The former Presidential candidate released a written statement to NBC news, off the back of an investigation by Lisa Myers on the Today Show this morning, admitting that he fathered a child with Rielle Hunter.

Here's his statement in full, via NBC:

I am Quinn's father. I will do everything in my power to provide her with the love and support she deserves. I have been able to spend time with her during the past year and trust that future efforts to show her the love and affection she deserves can be done privately and in peace.

It was wrong for me ever to deny she was my daughter and hopefully one day, when she understands, she will forgive me. I have been providing financial support for Quinn and have reached an agreement with her mother to continue providing support in the future.

To all those I have disappointed and hurt these words will never be enough, but I am truly sorry.

Edwards is not speaking publicly, he said, because of an ongoing investigation into whether he used campaign finances to cover up his affair with Hunter. His lawyers also said he had been "providing financial support" and seeing his daughter for about a year.

Edwards had previously admitted the affair, but denied the child was his. "I know that it's not possible that this child could be mine because of the timing of events," he told ABC news in 2008.

UPDATE (8.05am): Here's the video.

UPDATE (8.55am): He may have jumped before he was pushed. ABC were set to air an interview with Edwards' former aide Andrew Young, the man who pretended he'd fathered the child to save the Edwards' ass, next week. From their story this morning:

Get a doctor to fake the DNA results," Young said Edwards told him. "And he asked me ... to steal a diaper from the baby so he could secretly do a DNA test to find out if this [was] indeed his child.

http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/john-edwards-admits-fathered-child-affair/story?id=9620812