do you think you will ever get over being known as letourneau, the teacher that slept with her student? >> tonight on "20/20," you think you know their story. the teacher and student, in love with each other. tonight, what you don't know. >> there's a story with us that has a life of its own, but it's not our story. >> the barbara walters exclusive. on their tenth anniversary, are they happy? for the first time, meet their

entire family. >> do you know the story of how they met? >> their teenage here now, david muir and elizabeth vargas. >> good evening. it was a name that stood for scandal, mary kay prison and pregnant. her former student, pining away for her. >> that was then, this is now. they're married with children, and talking only to our barbara walters. >> reporter: they could be any family visiting new york city, happily snapping selfies, taking in times square. singing along with the wait staff at ellen's stardust diner. but they are certainly not just any family. and this?

not just any vacation. they're here to celebrate ten years of marriage, a major milestone, for a couple infamous for having one of the most reviled relationships in recent memory. >> i don't know if enough time will ever pass where it will take away what the media did to our story. because it was so big and they ran with it so fast. there's a story of us that has a life of its own, but it's not our story. >> reporter: but remember, theirs was not your ordinary "boy meets girl" story. for in this tale the "boy," vili fualaau, really was a "boy," a sixth grader, to be exact. and the "girl" was his 34-year-old teacher, married mother of four, mary kay letourneau. today, student and teacher are

now husband and wife, living in the quiet suburbs of seattle. but tonight, they've emerged from their ordinarily private life, knowing full well that their anniversary is yet an other opportunity for a prying public to judge them. why did you decide to do it? i'm very pleased that you did. i'm pleased that you trusted me. but why did you decide to do it? >> well, it is our ten-year anniversary. and we already know that, no matter how protective we are, there's going to be a wave of intrusion that we can't stop. so it's about doing the most responsible thing to protect our girls for the inevitable. >> reporter: you'll meet their two girls, now teenagers, later. but first, we want to reacquaint you with the story that captured the country nearly two decades ago. an illicit love affair that became the scandal heard round the world.

>> there was a hearing scheduled today for mary kay >> it was salacious, it was scandalous and it was completely shocking. >> reporter: the year -- 1997. her life seemed picture perfect. mary, the beautiful blond with the handsome husband and four adorable children. but she was harboring an unthinkable secret. the once doting mother and elementary school teacher was having an affair with a 13-year-old former student. by the end of that summer, that secret was exposed. >> a 35-year-old teacher becoming pregnant with her 13-year-old former student's

child. pregnant, with her young lover's child, a media firestorm ignited. mary pled guilty to child rape, and lost custody of her newborn baby daughter. she was released from prison after only a few short months under the condition that she stay away from her former student. >> i give you my word that it will not happen again. >> reporter: but less than a month later, she broke that promise. risking it all, she violated her parole, snuck out in the dead of night for another illicit rendezvous with her barely adolescent lover. the couple caught by police in this car. she was sent back to finish the rest of her prison sentence. >> these violations are extraordinarily egregious and profoundly disturbing. the suspended sentence is hereby revoked and the original sentence of 89 months is imposed. >> reporter: but there would be yet another bombshell, mary was pregnant again. and this time, she'd give birth

behind bars. when she was finally released in 2004, after serving seven and a half years, along with almost every other journalist, i wanted to interview her. she agreed to sit down with me. hello, mary. i traveled to seattle, and while i was able to meet vili fualaau, interviewing him was off limits. does this age difference bother you at all? >> i'm sure we both wish that we were closer in age so that we would have the longest time possible with each other. >> reporter: do you plan to marry vili? >> we've always planned that and it hasn't changed. >> reporter: today, mary's 53, vili is 31. and this time around, he agreed to join us for the interview, which will also appear as part of a new investigation discovery series, "american scandal." premiering this fall. mary, we last spoke ten years ago. i can't believe that, but it was.

