In a news release on Wednesday, Democratic Mayor of Nashville Tennesse, Megan Barry, admitted that she and Sgt. Robert Forrest, the former head of her security detail, had an extra-marital affair. The revelation comes on the heels of the tragic loss of the popular mayor’s only son in July. Twenty-two-year-old Max Barry died of an apparent drug overdose. The drug cocktail reportedly contained two opioids.
Apology to family and constituency
Nashville’s first female mayor apologized to her husband Bruce, her family, the family of Sgt Forrest, and the people of Nashville, admitting that she is disappointed in herself, but noted that she did not stop being human when she became mayor, and that a mistake was made.
Mayor Barry assured her Nashville constituents that she is firmly committed to serving them and will be continuing on as mayor. In her statement, Barry said she intends to put in the work in the coming weeks and months to earn the forgiveness of the people of Nashville. She added, "I know that God will forgive me, but that Nashville doesn't have to. And I hope that I can earn their trust and I can earn your trust back, and that you will forgive me."
God will forgive me, but the people of Nashville don’t have to. In the weeks and months to come, I will work hard to earn your forgiveness and earn back your trust. https://t.co/z5tNpBhjrW
— Megan Barry (@MayorMeganBarry) 31 January 2018
Mayor Megan Barry holds a news conference https://t.co/uH16TDD2ru
— Tennessean (@Tennessean) 1 February 2018
The mayor stood in front of reporters to give a fifteen-minute-long explanation of her actions, noting that although she was aware that her behavior was destructive, she continued to engage in it and is now embarrassed and saddened by her mistake and the pain that her actions have caused.
She vowed to cooperate with all possible investigations into her extra-marital Affair and added that records of her travel expenses, calendar and text messages have been released to ensure transparency in any proceedings moving forward. Barry assured the public that there was no violation of any policies and that she participated in nothing illegal.
Man in question retires
Meanwhile, Sgt. Forrest, a 32-year veteran of the Metro Nashville Police Department, retired just hours before the mayor’s press release, but did not reference his relationship with the mayor in his letter of resignation.
He subsequently admitted to having the affair with Barry in a statement released through his lawyer, saying that he was regretful that the nature of his relationship with Mayor Barry changed from professional to personal.
He assured the public that, “At no time did I ever violate my oath as a police officer or engage in actions that would abuse the public trust."
Mayor Barry says that she is committed to repairing the damage she has done just as her husband remains committed to their marriage. She ended her release by assuring everyone that the consensual relationship which began months after taking office, was over.
