30 Celebrity Cheating Scandals So Shocking People Are Still Talking About Them
30 Celebrity Cheating Scandals So Shocking People Are Still Talking About Them
Every once in a while there's an affair that goes down in Hollywood circles that really gets people talking. These very public cheating scandals in particular sparked controversy then — and continue to raise eyebrows now.
1949: Frank Sinatra Allegedly Cheats on Nancy Barbato
"The Rat Pack" legend was known not only for his romantic crooning and casino-hopping nights, but for his bachelor lifestyle too. While Frank was still married to his longtime sweetheart, Nancy, he apparently began seeing actress Ava Gardner. The two first met in 1943 at a club, where Frank was captivated by her beauty. “I looked at her and said, ‘Jesus, you got prettier since last time I saw ya,’” the singer said, according to the Ava, a Life in Movies biography. “This was not the young girl from Carolina at the studio. This was a woman who was glorious.” The two ended up getting married in 1951 and divorced six years later.
1958: Eddie Fisher Cheats on Debbie Reynolds
In perhaps one of the most notorious love triangles of all time, actress Debbie Reynolds found out at a dinner party that singer Eddie Fisher, her husband at the time, was having an affair with her good friend Elizabeth Taylor. "Everyone was sort of whispering, 'Does she know?' ... and I wanted to know what they were whispering about," Debbie later told ET in 1988. "So, then I put two and two together, because I could hear certain [words], 'Eddie' and 'Elizabeth' and such." Eventually, Debbie found a way to forgive Elizabeth and ultimately blamed Eddie, not the Father of the Bride actress, for destroying their marriage. Though Elizabeth and Eddie tied the knot in 1959, they split in 1964 after the Cleopatra star began seeing Richard Burton during their marriage.
Early 1960s: Johnny Cash Allegedly Cheats on Vivian Cash
Though Johnny famously pledged to remain faithful to Vivian in his song "I Walk the Line," he broke that vow soon after meeting country singer June Carter in 1956. Vivian filed for divorce from Johnny, citing his substance abuse and alleged extramarital affairs. After a number of failed proposal attempts, Johnny famously popped the question to June in February of 1968, and the two remained together until both of their deaths in 2003.
1962: John F. Kennedy Allegedly Cheats on Jackie Kennedy Onassis
Though never officially confirmed, JFK's apparent fling with It Girl Marilyn Monroe has become one of the most speculative romances in modern history. According to biographer Donald Spoto, who penned Marilyn Monroe: The Biography, the late president and actress most likely had an "encounter" during a party at Bing Crosby's home in Palm Springs in March of 1962. He also noted that the existence of an ongoing "affair" is highly unlikely, even though most still believe this to be true after Marilyn's breathy rendition of "Happy Birthday" to the President. Despite the rumors, Jackie remained with her husband until he was assassinated in 1963.
1986: Prince Charles Cheats on Princess Diana
Some believe the Prince of Wales and Camilla Parker Bowles were romantically involved right at the outset of Princess Diana and Charles' marriage. Before their wedding, Diana reportedly discovered gifts exchanged between the two, including a gold bracelet with the letters G and F for their nicknames 'Gladys' and 'Fred,' says late royal biographer Andrew Morton. Other reports pin 1986 as the year Diana definitively knew there was another woman. The affair was confirmed in the press in 1992 when taped conversations between the duo were leaked. Charles and Diana divorced in 1996 — one year before her sudden death — and Charles ended up marrying Camilla in 2005.
1990: Jack Nicholson Admits to Cheating on Anjelica Huston
The Shining actor was reportedly known as a womanizer in the '80s Hollywood scene. Still, it wasn't until 1990 that he supposedly came clean to his longtime girlfriend and Oscar-winning actress Anjelica Huston that he was having a baby with Rebecca Broussard — a woman 12 years her junior. Anjelica promptly broke up with Jack and found more lasting love in 1992 when she married sculptor Robert Graham (who died in 2008). Jack continued dating Rebecca until she broke up with him in '93.