and you had just been released from prison. now you two have been married for ten years. what's the marriage like? fill me in. >> well, it's, it's marriage. it's -- it's more, taking care of the children and, of course, marriage is -- marriage is great. >> reporter: have there been ten good years? >> ten good years? i don't think there's ever a full ten good years of marriage. but -- you know, you have your ups and downs in marriages. but, you know, what matters is how you pull through all the bad times. >> reporter: tell me about your wedding. you got married how long after you got out of prison? >> well, i think it was about ten months. the wedding, it was fun to plan. >> i take you, vili, to be my constant best friend. >> reporter: theirs was a lavish ceremony held at a winery in washington state.

among the 250 guests, two of mary's children from her first marriage. her daughters with vili served as the flower girls. >> there were a lot of things at the last few weeks that were impacting, that perhaps other people don't have to deal with. >> reporter: like, what kinds of things? >> more logistics and about keeping the location private. >> reporter: a lot of paparazzi, a lot of photographers -- a lot of noise around you, yes? >> media wasn't privy to the location. we were trying to protect our guests. >> reporter: but they parlayed the private function into a big payday, reportedly selling the rights to their wedding video to "entertainment tonight" for a rumored $750,000, a down payment on a new life. >> reporter: tell me about mary. >> mary? mary's mary.

mary is -- she's late to everything -- almost everything. >> reporter: what kind of a husband is vili? >> he's the kind of husband that i love, that's for sure. in comparison to stereotypical husbands, i'm not -- let me think about that. >> reporter: considerate? >> well. >> reporter: romantic? >> he's spontaneous. >> reporter: spontaneous. >> i like that. so, i love that, actually. >> reporter: surprisingly, mary says she never felt compelled to leave the suburban enclave of seattle where her scandal erupted. they live in the very same community where she lived with her first husband and four older children. on the surface, it's a pleasant life, but just below the surface, there is a notoriety they cannot escape. >> we do normal things, we go shopping, we're -- we're at the gas station, we're out and about. and people come up to us. they are not very discerning. >> reporter: they recognize you.

have your girls been bullied or teased because of your relationship? >> no. >> our girls are in the same school district that i taught in. and so they are in school with teachers that i used to work with. we got married, and it was about getting on with life. we didn't move away. it was just about getting back on track with life. next, before that life began, pictures of a sixth grader. what if their own daughte this? when we come back. proven to treat toenail fungus. use jublia as instructed by your doctor. once applied, jublia gets to the site of infection by going under, around, and through the nail.

most common side effects include ingrown toenail, application-site redness, itching, swelling, burning or stinging, blisters, and pain. tackle it! ask your doctor now if jublia is right for you. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪

♪ ♪ i've been claritin clear for ten incdays.le! when your allergy symptoms start, doctors recommend taking one claritin every day of your allergy season for continuous relief. with powerful 24-hour, non-drowsy claritin live claritin clear. every day. ♪ ♪ ♪ nothing will keep you from magnum double caramel. silky vanilla bean ice cream and rich caramel sauce all covered in thick chocolate. magnum, the only ice cream bar made with belgian chocolate.

to make dinner more delicious. with eleven plump tomatoes in every jar, our sauce is richer, thicker and more delectable than ever. and bursting with so much taste, it brings families together. ragu. make dinner taste better.

"20/20" continues. once again, barbara walters. >> reporter: the controversial case of mary kay letourneau and vili fualaau was the first time a teacher/student sex scandal became national water cooler conversation. in the nearly two decades since, however, there has been a spate of similar, salacious cases. >> a former educator accused of

having sex with a student. >> flirting in the hallways, leading to sex. >> reporter: but her story is by far the most memorable, perhaps because of the unfaltering love they've always professed for each other. kate coyne is the executive editor of "people" magazine. >> she wasn't seeming all that ashamed of what she had done. she was almost defiant about the fact that she loved this young man. >> reporter: but it was more than their age difference that set them apart. they came from two very different worlds. vili, the samoan boy from a broken home. and mary, born into a strict catholic family. her life was soon marred by tragedy. first, her 3-year-old brother, who mary was supposed to be watching, drowned in the backyard pool. then her father, a u.s. congressman, was discovered to have had a mistress and two illegitimate children. some say that these events

