The Most Unfaithful Stars In Music
The following references domestic abuse and addiction.
When a celebrity is exposed as a cheater, time stands still. Picture-perfect stars and their picture-perfect relationships clearly aren't what they seemed, and the speculation dial gets turned up to a 10. And while a number of famous folk opt to deny any and all cheating rumors, there are others who ultimately own up to their unfaithful behavior.
For example, remember when "Twilight" star Kristen Stewart publicly apologized in 2012 for cheating on then-boyfriend Robert Pattinson? The actor was caught getting hot and heavy with a then-married director Rupert Sanders. Even famous momager Kris Jenner admitted and regretted cheating on the late Robert Kardashian, a dalliance that led to their divorce in 1991. Then there's Tiger Woods, who was caught cheating on his wife, Elin Nordegren, with several women. The golfer confessed to having multiple affairs on national television.
Unfortunately, the music world is just as riddled with celebrities who have admitted or were accused of cheating on their partners. From rock 'n' roll artists to R&B singers to country crooners, here are some music industry stars who have a reputation for being unfaithful.
Johnny Cash left his wife for June Carter
Johnny Cash wrote his hit song "I Walk the Line" for his first wife, Vivian Liberto, whom he married in 1954 and shared four daughters. The song promised his wife that he wouldn't stray. However, it turned out to be a promise he couldn't keep.
In her book, "I Walked the Line: My Life with Johnny," Liberto admitted to still loving her husband despite his immense fame leading him down a dark path of alcohol, drugs, and an affair with singer June Carter. His former wife writes, "All the things that Johnny had called filthy and dirty (his actual words from the love letters) and had insisted would destroy our lives were things he began to embrace." In 1966, Liberto filed for divorce from her husband. Two years later, Cash married Carter, but their romance wasn't smooth sailing.
"Johnny Cash: The Life" wrtier Robert Hilburn told Esquire that Cash cheated on Carter while she was pregnant with their son John Carter Cash. The country icon would have many women in his life, but what was most shocking was learning that Cash had an affair with Carter's sister. However, the couple worked through their relationship challenges, and Carter helped her husband through his drug addiction. As Cash told Rolling Stone in 2000, "When it gets dark, and everybody's gone home, and the lights are turned off, it's just me and her."
If you or anyone you know needs help with addiction issues, help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
LeAnn Rimes' cheating scandal is talked about to this day
The way LeAnn Rimes and Eddie Cibrian's relationship came to be is still much discussed despite the pair being married for years. In 2009, Rimes and her "Northern Lights" co-star were accused of having an affair. Rimes and Cibrian initially denied the allegations as the songstress was married to pro chef Dean Sheremet, and Cibrian was married to reality TV personality Brandi Glanville.
Rimes owned up to the affair in a 2010 chat with People. "I did one of the most selfish things that I possibly could do, in hurting someone else," she said. "I take responsibility for everything I've done. I hate that people got hurt, but I don't regret the outcome." Both Rimes and Cibrian divorced their respective spouses and married each other in 2011. However, Glanville didn't take the split lightly. "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" star feuded with Rimes for years before the two made amends in 2018. The reality star shared a selfie with Rimes on Instagram, seemingly putting their back and forth to rest for the sake of Cibrian and Glanville's two sons.
In 2021, the couple marked their tenth wedding anniversary, with Rimes sharing a touching montage of their wedding and adventures on Instagram.
Usher wasn't faithful to Tameka Foster
Usher's romance with TLC's Rozonda "Chilli" Thomas might've seemed like a match made in music heaven, but the two superstars couldn't make it work. The pair dated from 2001 to 2003, but as Chilli later claimed on Atlanta's Q100, there was apparently trouble in paradise. Per InStyle, she said, "Usher did the ultimate no-no to me. I will never be with him again, and that's that." While she didn't explicitly say he stepped out on her, she did make it clear she wasn't interested in giving cheaters a second chance. The speculation regarding Usher and Chilli's relationship only intensified when Usher released the 2004 album "Confessions." Though the lyrics addressed infidelity and getting another woman pregnant, Chilli told Us Weekly that the songs were about Jermaine Dupri's experiences, not Usher's. She also insisted Usher didn't cheat on her.
