Whatever Happened To The Celeb Couples Exposed By The Ashley Madison Scandal?
In August 2015, a group of hackers called "Impact Team" posted account information for over 32 million users of AshleyMadison.com. But what made this hack different is that Ashley Madison wasn't like other websites. It was a portal specifically for married users to cheat on their spouses, and it's clientele included everyone from all walks of lives — including celebrities. So when famous names started making headlines, things were sure to get messy. Here are the stars that were exposed in the scandalous data breach, and how their marriages are doing after the dust settled.
Josh Duggar
By the time the Ashley Madison scandal exploded, Josh Duggar had already derailed his family's reality TV show just a few months earlier after it was revealed that the 19 Kids and Counting star molested his own sisters, and his parents Jim Bob and Michelle handled the situation in some pretty questionable ways. So with the molestation news already in the mix, you'd just assume allegations of using a cheating website would be small potatoes. It wasn't.
According to Gawker, not only did Duggar have two Ashley Madison accounts, but he paid the "affair guarantee" for both accounts, which means he didn't have the plausible deniability of creating a free account out of curiosity. Duggar was specifically paying a monthly fee to meet other women. It also didn't go unnoticed that Duggar worked for the Family Research Council as an outspoken opponent of gay marriage, which the former reality star believes is ruining the "American family." Hypocritical much?
To his credit, Duggar admitted in a statement that he used Ashley Madison and was unfaithful to his wife Anna. (Although, he initially claimed that he was under the influence of Satan before editing that part out.) Remarkably, People reports that Duggar and his wife are still together after some intense counseling — and they've even welcomed a new baby since the fiasco.
Jionni LaValle
Jionni LaValle wasn't even married to Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi for a full year before Us Weekly reported that he allegedly had an Ashley Madison account. To make matters worse, this wasn't the first time LaValle had been accused of straying from his Jersey Shore bride. However, Snooki quickly showed that she wasn't going to let anyone talk trash about her marriage, and the reality star leapt to LaValle's defense on Instagram.
"I really didn't even want to acknowledge this absurd story, but when my family is being bashed for no reason- mama bear is gonna say what's up," Snooki wrote. "So no, my husband didn't sign up on that website to cheat on me. Honestly, if he wanted to cheat- he would go out and do it. Not sign up on a website and pay for it."
Snooki took things even further on her Naturally Nicole podcast (via ET Online) by pointing out that her husband wouldn't even know how to use the virtual cheating site because he's not exactly the brightest bulb in the pack. "I'm lucky if he knows how to even use a computer," Polizzi said.
As of January 2018, the couple was still going strong, and still dodging tabloid reports saying otherwise. The Ashley Madison scandal was barely a blip on their radar.
Sam Rader
For a hot minute in 2015, Christian YouTube stars "Sam and Nia" become a viral sensation after Sam "surprised" his wife Nia with news of her own pregnancy by secretly testing her pee. (It's as weird as it sounds.) However, just three days later, the couple posted an emotional video announcing that Nia had already suffered a miscarriage. Needless to say, the internet was skeptical, and medical experts told Buzzfeed that Sam's pregnancy testing method is significantly unreliable. Sam and Nia also continued to use the controversy to generate views for their YouTube channel, which raised suspicions about whether the pregnancy was ever real.
But those questions quickly took a backseat when the Daily Mail reported that Sam had been exposed by the Ashley Madison scandal. The couple addressed the controversy in a since-deleted video, and Sam admitted that he had signed up for the cheating website.
"I need to be clear that I never had an affair with anybody ever while I've been married," Sam told his fans (via E! News). "This account was opened out of pure fleshly desire and just simple curiosity."
"I have forgiven Sam and I stand behind him," Nia added. "This is in our past and it's unfortunate that it's being dug up now but our marriage is worth fighting for."
Despite falling out of the public spotlight after the Ashley Madison news, Sam and Nia are still together and making YouTube videos (along with actual babies) at the time of this writing.
Hunter Biden
Often considered the black sheep of the family, Hunter Biden, son of former Vice President Joe Biden found himself named in the Ashley Madison scandal. Biden denied opening an account with the adulterous website and claimed that it was "clearly set up by someone else without my knowledge," according to People. However, while there's no definitive proof that Biden did or didn't open the account, Page Six reports that at time of his denial, Biden's wife had kicked him out of the family house for having an affair with his late brother's widow. Yikes!
Unbeknownst to the public, Biden and his wife had been separated for over a year before Page Six broke the news of their contentious divorce and Biden's unusual relationship with his sister-in-law along with a laundry list of other marital indiscretions that go beyond allegedly signing up for a cheating website. It's also worth noting that the breakdown of Hunter's marriage also occurred around the same time that the elder Biden was considering a presidential run, which he ultimately decided against. Were the two related? Only the Bidens know the truth.
Josh Taekman
Kristen Taekman was only on Real Housewives of New York for one season, but that was more than enough time to be caught up in a scandal. As the famous names of Ashley Madison account holders were being leaked, Taekman's husband Josh was exposed as having an account. However, the Eboost founder denied being unfaithful to his wife and claims the whole situation was a joke that went wrong.
"I signed up for the site foolishly and ignorantly with a group of friends and I deeply apologize for any embarrassment or pain I have brought to my wife and family," Taekman told Us Weekly after first denying that he had an account.
But apparently one scandal was enough for the Taekmans, so Kristen quit RHONY two months later. However, the couple's marriage is still going strong, and Kristen still checks in with her old friends at Bravo.
"My relationship is stronger than ever and I think it's good," she told The Daily Dish. "I think that every relationship for sure has its ups and downs whether it's marriage, dating, friendships. I've had my ups and downs with friendships too. Yeah, I think it's good and it does make you stronger."