helped shape mary's complicated future. i want to go back to the beginning. when did you first meet him or notice him, or how did that start? >> that story? >> oh, that story. >> that story. >> reporter: that story begins when mary met and got to know vili fualaau, first as a 7-year-old in her second grade class. >> i was her second-grade student. i thought she was very pretty. i thought she was, like, a movie star. >> reporter: then a few years later, he was in her class again, this time in the sixth grade. vili was just one year older than mary's eldest son. mary was about to turn 34. >> i thought she was still beautiful. i thought she still looked like a movie star. >> incidentally, i didn't think anything. i didn't know he was looking at me that way at all. and i was just doing -- i was just teaching. and he was as important as every

one of my students at the time, although he was trouble. >> reporter: why? >> oh, he just is. he just is trouble. >> reporter: as the year passed, mary spent more time with vili helping him develop what she thought was a gift for drawing. in our 2004 interview, mary told me about an incident at the end of that school year that would change everything. when did you first feel any kind of attraction? >> well, there was an emotional attraction and that was late, late in the year, toward the end actually. and that was, we just had bonded. we have similar interests and i knew that he had girl interests and i did suspect, i knew definitely it was extending in my direction.

and i just really, i just really ignored it. i just thought that was -- >> reporter: he would say things to you? like what? >> well, one time he just came straight out and said, "would you ever have an affair?" >> reporter: this 13-year-old boy says to his teacher, "would you ever have an affair?" >> he wasn't even 13 yet. >> reporter: okay, this 12-year-old boy says to you, "mrs. letourneau, would you ever have an affair?" >> i thought to myself, do not look him in the eyes. stay very busy. and it was very uncomfortable for me. >> reporter: and then? >> he knew that i was avoiding all of his comments and insinuations. and this time he was very assertive and wanted a response. when i looked him in the eyes,

i -- it really took me back. >> reporter: because you felt something? >> i did. yeah. and basically he said that he was in love with me. >> reporter: mary, what did you say? >> i said, can you hold that for a long, long time? >> reporter: mary told me by this time, her 12-year marriage to her college sweetheart steve was crumbling. then that summer, the relationship with vili took the fateful turn from emotional to sexual. >> the incident was a that, it didn't stop with a kiss. and i thought that it would and it didn't. >> reporter: did you feel guilty?

>> i didn't feel any different than i had felt years earlier, before i was married, in a couple situations with a few guys, where i thought, "how did it get to this?" >> reporter: did you feel disgusted with yourself? >> well, for one, i loved him very much. and i kind of thought, why can't it ever just be a kiss? >> reporter: but now we all know it did not stop with a kiss. >> my reaction, i think it's disbelief. denial for a long time that a person could basically jeopardize everything they know

in their life. >> reporter: branded a child rapist, she was ordered not to have any contact with vili. but the two would communicate through their two little girls. in fact, they were the ones who made a very special proposal on their daddy's behalf. >> he had sent a message, and they came in singing in hawaiian, "will you marry me?" they knew it was -- daddy was -- going to be proposing to mommy when, as soon as she got to leave that place. >> reporter: was there ever a time when you thought, "i don't want to marry mary? >> no. >> reporter: was there ever a time when you did not want to marry vili? >> i didn't expect that we would get married. but, of course, i wanted to. >> reporter: i want to ask you what i asked you ten years ago. was it worth it? >> where i am today, where we are today, and our children, my older children, yes. next, but to get to today,

what did vili have then? while she was the public face and in prison, what price did he pay? >> you suffered from depression? >> i'm surprised i'm still alive today. >> when "20/20" returns. jump on a video chat with my friend. he's a real fan boy, so i can't wait to show this off. picture is perfect. i got mine at verizon. i... didn't. it's buffering, right out of the box he was impressed. i couldn't be happier. couldn't see him, but i could hear him making fun of me. vo: you waited this long for the s6, so why settle for anything less than verizon.

