Democratic Sen. Tom Carper on Thursday, hours after a story published in The Washington Free Beacon, admitted to slapping his former wife 37 years ago and denied he ever lied about it in the first place.

After the Beacon published a story detailing Carper's admission in a book published in 2002, Carper released a statement obtained by The New York Times.

"One of those mistakes took place 37 years ago when I slapped my then-wife, Diane, during a heated argument. It was wrong. I regretted it then and I still do today," Carper's statement read.

"Any claim that I lied or attempted to hide my behavior is false. I am a man who has made his share of mistakes, but I am not and never have been one who abuses his wife and children," Carper said in the statement obtained by the Times.

Carper refuted that he hit his then wife, Diane, in 1982 while he was running for Congress.

But then in a 1998 interview with a reporter who was writing a book, Carper copped to hitting his wife.

"Did I slap my wife 20 years ago? Yes," Carper told reporter Celia Cohen for a book she was writing titled "Only in Delaware" published in 2002. "Do I regret it? Yes. Would I do it again? No."

Carper re-married in 1985 to his current wife, Martha.

"This is a difficult topic that dredges up feelings from many decades ago, but sunshine is the best disinfectant. I am grateful that my family has accepted the mistakes that I've made in the past and that they love me today," Carper said in the statement to the Times.