The grieving daughter in law of Vice President Joe Biden is in a romantic relationship with Hunter Biden, her late husband's younger brother, it was dramatically revealed Wednesday.

Beau Biden, the former attorney general of Delaware, died in 2015, shocking the entire family and playing into his father's decision to stay out of the race to succeed President Obama after decades in politics.

Hunter Biden, 47, separated from his wife Kathleen, 48, in 2015, a source revealed Wednesday. The split had never been made public before.

He has now taken up with his brother's 43-year-old widow, the couple said in a statement to the New York Post's Page Six, which acknowledged their 'love and support.'

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Mourning loss: Hunter Biden was on one side of his brother Beau's widow Hallie and Joe Biden on the other as his coffin was put into a hearse

Love and support: Hallie Biden held her children's hands at her husband's funeral while Hunter, his brother, stood just beside her

Lost: Beau Biden, the former attorney general of Delaware, died in 2015, shocking the entire family

Biden family: Vice President Joe, with his wife Jill was sworn in for his second term in 2013. From left the family - all Bidens - are: Maisy, R. Hunter (whose father was Beau), Naomi, Finnegan, Natalie, Kathleen, Hunter, Ashley, Howard Krein, Beau, and Hallie Biden

Not together: Hunter Biden is now revealed to have split from Kathleen in October 2015 - five months after his brother died. Hunter and Kathleen put on a show of unity in April 2016 when they both attended the World Food Program USA's Annual McGovern-Dole Leadership Award Ceremony in Washington D.C.

Family time: In October 2015 Hunter and Hallie both attended flag football game for her son, also Hunter, in Wilmington, Delaware. Wednesday's revelation means that they were at the game with Joe Biden around the time Hunter separate from Kathleen

Separation time: This photograph was taken in October 2015, the same month that Hunter (left) split from his wife Kathleen. He and Hallie (center) are now in a relationship with the blessing of Joe (right)

'Hallie and I are incredibly lucky to have found the love and support we have for each other in such a difficult time, and that's been obvious to the people who love us most. We've been so lucky to have family and friends who have supported us every step of the way,' they said in a statement.

Vice President Joe Biden, who has mostly stayed out of the limelight since leaving office, also issued a statement along with his wife Jill, acknowledging the 'sadness' that brought the new couple together.

They offered their 'complete support' to the unusual pairing.

'We are all lucky that Hunter and Hallie found each other as they were putting their lives together again after such sadness. They have mine and Jill's full and complete support and we are happy for them,' Joe and Jill Biden said.

A source told the Post Hunter and Kathleen separated in October 2015, five months after Beau Biden's death. The couple have three daughters: Maisy, Finnegan and Naomi.

Beau Biden was, quite simply, the finest man any of us have ever known Joe Biden

Kathleen, who chairs the Eleanor Roosevelt Dialogue, didn't comment to the paper.

She is known to be close to Michelle Obama, and the two women are both natives of Chicago.

October 2015 was also the month in which Joe Biden made a statement in the Rose Garden of the White House that he would not run for the presidency.

The then vice-president spoke of his family's turmoil at his son's death and said: 'As the family and I have worked through the grieving process, I've said all along what I've said time and again to others: that it may very well be that that process, by the time we get through it, closes the window on mounting a realistic campaign for president.

'I've concluded it has closed. I know from previous experience that there's no timetable for this process.

'But I also know that I couldn't do this if the family wasn't ready.

'Well, that's where the Bidens are today. Beau, Beau is our inspiration.'

Joseph 'Beau' Biden died in May of 2015. He was an Iraq war vet who had a bright political future of his own.

'Beau Biden was, quite simply, the finest man any of us have ever known,' his father said in a statement after his passing.

Beau and Hallie had two children: Natalie and Hunter.

Beau Biden died of brain cancer after a battle that included treatment at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.

The pairing is the latest twist in a family story that has involved deep bonds and tragedy.

Loving support: Hallie was at her husband's side in November 2010 as he was re-elected as Delaware attorney-general. Tragically he died just under five years later

Homecoming: Beau Biden's wife Hallie hugged him as he returned from active service in Iraq in 2009 - watched by his brother Hunter and their stepmother Jill

Siblings: Joe Biden's family before his son's death were (from left) daughter Ashley, younger son Hunter and elder son Beau

Happy family: Kathleen (right) and Hunter (second left) Biden lived for a week on $1.50 a day to show solidarity with the poor - and were joined by their daughters

Beau Biden was just two when his mother Neilia was killed in a 1972 car accident that also took the life of Joe Biden's one-year-old daughter.