♪hey... hey! for kids, having fun means getting dirty. all® oxi fights tough grass stains better than the leading value detergent. so it's perfect for pig-pens everywhere. thanks, mom! waawaawaawaa. it's tough, but i've managed. crohn's disease. but managing my symptoms was all i was doing. so when i finally told my doctor,

he said humira is for adults like me who have tried other medications but still experience the symptoms of moderate to severe crohn's disease. and that in clinical studies, the majority of patients on humira saw significant symptom relief. and many achieved remission. humira can lower your ability to fight infections, including tuberculosis. serious, sometimes fatal infections and cancers, including lymphoma, have happened; as have blood, liver, and nervous system problems, serious allergic reactions, and new or worsening heart failure. before treatment, get tested for tb. tell your doctor if you've been to areas where certain fungal infections are common, and if you've had tb, hepatitis b, are prone to infections, or have flu-like symptoms or sores. don't start humira if you have an infection. if you're still just managing your symptoms, ask your gastroenterologist about humira. with humira, remission is possible. [but the more you learn abouty insurancyour coverage,bout it. the more gaps you might find. like how you thought you were covered for this. [boy] check it out,mom! [prof. burke]when you're really only covered for this.

or how you figured you were covered for this. when you're actually paying for this. you might be surprised at what's hiding in your coverage. talk to farmers and get smarter about your insurance. ♪ we are farmers bum-pa-dum, bum-bum-bum-bum ♪

"20/20" continues with barbara walters. ♪ >> reporter: that's vili fualaau, aka "dj headline." a very apropos stage name. >> i do a lot of weddings, private parties. eventually, i want to get into producing music. >> reporter: just last weekend, vili played a gig at revision lounge in new york. never one to shy away from cashing in on his strange celebrity, dj headline made

headlines again a few years ago when he hosted what he called a "hot for teacher" night back home in seattle. even mary was in on the action, signing autographs. but by day, vili now works at a home garden center. getting a steady job has been tough for him. mary, vili seems very mature to me. but do you ever feel that you ruined his childhood? >> the only benefit, if there is any benefit, that i was away is that he had years to be without me and not in a relationship. i think even though we did start and he was a young teenager, i was gone for a while. so, he had plenty of time to do his thing. >> reporter: that's true. i mean, vili had all those years to find someone else. there are other beautiful

blondes, but you remained in your heart and your mind faithful. how did you hang onto that relationship in your head? >> barbara, he wasn't faithful. >> reporter: what did you say? >> i said he wasn't faithful. >> reporter: oh, he wasn't faithful. your turn. >> that's why i said he did his thing while i was gone. >> reporter: but i found vili to be much more forthcoming about the private pain he endured in those formative years of his youth. he grew up in a rough part of seattle estranged from his father, who spent time in prison for armed robbery. vili also had a tumultuous relationship with his mother. she worked long hours at a bakery to support them. impoverished, lonely, vulnerable. >> i'm surprised i'm still alive today. went through a really dark time. >> reporter: a time in which he became a father at just 14, and then again at 15.

with mary in jail, vili was left to fend for himself. tell me about that time and what role you've had in your daughters' lives. >> it was a huge change in my life, for sure. i don't feel like i had the right support or, you know, the right help behind me. >> reporter: from your family? >> from anyone in general. i mean, my friends couldn't help me because they had no idea what -- what it was like to be a parent, i mean, because we were all 14, 15. >> reporter: vili dropped out of high school and his mother was granted custody of his baby daughters. it has not been an easy road for you. you suffered from depression, yes? and -- >> a lot. >> reporter: alcoholism. how you doing? >> i'm doing great. >> reporter: what made the difference? >> a lot of things -- i mean, you're not going to -- you're not going to fix any of your problems if you're sitting around. so, you, you got to get up and do something about it. there's this hopelessness, you know. you just feel like you, like, nobody understands you. you can't talk to anyone.