1997: Arnold Schwarzenegger Cheats on Maria Shriver
The Terminator leading man shocked everyone in 2011 when it became known he was unfaithful to famed journalist Maria Shriver back in 1997 with their housekeeper Mildred Patricia Baena. It was also revealed that Arnold had fathered a son with Mildred and had been providing them both with financial support throughout his marriage. To this day, it remains unclear whether Arnold and Mildred engaged in a one time indiscretion or a prolonged relationship. Regardless, Maria soon filed for divorce upon learning about the infidelity, though reports indicate the two still have not finalized it due to putative financial disagreements.
1997: Frank Gifford Cheats on Kathie Lee Gifford
The couple's relationship hit a rocky patch when cheating rumors about the sportscaster emerged in 1997. Though the TODAY show host is a bit more comfortable now speaking about her husband's reported two-day liaison with married flight attendant Suzen Johnson, the couple struggled to endure for a few years after. By 2000, she told reporters that she had forgiven Frank and had to "fall in love with him all over again." The pair were together until Frank died in 2015.
2000: Dennis Quaid Allegedly Cheats on Meg Ryan (and Vice Versa)
The Proof of Life star went from America's sweetheart to what she calls the "scarlet woman" when the public found out about her fling with co-star Russell Crowe during her marriage to Dennis Quaid. But what really rattled everyone was Meg's explosive interview in 2008, where she reveals that her then-husband was actually the first one to commit adultery. "Dennis was not faithful to me for a long time, and that was very painful," she said eight years after her divorce was finalized.
2000: Matt Lauer Allegedly Cheats on Annette Roque
Amid November 2017 reports that Matt was fired for sexual harassment toward multiple women, an exclusive interview surfaced with Addie Collins Zinone, who claimed she had a relationship with the former co-anchor when she was a 24-year-old production assistant back in June of 2000. "I'm coming forward and saying, yes, this was consensual. It was an abuse of power," she said on Megyn Kelly TODAY. Though apologizing for the sexual misconduct claims, Matt never addressed the allegation directly. After the news of the relationship and inappropriate sexual behavior, Annette, his wife of 20 years, is reportedly now seeking to divorce the disgraced TODAY journalist.
2001- 2002: Britney Spears Allegedly Cheats on Justin Timberlake
With their matching denim formalwear, Justin and Britney were the iconic duo in the early 2000s. But before they famously parted ways in 2002, the rumor mill believed the "Toxic" singer was secretly hooking up with dance choreographer Wade Robson behind Justin's back. Back then, Britney cited other reasons for their breakup, telling the Daily Mail that they both "wanted different things." Justin never formally commented on the supposed affair, but many believe that the lyrics in his 2002 hit "Cry Me a River" hint that the pop star did indeed betray him.
2002: Eric Benet Allegedly Cheats on Halle Berry
Halle and Eric were smooth sailing until it was disclosed that the R&B musician was cheating on the 2002 Oscar winner. Despite an attempt to reconcile, Halle announced they were splitting in 2003. The divorce was finalized in January 2005. In 2011, Eric married Manuela Testolini, Prince's ex wife, while Halle also moved on to date and marry Olivier Martinez (the two went their separate ways in 2016). The offense was highlighted in Jay-Z's recent track "Kill Jay-Z" where the rapper says Eric "let the baddest girl in the world get away."
2004: Brad Pitt Allegedly Cheats on Jennifer Aniston
No other breakup ignites emotion quite like the split between Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston. In early 2004, Jen told The Guardian she was ready to start a family with Brad. But that same year, Brad began working with Angelina Jolie on their movie Mr. and Mrs. Smith. The Beyond Borders actress later admitted to Vogue that this is where she began falling for Brad. After a slew of cheating rumors, Jen and Brad split in January of 2005. The Friends star later said Brad was "missing a sensitivity chip." Brangelina officially tied the knot nine years later but went their separate ways in 2016.
2005: Chad Michael Murray Allegedly Cheats on Sophia Bush
One Tree Hill stars Chad and Sophia were once everyone's favorite couple. Then, Chad reportedly started fooling around with Paris Hilton, who he worked with while filming House Of Wax, according to multiple reports. Five months later, the couple filed for an annulment. Nevertheless, according to Sophia, the duo continued to work together amicably. She told Andy Cohen in 2014 that, in retrospect, Chad and her were just "two stupid kids who had no business being in a relationship in the first place."