Joe Biden was so shaken by the incident that he nearly gave up the Senate seat he had just been elected to – and took the oath at the hospital where his kids were being treated.

Beau and Hunter encouraged their father to remarry, which he did in 1977, CNN reported.

Joe Biden spoke at length about his two sons as President Obama presented the then vice-president with the Presidential Medal of Freedom in the White House in January.

'I leaned on my sons Beau and Hunter. I continue to lean on Hunter, who continues to, in a bizarre kind of way, raise me. I mean I've leaned on them,' he said.

We are all lucky that Hunter and Hallie found each other as they were putting their lives together again after such sadness. They have mine and Jill's full and complete support and we are happy for them Joe Biden

'You heard that in the preparation for the two debates, vice presidential debates that I had and only had two, that Beau and Hunt would be the last people in the room. And Beau'd say "look at me, dad. Look at me. Remember, remember home base, remember."'

And he described the time leading up to Beau's death, and how he and Hunter worried about money - until President Obama offered to help financially if needed.

'Hunt and I were worried that Beau would have to that he would, as a matter of honor, decide he had to step down as Attorney General while he was fighting his battle,' he said.

'Because he had aphasia, he was losing his ability to speak. And you didn't want ever to be in a position where to him, everything was about duty and honor.

'And I said and he may resign, I don't know, I just have a feeling he may and Hunt and I have talked about this.

'And I said, he doesn't have any other income but we're all right because Hunt's there and I can sell the house,' he said, describing a meeting with the President.

'We're having a private lunch, like we do once a week and this man[Obama] got up, came over, grabbed me by the shoulders, and looked me in the eye and said, "don't you sell that house. You love that house". I said, "it's no big deal, Mr. President."

In tears: Hunter Biden sat beside Hallie Biden as Joe Biden received the Presidential Medal of Freedom at the White House

On stage: Hunter Biden stood just behind his father as he spoke, with Hallie Biden standing behind Jill, while Joe Biden spoke about the importance of his sons

Tribute to Beau: Hunter Biden, Hallie Biden, Joe and Jill Biden and Beau's children Hunter and Natalie unveiled a memorial to the dead man in August 2016 near the village of Sojevo, in Kosovo. Beau had worked in the country after its 1998-99 war

'He said, "I'll give you the money. I'll give you the money. Promise me. Promise me, you won't sell that house."'

In February, Biden spoke about his family for the first time since leaving office, at an event in New York.

'My dad used to tell me you know that you're a successful parent when you turn and look at your children and realize that they turned out better than you,' he said.

'I can say without fear of contradiction to anyone that knows my family that my son Beau, who we lost, is better than me.

'That my son Hunter, who is still here and running the family, is better than me. And that my daughter Ashley's commitment to public service, her commitment to trying to change the world for the better is more intense than event mine has been.

'And that has been the significant element of my life.'

Hunter Biden got kicked out of the Navy in 2014 after failing a drug test. He was discharged from a public affairs position in the Navy reserve after testing positive for cocaine at the age of 44.

Off duty: Joe Biden and his wife Jill were seen in Washington D.C. last month enjoying their new-found freedom

The Ashley Madison account details which showed how it was registered at an address used by Hunter

Hunter Biden's name came up following the hack of the Ashley Madison extramarital affair website.

Conservative news site Breitbart reported in August 2015 that a Robert Biden's name was found among hacked records.

Biden issued a statement at the time saying, 'I am certain that the account in question is not mine. This account was clearly set up by someone else without my knowledge and I first learned about the account in question from the media.'

Biden's camp hinted to Breitbart that Russia might have been behind the misdirection, owing to Biden's serving on the board of a Ukrainian gas company.

But his statement did not address the other aspect of the Ashley Madison leaked records which showed that a credit card registered to 'Robert Biden' at a Washington address was used to make a $268.99 payment to the site.

DailyMail.com reached out to Biden's lawyer, Eric Schwerin at the timwe to ask why but he declined to provide any additional information beyond what was in his client's initial statement.

Robert is the vice president's youngest son's given name, though he goes by his middle name, Hunter, in public life.