(RNS) Conservative activist Dinesh D’Souza resigned as president of evangelical The King’s College in New York City on Thursday (Oct. 18) amid a scandal involving a relationship with a woman who is not his wife.

D’Souza has scandalized the evangelical Christian world by pursuing the relationship openly with a woman he called his fiancé, while still married to his wife of several decades. D'Souza and his wife, Dixie, have been separated for two years and have filed for divorce.

Andy Mills, the new interim president of the college and chairman of its board, released a statement:

“After careful consultation with the board and with Dinesh, we have accepted his resignation to allow him to attend to his personal and family needs. We thank him for his service and significant contribution to the College over the last two years.”

Mills “asked the King’s community to pray for Dinesh and his family during this difficult period,” according to the statement.

D’Souza on Wednesday denied recent report in World magazine that he and his fiancée had shared a hotel room at a South Carolina conference in September. He told Christianity Today that World was mounting a "clear effort to destroy me and my career."

He also told Fox News that he had not thought that the relationship was wrong.

“I had no idea that it is considered wrong in Christian circles to be engaged prior to being divorced, even though in a state of separation and in divorce proceedings,” he wrote in response to the World article.

“Obviously I would not have introduced Denise as my fiancé at a Christian apologetics conference if I had thought or known I was doing something wrong,” he continued. “But as a result of all this, and to avoid even the appearance of impropriety, Denise and I have decided to suspend our engagement.”

D’Souza, 51, a writer and filmmaker who has been a champion of conservatives since he was a college student, more recently became a star among evangelical Christians.

Fox News reports that in September, D'Souza's movie "2016: Obama's America," became the second-highest grossing political documentary of all time.

KRE END MARKOE