2006: Ryan Phillippe Allegedly Cheats on Reese Witherspoon
The two actors — who share both a daughter and son — split after reports arose that Ryan was unfaithful to Reese with Australian star Abbie Cornish. The two were introduced on the movie set of Stop Loss and allegedly began an affair shortly after. That same year, Reese and Ryan ended their marriage and Abbie and the Cruel Intentions actor promptly began dating — a relationship that lasted for four years.
2009: LeAnn Rimes Allegedly Cheats on Dean Sheremet
While married to Dean Sheremet, the "How Do I Live" singer entered into an infamous dalliance with Northern Lights co-star Eddie Cibrian, who also had a spouse at the time. "Never in a million years did I think something like that would have happened," Dean told ET. Years later, the former backup dancer still seems to be harboring resentment towards his country superstar ex, claiming that divorcing him in 2009 was the "dumbest thing she [LeAnn] ever did for her career." LeAnn and Dean have been together now for nine years and recent interviews indicate they're still going strong.
2009: David Letterman Admits to Cheating on Regina Lasko
For years, David Letterman got away with his affair with his Late Show assistant Stephanie Birkitt. But in 2008 her boyfriend Robert Halderman caught them in David's car, which led to Robert's arrest in 2009 for allegedly trying to extort $2 million from the Late Show host by threatening to expose his infidelity. The same day Robert was taken into custody, David came clean on his show and apologized on-air to his wife, Regina Lasko. Despite the scandal, David and Regina are still together.
2009-2010: Tiger Woods Admits to Cheating on Elin Nordegren
On Thanksgiving night in 2009, Tiger Woods’ then-wife, Elin Nordegren, chased him out of the house with a golf club when she learned he’d been unfaithful. What began as finding out that Tiger had been involved with nightclub hostess Rachel Uchitel, turned into a bigger revelation that the golfer had already had sex with 15 women. By the end of 2009, Tiger entered rehab for sex addiction. The two reached a divorce deal and the PGA star publicly apologized for his actions in 2010.
2010: Jesse James Cheats on Sandra Bullock
The former Monster Garage host was married to the Oscar winner for five years when his infidelity with many women, including model Michelle “Bombshell” McGee, became public. After they ended their marriage, he called himself “the most hated man in the world.” Several years later, Jesse seemingly took responsibility for his actions. "Yeah, I did cheat on my wife," he told the Daily Mail. "Yeah, I stood up and took accountability for it and apologized. And that's the end of the story."
2010: Tony Parker Allegedly Cheats on Eva Longoria
Tony and Eva were inseparable since the first time they met in the Spurs locker room back in 2003. But three years after they both said "I do," a former Sports Illustrated reporter Bryan Armen Graham took to Twitter to allege that Tony may have cheated on Eva with Erin Barry, the wife of Spurs baller Brent Barry. He also went on to claim that the Desperate Housewives actress found texts from Barry's then-wife on her husband's phone. Eva and Tony parted ways soon after.
2010: David Boreanaz Admits to Cheating on Jaime Bergman
Nearly nine years after making Jaime his wife, the Bones actor admitted to having a mistress, whom he declined to name at the time. It later came out in the press that the alleged woman was Rachel Uchitel, who also was apparently involved with Tiger Woods in 2009. “Our marriage has been tainted with my infidelities,” the actor confessed to People. “I just want to be open and honest. I was irresponsible.” David and Jaime remain a couple to this day.
2011: Justin Bieber Allegedly Cheats on Selena Gomez
What began as an innocent teenage fling turned messy in September of 2011 when fan Mariah Yeater claimed she had Justin's child after he allegedly had sex with her backstage. His rep vehemently denied the allegations, but the same year, the Canadian pop star was reportedly caught sneaking out of a model's hotel suite. "Jelena" split over a year later, though the reason why remains unclear. Selena did address Justin's disloyalty in 2016 though, when she commented on Justin's now-deleted Instagram post saying, "Funny how the ones that cheated multiple times, are the ones pointing the finger at the ones that were forgiving and supportive." The two have been on-and-off since, but sources say Selena has officially moved on as of May of 2018.