Usher's relationship timeline with his first wife, Tameka Foster, wasn't so neat and tidy. They married in late 2007, only to get divorced in 2009. Asked by Oprah Winfrey in 2012 if he had been with other women during their marriage, Usher said, "When we were separated, yes, I was. We were not divorced." That same year, Foster told ET that her ex-husband had an affair with one of her bridesmaids before their 2007 wedding.
Usher married his long-time girlfriend Grace Miguel in 2015, but the pair divorced in 2018. Since 2019, the singer has been dating Jenn Goicoechea.
Ne-Yo's wife exposed his philandering ways
Ne-Yo and Crystal Renay had a rollercoaster relationship involving two trips down the aisle and plenty of scandal. The couple wed in February 2016, but in 2020, the singer announced that he and his wife were splitting. However, the couple worked out their differences, with the "So Sick" artist thanking the quarantine for saving his marriage. Ne-Yo and Renay renewed their vows in April 2022, but in July, Renay shared shocking news when she claimed her husband had been cheating on her throughout their marriage.
In a lengthy Instagram post, Renay shared, "8 years. 8 years of lies and deception. 8 years of unknowingly sharing my life with my husband and numerous women who sell their bodies to him unprotected... every last one of them! To say I'm heartbroken and disgusted is an understatement. To ask me to stay and accept it is absolutely insane." Renay also asked her followers to stop sending her proof of her husband's many infidelities. Ne-Yo responded to Renay's accusations in a tweet asking fans to respect their privacy, but it was a little too late for that.
In August 2022, Renay filed for divorce and alleged that Ne-Yo had fathered a child by another woman. Their divorce was finalized in January.
Nas admitted to being a cheater
In 2009, Kelis filed for divorce from Nas following a four-year marriage. At the time of the filing, the "Milkshake" singer was seven months pregnant with their son, giving birth in July 2009. Per Rolling Out, in an interview with VH1 in 2012, Nas acknowledged he was unfaithful while they were married. "The biggest lesson I learned is respect ... trust ... no infidelity. I, at some point, got pissed off during the relationship and strayed, and I wouldn't do that again. I would be all good," he said. The couple's divorce was finalized in May 2010.
Kelis certainly wasn't surprised when Nas shared this revelation with VH1. "He had been cheating for two years," she told Hollywood Unlocked. "It was because, on top of all the other stuff, and then you're gonna cheat? It was too much." Kelis alleged that Nas had physically and mentally abused her throughout their marriage. The rapper fired back at his ex-wife's allegations in a seven-part post on Instagram. In his since-deleted posts, he stated, "The altercation you speak of are no more different from what most normal couples go thru, but your exaggerated version is UNJUST." In another part, he wrote, "Everything with her is a plot and a scheme."
If you or someone you know is dealing with domestic abuse, you can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1−800−799−7233. You can also find more information, resources, and support at their website.
Diddy chose Jennifer Lopez over Kim Porter
Diddy and Kim Porter's relationship had its fair share of ups and downs. The pair began to date in 1994 and welcomed a son in 1998. However, that same year, all eyes were on Diddy and a new lady on his arm: Jennifer Lopez. Remember when the rapper arrived with Lopez while she was wearing that iconic Versace dress at the 2000 Grammy Awards? Well, apparently, Porter and Diddy never really broke things off, with the model telling Essence, "That relationship wasn't real. The world just saw the bright lights and the camera. But I knew what was really going on. He was still in love with me."
Diddy and Lopez called it quits in 2000, and the rapper and Porter mended their relationship. However, it went south when, while Porter was pregnant with the couple's twins, she learned he would have a baby with another woman. She shared with Essence after their 2007 breakup (via People), "It's not an original script. He's not the first man who's cheated. He's not the first man who's had a baby outside of his relationship. He's not the originator of this. But at this point in my life – I have girls now – it's a different program." In July 2006, Diddy welcomed a daughter with Sarah Chapman. At the end of that year, Porter welcomed the former couple's twins.
