Hunter Thompson Left Gonzo Sperm Behind

Writer's widow considering having the child he wanted to have with her

By Rob Quinn, Newser Staff

Posted Dec 12, 2008 5:20 AM CST

(Newser) – Gonzo journalist and general wild man Hunter S. Thompson left more than just his writings behind when he committed suicide in 2005 at the age of 67, his widow tells Scotland's Sunday Herald. Anita Thompson, who was 35 years his junior, has the outlaw journalist's frozen sperm and is wrestling with the question of whether to bring another Thompson into the world. The writer has one surviving son by another woman.

"I believe it's something Hunter would want, but at this point in my life I'm a little fearful of making that kind of decision," she said. "I wouldn't want to do it as a way of replicating Hunter, of prolonging Hunter, or as a way of filling the void."

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[Videos (1)]

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The late writer Hunter S. Thompson and his wife, Anita, are shown at the Pitkin County Court House during their civil wedding ceremony in 2003. (AP Photo/Louisa Davidson)

A young Hunter S. Thompson is shown in a promotional photo from the film, "Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson." (AP Photo/Magnolia Pictures)

Anita Thompson pauses as she talks about her book "The Gonzo Way: A Celebration of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson," during an interview last year. (AP Photo/Ed Andrieski)

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Trailer for 'Gonzo,' a documentary on the life of Hunter S. Thompson. (LOVETRAILERS)

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We had hoped that I would have children and that they would be older by the time Hunter passed away. The suicide was a shock, so I've had to re-question everything. - Anita Thompson

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Hunter Thompson Left Gonzo Sperm Behind