2012: Kristen Stewart Admits to Cheating on Robert Pattinson
In July of 2012, Kristen was seen being unfaithful to Robert with her Snow White and the Huntsman director Rupert Sanders when photos of the two making out emerged. The Twilight star released an apology statement just over a week later. "This momentary indiscretion has jeopardized the most important thing in my life, the person I love and respect the most, Rob," she said. The two made up and were together for a bit after the scandal, but permanently broke up in 2013.
2013: Ben Affleck Allegedly Cheats on Jennifer Garner
After Ben and Jen announced their shocking separation in 2015, there was immediate speculation over the cause of their split. Two years later, rumors surfaced of Ben reportedly having a romance with Saturday Night Live producer Lindsay Shookus in 2013 while he was still married. The entire story remains murky as to when Ben and Lindsay really began seeing each other, but the two did make a public appearance together in 2017, which many believe points to foul play during his marriage.
2015: Gavin Rossdale Allegedly Cheats on Gwen Stefani
"It was the beginning of hell," Gwen told Harper's Bazaar after finding out that her husband of 14 years was involved with their nanny. Although she knew her marriage was falling apart, she kept it a secret for months before confiding in her fellow The Voice judge, Blake Shelton. The pop star reveals that when news broke that he and Miranda Lambert were divorcing, she found comfort that he was going through the "exact same thing." Gwen and Blake soon fell in love and the No Doubt singer divorced Gavin.
2016: Ozzy Osbourne Cheats on Sharon Osbourne
The couple have been married for 36 years, but almost didn't make it after articles surfaced that the Black Sabbath musician had an affair with his hairstylist. Months later though, Sharon publicly forgave her husband and proclaimed that the two were working on reconciling their relationship. "It’s going take a long time to trust, but we’ve been together 36 years, 34 of marriage … I just can’t think of my life without him,” she said back in 2016.
2017: Jay-Z Admits to Cheating on Beyoncé
Fans are still wondering who "Becky with the good hair" is from the Destiny's Child singer's Lemonade album, where she addresses Jay-Z's past indiscretions in several songs. Suspects have included designer Rachel Roy and artist Rita Ora. While we may never know who Beyoncé was referring to, Jay-Z did own up to his two-timing in an interview with T: The New York Times Style Magazine. The rapper also told the outlet that their marital strife informed their music making and that both were "using their art almost like a therapy session." Currently, the two are on another world-wide tour together.
2017: Kevin Hart Admits to Cheating on Eniko Parrish
Even though he initially denied being untrue to his wife in July of 2017, a video of the Jumangi star and another woman suddenly leaked online, forcing the comedian to own up to his actions. Kevin eventually confessed to his wrongdoings and said he made "a bad error in judgement." Calling himself "irresponsible," the actor said, "I'm guilty, regardless of how it happened and what was involved." Despite the confirmed affair, Eniko and Kevin worked through it.
2018: Evan Felker Allegedly Cheats on Staci Felker With Miranda Lambert
To sum it up: Evan and Miranda's love is super complicated. The Turnpike Troubadours frontman first met the "Tin Man" singer while on tour together in early February. By the middle of the month, Evan supposedly blindsided his wife by filing for divorce ... and then ghosted her. To make matters worse, Miranda during this time posted a cryptic photo smiling in front of a mirror featuring the words, "I do this thing called whatever I want." Then, Evan Felker's estranged wife, Staci, posted a teary-eyed picture on her Instagram saying "PSA: If Staci Felker can make it through this week, so can you." A sticky situation, indeed.
2018: Tristan Thompson Cheats on Khloe Kardashian
The internet erupted when a surveillance video spread of Cavaliers basketball player Tristan Thompson fooling around with two women. The news came just two weeks after the announcement was made that he and Khloe Kardashian were expecting their first child together. To make matters worse, just a few days before Khloe's due date, more pictures and videos of Tristan with a woman in New York City emerged online.
The Khloe Kardashian and Tristan Thompson ordeal is only one of the most public cheating stories to ever happen in Hollywood.