In 2018, Porter died from a lung infection. Diddy gave a eulogy at her funeral.
Ozzy Osbourne had an ongoing affair with the hairstylist
In May 2016, Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne revealed they were splitting after 33 years of marriage when word got out that the rocker had a four-year affair with his hairstylist Michelle Pugh. After the Black Sabbath star's infidelity was revealed, Sharon returned to her co-hosting duties on "The Talk" and walked out on stage holding a glass of lemonade as a nod to Beyoncé's album.
However, Pugh was just one of many women the rocker had alleged affairs with, and he sought therapy for sex addiction. Even in the wake of these cheating scandals, Ozzy and Sharon decided to work on their marriage, and by July, they were back together. The couple even renewed their vows in May 2017. Ozzy spoke with Rolling Stone that same year and shared that love and forgiveness helped the couple navigate difficult times. However, the rocker did poke fun at his situation when he shared, "Don't get caught with your mistress."
During an interview with British GQ in 2020, Ozzy confessed to regretting his infidelity. "I've done some pretty outrageous things. I regret cheating on my wife. I don't do it anymore. I got my reality check, and I'm lucky she didn't leave me. I'm not proud of that. I was pissed off with myself. But I broke her heart," he said.
Chris Brown dated two stars at once
Whether he meant to reveal it or not, Chris Brown once shared that he dated his now exes, Rihanna and Karrueche Tran, simultaneously at one point. During an interview with Power 105.1's "The Breakfast Club," the R&B artist admitted that there was an overlap in the relationships between the two women. So, let's look back at these two romances and see where things got a little sticky.
Brown and Rihanna's relationship began sometime around 2007. However, it was over after Brown physically assaulted Rihanna on the night of the 2009 Grammys. In 2011, Brown started dating Tran, but the two had an on-again, off-again relationship and broke up in 2012 when Brown and Rihanna reunited later that year. Brown and Rihanna were over for good in 2013, and Brown got back together with Tran.
In March 2015, Tran tweeted that she was no longer with Brown after learning he had a child with another woman. The actor found out her boyfriend was having a baby via TMZ. She told Real 92.3's "Big Boy's Morning Show" that the baby news was the tipping point. "After the whole Rihanna thing, we've been trying to fix what was broken. And that was just the icing on the cake," Tran shared.
If you or someone you know is dealing with domestic abuse, you can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1−800−799−7233. You can also find more information, resources, and support at their website.
Adam Levine didn't always believe in monogamy
In September 2022, Victoria's Secret model Behati Prinsloo announced on Instagram that she and Adam Levine were expecting their third child. Model Sumner Stroh followed up this announcement with a revelation of her own: she claimed to have had a year-long affair with the Maroon 5 frontman. In a video on TikTok, Stroh shared screenshots of DM's that Levine had allegedly sent her on Instagram and stated, "I was young, I was naive ... I was easily manipulated." Months after their reported affair, Levine DMed Stroh and asked her if he could name his baby Sumner. Um, gross?
Levine quickly addressed Stroh's allegations, telling TMZ that he engaged in inappropriate behavior but denied having an affair. Meanwhile, Prinsloo stayed quiet about the cheating scandal, despite other women claiming that they also received flirtatious messages from Levine. By the time Prinsloo welcomed the couple's third child in January 2023, the affair speculation surrounding her husband had died down. They even enjoyed a date night when they stepped out together for the Vanity Fair Oscars Party in May.
Though we are still left wondering who was telling the truth during this short-lived scandal, we can't forget that time in 2009 when Levine said in Cosmopolitan, "Instinctively, monogamy is not in our genetic makeup. People cheat. I have cheated. And you know what? There is nothing worse than the feeling of doing it."
Justin Timberlake had to dispel a few cheating rumors
Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel celebrated a milestone in their romance with their tenth wedding anniversary in 2022. However, not everything has been smooth sailing in their relationship, as Timberlake has been at the center of a few cheating allegations.