i wish i just had a little bit better guidance through everything. it was kind of like, it was -- really confusing to me. we're going to label this kid as a victim. and we're going to make this woman an example for all other teachers who try to go down the same path. i'm just left out there, just, like, no guidance. i don't have a father. my mom's busy doing, i don't know. no one just really knew how to deal with it, i guess, really. and i didn't know how to deal with it myself. >> reporter: the school didn't provide psychological help or -- >> i had counseling. but -- even -- i don't -- i don't even think the counselors knew how to deal with it. i just felt very frustrated in counseling sessions. and i didn't want to do them anymore. >> reporter: vili says he was put on medication to help "even him out." >> i didn't understand that. i was like, "why do i need to be on an antidepressant pill?" and they said it was to level you out so they can have a conversation with you. i said, "well, in my mind, isn't that what you went to school for, to learn all that so you could talk to me, an unleveled person, to get them leveled?" a lot of it, it just kind of -- just really annoyed me through

the years. >> reporter: in fact, vili says, he thought the best medicine would have been the one person he was pining for. >> if they had gave me more choices to make, you know, instead of just saying, "oh, you can't talk to her anymore." and i was like, "i really do want to talk to her, though." >> reporter: vili never wavered in his love for mary, even as his mother took the school district to court, claiming they should have known about the affair and stopped it. >> she said she would strip for me. >> reporter: it meant being called in and forced to testify about their relationship. >> for every answer i got right on the test, she was going to take one part of her clothes, or one of her clothing off that she had on. >> reporter: but a jury eventually cleared the school of any responsibility. it must've been quite something to get married after all the years and everything you'd gone through. >> it was a huge relief to actually get married. and, you know, just going through all those years and then

having so many questions and them not being answered. >> reporter: but now, even though they're married, vili still struggles. are you still depressed? >> i don't know. >> reporter: what don't you know? i mean, do you feel sad? >> i feel sad for a lot of parts of my life. when i start thinking about those things, you know, i think about all the beauty that's come from it, you know, and where can i take that and run with it, you know? >> reporter: you have a loving wife, ten-year marriage, that's more than a lot of people have, two beautiful daughters. does that give you a happy feeling? >> happy feeling for sure, yes. feel very safe. >> reporter: very safe? >> yeah. next, the constant reality check. >> you are are a registered sex offender.

even as i say that, i'm shocked myself. >> how did her children accept him? practically the same age. and what about their own children? >> do you know the story of how they met? >> when we come back. then the chronic, widespread pain slowed me down. my doctor and i agreed that moving more helps ease fibromyalgia pain. he also prescribed lyrica. for some patients, lyrica significantly relieves fibromyalgia pain and improves physical function. with less pain, i feel better. lyrica may cause serious allergic reactions or suicidal thoughts or actions. tell your doctor right away if you have these, new or worsening depression or unusual changes in mood or behavior. or swelling, trouble breathing, rash, hives, blisters, muscle pain with fever, tired feeling or blurry vision. common side effects are dizziness, sleepiness, weight gain and swelling of hands, legs and feet. don't drink alcohol while taking lyrica.

don't drive or use machinery until you know how lyrica affects you. those who have had a drug or alcohol problem may be more likely to misuse lyrica. fibromyalgia may have changed things. but with less pain, i'm still a doer. ask your doctor about lyrica. and i can't wait to startlanta telling people how switching to geico could save them hundreds of dollars on car insurance. but first, my luggage. ahh, there it is. uh, excuse me sir? i think you've got the wrong bag. >>sorry, they all look alike, you know? no worries. well, car's here, i can't save people money chatting at the baggage claim all day. geico®. fifteen minutes could save you fifteen percent or more on car insurance.

