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Eric Swalwell's wife Brittany deletes Instagram amid husband's sexual abuse row; Congressman's old posts draw flak

Eric Swalwell, the Democrat Congressman from California, resigned from his position on Tuesday following sexual misconduct allegations. Swalwell was in the midst of controversy amid the gubernatorial run, after ex-staffers alleged sexual misconduct.

Eric Swalwell and wife Brittany are seen in this photograph the former California Congressman shared on his wife’s birthday. (Instagram/ericswalwell)

An alleged video of the lawmaker also went viral where he was seen kissing another woman, who was not his wife – Brittany Watts. The two had gotten married in 2016 and have three children together. Notably, Brittany has been largely silent amid Swalwell’s controversy.

However, now it appears as though she has deleted her Instagram account.

Brittany’s Instagram earlier read “Wife to @repswalwell / @ericswalwell and mom to Nelson, Cricket & Hank.” Now, on clicking, it redirects to a message that says “Sorry, this page isn’t available. The link you followed may be broken, or the page may have been removed.” This usually appears when one takes down their profile.

While Brittany might have taken down her profile, several people flocked to Swalwell’s posts about his wife, to slam the former lawmaker for his behavior.

Eric Swalwell’s posts with Brittany face backlash

Swalwell had put out an incredibly sweet message for wife Brittany on her birthday, praising her virtues. “Damn I’m a lucky guy! Happy Birthday to my wife, Brittany. With her beauty, grace, and humor you’d never know how insanely busy she always is with 3 kids, an international job, and a pain in the a** husband. Yet she makes it look easy,” Swalwell wrote, sharing a photo of them together.

Several people voiced their opinions in favor of Brittany on the post. “She deserves so much better,” one person wrote. Another added “I hope she gets every penny of yours while you rot in jail.” Yet another said “oh you love her so much that you cheated on her multiple times.”

While Swalwell announced his resignation, his team put out a message denying all allegations against the lawmaker.

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“Congressman Eric Swalwell categorically and unequivocally denies each and every allegation of sexual misconduct and assault that has been leveled against him. These accusations are false, fabricated, and deeply offensive — a calculated and transparent political hit job designed to destroy the reputation of a man who has spent twenty years in public service.

The timing, nature, and coordinated rollout of these vile and heinous allegations speak for themselves. This is neither about justice, nor the truth. This is a ruthless and shameless attempt to smear Congressman Swalwell,” the statement read.

It added, “Congressman Swalwell has devoted his career to defending the Constitution, protecting civil liberties, and standing up to those who abuse power. He has never wavered in that fight — and he will not waver now. We will fight these despicable and baseless accusations with the same tenacity, courage, and conviction that has defined the Congressman’s public service.

We are confident that the truth will prevail, and we will pursue every available legal remedy against those responsible for orchestrating this reprehensible campaign of lies.”

The statement also drew backlash from many online. “If they’re false, why resign? I don’t get that part. If someone was accusing me of something I didn’t do, I’d stay and fight till the end,” one said. Another added “We don’t believe you. We believe the women. This is the difference between us and MAGA.” Yet another said “If the accusations are false – why do your colleagues warn women to stay away from you? Your actions speak louder than your words! Good luck with your lawsuit – I hope you lose everything you took from these women – and more!”.