John Edwards dropped Rielle Hunter like a hot rock right after the release of her trashy tell-all in which she attacked Edwards’ deceased wife and mother of three of his children. But amazingly, it wasn’t the book that got him to finally give that psycho b!tch the boot.

Edwards’ oldest daughter, Cate, applied major pressure on the disgraced congressman to dump Hunter, and according to the National Enquirer, her late mom left her with a good deal of power over pops. Apparently, Elizabeth Edwards’ will forces John to consult Cate over every major decision regarding his two youngest kids and their $54 million estate. In other words, she’s got him by the balls and was understandably upset about seeing his mistress trash her late mom on national TV.

“She’s told pals she’ll be there for her little brother and sister but isn’t going to speak to her father unless he breaks it off with Rielle,” an insider tells the Enquirer. The source adds that the latest Rielle drama was the final straw after Cate stood by her dad during his recent criminal trial. Hey, whatever she did, it got the job done. Rielle is now free to do some homewrecking with a new family.

(Photos: Pacific Coast News, Fame/Flynet)