♪ ♪ relay for life. help the american cancer society finish the fight. donate now at relay.org

"20/20" continues.

once again, barbara walters. >> reporter: mary kay and vili fualaau say that for them, the scandalous start to their romance is long since forgotten. but there are lingering reminders they can't erase. as part of her punishment, mary had her teaching license revoked. do you miss teaching? >> yes. it's a state license that's taken. so of course i still have my degree and all of my masters degree credits. i still have it and i have my experience and i have taught since then. i have a piano student right now. and i taught at one of the colleges, i taught math. it's not the same as having a classroom and starting the fall season. i'm still teaching. >> reporter: to make ends meet, mary works as a legal assistant. ironically, the law had been something that fascinated her even back when i first interviewed her. >> my mother had a visit in the prison and said, "have you thought about getting a law

degree?" because i was working very actively with the law from the prison. and she said, "well, you'd better think about it, if you're going to marry that starving artist." >> reporter: flash forward, no law degree. but she is planning on having another day in court. you know, one of the things that amazed me was that, because of your relationship, you are a registered sex offender. even as i say that, i'm shocked, myself. does this affect your life now in any way? >> it's not part of our daily life, where we think about it. although, recently, i said, "oh, it's been ten years. why don't i lift that?" there's a process. there's a form. you take it to the court. and then they grant it if it looks like it should be granted. >> reporter: are you going to do that? >> yes. >> reporter: mary says her sex offender status may not affect her day to day, but earlier this year it prohibited her from visiting her sick daughter at a children's hospital. mary's never seen herself as a

sex offender. even in our first interview, she insisted she never thought her behavior was criminal. >> reporter: you were 34. he was 13. did you try to resist it? did you know that this was something that was wrong or that society would see as wrong? >> i definitely knew that it was bizarre. i will say that i didn't know that getting into a relationship, a sexually intimate relationship, i didn't know that was a felony or a crime. i knew it wasn't right. but vili and i loved each other and still do. >> reporter: back then, mary was most emotional when discussing the relationship with her children from her first marriage. the feelings still much too raw. when you were in prison, your

children were now growing up without a mother. how did you feel about that? >> well, prison is not a safe place to touch emotions. there's not a lot of support there for that. and something as deep as the pain that my children went through, that's -- i am afraid to touch that pain. they still go to sleep at night and their mother's not there. >> reporter: how did you get through it? >> well, i lived through it by not touching the pain. >> reporter: but the years have healed some of those wounds. now, it's much easier for her to talk about her older children. they're grown and she says, doing well. mary's even a grandmother. and what is the relationship with your older children with the children that you and vili have? >> when we were first married, they were very involved in our home.

they had rooms. >> reporter: really? >> and all of our holidays were always together. and they're very close with their sisters, our girls. and they just consider themselves one big family. >> reporter: what do they call you? >> vili. >> reporter: they don't call you pop? >> no. i mean, for me, it was awkward. it's an awkward feeling for sure, you know, to be close in age with someone technically your stepson or stepdaughter. >> reporter: understandably awkward. remember, vili is only a year and a half older than mary's eldest son. do you have a good relationship with -- >> with mary's four other children? i don't really know. i don't know if it's good or bad. it was kind of just, you know, they did their own thing, i did mine. never really got too personal. >> reporter: but when it comes to parenting, mary and vili say, like many couples, they don't

always see eye-to-eye. yes? what do you fight about? >> dumbest things. sometimes, well, if the girls will get in trouble for something, i wouldn't handle it the way she would. so, it would be, like, this long two-hour talk. and i'm sitting there, working on a project, and i'm, like, "okay, when is this going to be over?" and i think, a lot of times, i would give her a hard time about it. but it actually works in the end. >> that's the first time you ever said that. >> reporter: when we come back, you'll meet those two teenage daughters for the first time. and hear the surprising bit of advice their father gave them. if one of your daughters came to you and said, "i'm sleeping with my teacher, what would you say"" we'll be back. the world is filled with air. but for people with copd, sometimes breathing air can be difficult. if you have copd, ask your doctor about once-daily

anoro ellipta. it helps people with copd breathe better for a full 24hours. anoro ellipta is the first fda-approved product containing two long-acting bronchodilators in one inhaler. anoro is not for asthma. anoro contains a type of medicine that increases risk of death in people with asthma. it is not known if this risk is increased in copd. anoro won't replace rescue inhalers for sudden copd symptoms and should not be used more than once a day. tell your doctor if you have a heart condition, or high blood pressure. tell your doctor if you have glaucoma, prostate or bladder problems, or problems passing urine as anoro may make these problems worse. call your doctor right away if you have worsened breathing, chest pain, swelling of your mouth or tongue, problems urinating or eye problems, including vision changes or eye pain while taking anoro. nothing can reverse copd. the world is filled with air, and anoro is helping people with copd breath air better.

get your first prescription free at anoro.com.

