Nashville Mayor Megan Barry admits affair with head of her security detail

Nashville Mayor Megan Barry apologized on Wednesday for engaging in an affair with the head of her own police detail.

The 54-year-old Democratic mayor has served in her municipal position since 2015, and news of her extramarital relationship comes after Barry lost her 22-year-old son, Max, to a drug overdose last July.

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"Today I acknowledged publicly that I have engaged in an extramarital affair with the former head of my security detail," Barry said in a statement released on Wednesday. "I accept fIull responsibility for the pain I have caused my family and his. I am so sorry to my husband Bruce, who has stood by me in my darkest moments and remains committed to our marriage, just as I am committed to repairing the damage I have done."

According to the Tennessean, Barry's affair with Sgt. Robert Forrest Jr. of the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department began in 2016 as the 58-year-old officer became a frequent presence in public events and on trips with the mayor.

Forrest also commented on the affair, saying he regrets the dynamic he had with Barry.

"I deeply regret that my professional relationship with Mayor Barry turned into a personal one," Forrest said in a statement to the Tennessean. "This has caused great pain for my wife, my family, friends and colleagues. At no time did I ever violate my oath as a police officer or engage in actions that would abuse the public trust."

The public announcement and apology will likely shape the nature of a May vote on a hotly-debated Nashville infrastructure project expected to cost $5.4 billion that Barry has backed.

"People that we admire can also be flawed humans, and I'm flawed, and I'm incredibly sad and sorry for the disappointment that I will see in those little girls' faces," Barry continued in her announcement. "But, what I hope they can also see is that people make mistakes, and you move on from those."

Despite rumors that the 7th Nashville mayor might step down from her post, Barry has said she has no plans of resigning.

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