But they used me. They used me. Not the person who got paid. They used me.” Last month, Missouri lawmakers released a [report](https://www.scribd.com/document/376135161/Special-House-Investigative-Committee-on-Oversight-Report#from%5Fembed) of findings from their investigation into the allegations. In the report, the woman testified that Greitens had slapped her during their encounter, and had initiated sexual activity without her consent once she had entered his home while she laid on the floor crying. The woman said she stands by these allegations. The woman also told KSDK she should never have been involved with Greitens, and apologized to his wife. “I should not have gone into her home. I know that,” she said. A representative for Greitens said in a statement that there is still no evidence for the woman’s claims. “This case was dismissed because there was no evidence to support the allegations,” the statement reads. “Everyone involved has said they desire to move on.” ## Transcript [00:00] This was a private mistake that has nothing to do with [00:03] government, and shouldn't be about politics But, [00:06] people are turning that personal mistake into a [00:09] political spectacle, and telling new lies about it. [00:14] Let's call this what it is, a political witch hunt now [00:19] based on the testimony of someone who said under [00:23] oath That they may be remembering this through a [00:26] dream. But know this, they don't scare us. We're [00:31] not scared by their lies. And we are not afraid of their [00:35] falsehoods. This is exactly like what's happening [00:39] with the witchhunts in Washington DC. Smearing, [00:44] lying, and attacking people who wanna change how [00:47] things are done is wrong in Washington, and it's wrong [00:50] in Missouri. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/5286878/woman-missouri-governor-eric-greitens-used-me/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/5286878/woman-missouri-governor-eric-greitens-used-me/"},"headline":"'They Used Me.' 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