"20/20" continues with barbara walters. >> oh! >> boom! >> all right. >> reporter: what kept you together? you could've given each other up. why didn't you?

>> i don't know. >> reporter: what do you think? >> what kept us together all those years? well, i think the base of our relationship to begin with, because if we didn't have that base, obviously -- >> reporter: what was the base? >> just knowing each other and choosing to be with each other to begin with. if it wasn't strong enough in the beginning, it wouldn't have carried through those years. >> reporter: neither one of you have said, "because i loved him," or, "because i loved her." was it love? >> oh, that. i thought that was just a -- for granted, yeah. >> reporter: just taken for granted, okay. yet what is not in question is their love for their two girls who came with them to new york. introduce me to your -- >> all right. >> reporter: -- beautiful daughters. >> this is georgia. georgia, barbara. >> reporter: georgia is how old? >> georgia is 16. >> reporter: 16. >> audrey is 17. >> reporter: is he strict? >> he can be when he needs to be. >> reporter: who is -- who is

stricter, mom or dad? >> mom. >> reporter: this is the first time mary and vili fualaau have permitted their daughters to appear on television. 17-year-old audrey was born just before mary kay began serving her seven-and-a-half-year sentence. but 16-year-old georgia alexis was born behind prison walls. do you know the story of how they met? >> yes, i do. i do. >> reporter: they seem unfazed by the controversial circumstances under which they came into the world. and by all appearances, they are two talented and well-adjusted teenage girls. >> they're both in choir. they sing. ♪ >> i forgot the words. >> reporter: that's lovely. what kind of a father is vili? >> probably why i looked so

forward to getting married, is because i already knew what kind of father he was. just knowing his personality and how invested he was in being a father. >> reporter: what kind of a mother is mary? >> very strict, very strict. she's a very good mom. i couldn't be more happier to have her as the mother of my children. she's very good with them. >> reporter: from the time they were toddlers, audrey and georgia knew their mother was not like the others. in part because their interaction was limited to visits to the washington correction center for women. >> our girls were coming to see me. they knew where i was. >> reporter: when you were in prison. >> yes. they knew where i was. there are special mother-daughter days.

and so, anyway, our girls knew that mommy and daddy were separated. >> reporter: they say their girls grew up knowing mom and dad were notorious. recognized out in public, and occasionally seen on tv. but mary says she and vili never felt compelled to tell the girls why. what did you tell your children about how you met and what you went through? >> i just know i was very aware of -- there was never a sit-down chat, "now is the time we're going to talk to our children about this." it -- they seemed to already know because they grew up with it, there's just never been a, "wow, we better explain." >> reporter: but in lieu of that sit-down chat that never was, the girls were left to do their own research as they came of age. and between google and gossip, they drew their own conclusions. >> you know what's interesting is that one of our daughters just out of the blue, said, "you

know, your -- your and daddy's relationship, it would be okay in whatever country." and i was like, "well, you're right." "so you wouldn't have been in trouble in that country, mommy." and i was like, "you're right." >> reporter: audrey graduates from high school this coming june, and will attend community college in the fall. georgia is a sophomore and a cheerleader. like many fathers, vili has warned his daughters off relationships. do you give advice to your daughters? >> oh, yes, he does. do you know that he told them several years ago that they can -- are not permitted to have a boyfriend? and i thought to myself, "that's not going to work." no, i just thought, "how could you ever tell, you know, a young girl that's in middle school and just starting high school, you cannot have a boyfriend?"

>> the reason for me telling them that was -- just from out of experience, you know, just living life when you're that young, a relationship, you know, could lead to something that you think you wanted back then, you don't really want it -- maybe years later. and, so, don't ever get too serious about it. don't put your all into something when you know it's just temporary. >> reporter: vili, you fell in love with -- >> yeah. >> reporter: -- mary when you were 14 years old and you're giving advice to your daughters not to get involved with -- with -- with any young man? >> yeah. sounds crazy. yeah. >> reporter: don't you feel a little bit hypocritical? >> yes. i do. i know. >> reporter: and consider this. both girls are now older than vili was when he and mary kay conceived them. if one of your daughters came to you and said, "i'm sleeping with my teacher," what would you say? >> "what?" >> "what?" yeah, okay. >> it'll be -- i think it would be the same reaction that any parents would have, you know, if their child came up and said, you know, "i'm in -- i'm in love with my teacher." >> what about if they said they were sleeping with anyone? we would say the same thing.

so -- >> yeah, it would just, in that, in general you know, "i'm sleeping with someone. i'm in love with someone." i still, you know, even it's just -- just a boy, you know of their own age, i'm still -- >> reporter: what would you say? >> i don't know, really, how to deal with it, really. >> reporter: when it happened with the two of you, it was shocking. if you heard about it with one of your daughters, would you be shocked? would you think jail, "they should be punished"? what would you thi? >> there wouldn't be something going on behind my back that i wasn't aware of with my children, that i would be shocked. >> but i don't support younger kids, you know, being married or having a relationship with someone older. i don't support it. >> reporter: right now, the girls are planning an anniversary vacation for their mom and dad in hawaii, where vili's family comes from. ♪ and as they serenaded me with their sweet voices, i thought their choice of this ed sheeran song was most appropriate.

♪ people fall in love in mysterious ways ♪ >> reporter: mysterious ways, indeed. an ode to their parents' romance, which all these years later is still, for so many, considered a crime. ♪ we found love right where we are ♪ >> we're sure you have a lot of opinions at home. do you think mary kay letourneau's name should be taken off the sex offender registry? let us know, use #abc2020. >> and

[car engine] ♪ introducing the first-ever 306-horsepower lexus rc coupe with available all-wheel drive. once driven, there's no going back. [announcer:] what if one protect you from cancer? what if one push up could prevent heart disease? [man grunts] one wishful thinking, right? but there is one step you can take to help prevent another serious disease- pneumococcal pneumonia. one dose of the prevnar 13® vaccine can help protect you ... from pneumococcal pneumonia, an illness that can cause coughing, chest pain,

difficulty breathing, and may even put you in the hospital. prevnar 13 ® is used in adults 50 and older to help prevent infections from 13 strains of the bacteria that cause pneumococcal pneumonia. you should not receive prevnar 13 ® if you've had a severe allergic reaction to the vaccine or its ingredients if you have a weakened immune system, you may have a lower response to the vaccine. common side effects were pain, redness, or swelling at the injection site. limited arm movement, fatigue, head ache muscle or joint pain, less appetite, chills, or rash. even if you've already been vaccinated with another pneumonia vaccine, prevnar 13® may help provide additional protection. get this one done. ask your healthcare professional about prevnar 13® today. when you grow it.ter it tastes even better when you share it. it's not hard, it's doable. it's growable. get going with gro-ables. miracle-gro. life starts here. ufferers. one tried the newest allergy spray which could take several days to feel the full effect of relief. the other took claritin-d, which starts to work on

allergies with nasal congestion in 30 minutes. the moral? nothing works faster than claritin-d. tomorrow on a special "20/2 "20/20" saturday at 8:00 p.m., diane sawyer returns for the untold story of "the sound of music." that's our program tonight. i'm elizabeth vargas. >> and i'm david muir. have a good evening.

the beautiful sound of customers making the most of their united flight. power, wi-fi and streaming entertainment. that's... seize the journey friendly.