Timberlake and Biel began dating around 2007, but two years later, Timberlake made headlines for his supposed romance with Rihanna. After RiRi dumped Chris Brown, a source for Hollyscoop (via Marie Claire) reported that the songstress gave her "Rehab" music video costar a lap dance at a New York City nightclub. And then, the Daily Star (via Digital Spy) reported that their romance was supposedly getting hot and heavy. According to the outlet, she supposedly told a friend, "Don't trip, but I have hooked up with Justin." Granted, these rumors were never confirmed, so keep your grains of salt handy.
In 2010, Timberlake became a tabloid fodder yet again when he was allegedly caught with actor Olivia Munn. The pop singer's rep denied the allegations, and he wed Biel in 2012. Cut to 2019 when a very questionable video obtained by The Sun showed the singer getting handsy with his "Palmer" costar Alisha Wainwright in New Orleans. The former *NSYNC singer publicly apologized to Biel on Instagram, stating, "I displayed a strong lapse in judgment – but let me be clear – nothing happened between me and my costar. I drank way too much that night, and I regret my behavior. I should have known better."
Travis Barker wasn't the most faithful to his ex-wives
Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker may be a faithful husband to Kourtney Kardashian, but he has admitted to cheating on his former partners. Before Kardashian came into the picture, Barker married model Shanna Moakler in 2004. The couple divorced in February 2008, but they reconciled following his near-death plane crash later that year. After that, however, the couple both blamed each other for cheating. In fact, in Barker's 2015 memoir, "Can I Say: Living Large, Cheating Death, and Drums, Drums, Drums," he recounted the moment Moakler found inappropriate messages on his laptop while he recovered from his injuries.
Per Newsweek, he wrote, "She saw all my e-mails from the previous three or four years, including messages from about thirteen different girls I had been messing around with in the year before the plane crash." He added, "There were plenty of girls she wondered about and some she knew nothing about. And how it was all out in the open. I was f*****."
Barker also revealed in his autobiography that he wasn't faithful to his first wife, Melissa Kennedy, either. In one instance, the rock star admitted to cheating on her at his bachelor party. The couple married in 2001, and they divorced the following year.
John Legend stopped cheating once he met Chrissy Teigen
Thankfully, Hollywood power couple John Legend and Chrissy Teigen haven't been in the thick of a cheating scandal. However, once upon a time, the musician wasn't above stepping out on a significant other. On a 2020 episode of the "Armchair Expert" podcast in 2020, Legend admitted to being a serial cheater. However, he changed his ways after finding love with Teigen.
"Yes, I did have a history of [cheating], definitely in my 20s," Legend recalled to Shepard. "Part of it, I escaped technically cheating by kind of keeping my relationships ill-defined, but it was really cheating. I definitely was dishonest and selfish ... and it was happening before I was famous," Legend said.
The "Green Light" singer entered into a monogamous relationship with Teigen after the two met in 2006. As far as Legend is concerned, that's when things clicked into place for him and he felt ready to settle down. "But at a certain point, you just realize like you're happier being honest, you're happier being faithful and being in love with one person. And at a certain point, I just decided that that person was Chrissy, and I just decided I wasn't going to mess with anybody else anymore," Legend shared. Showing just how devoted he was to Teigen, the R&B crooner penned several songs for her, including the hit "All of Me."
Mick Jagger has a long list of lovers
Biographer Christopher Anderson made a stunning revelation when he proclaimed that Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger reportedly had 4,000 sexual partners. Many women in a high-profile relationship with the rocker might attest to that revelation, as most left Mick because of his cheating ways.
Many, if not all, of Mick Jagger's romances started as affairs. He's been in relationships with models, actors, and singers, including Chrissie Shrimpton, Marianne Faithfull, and Marsha Hunt. Mick and Hunt welcomed a daughter named Karis Jagger in 1970, but by the time of her birth, Mick already had eyes for Bianca Jagger (née Pérez-Mora de Macías). Bianca and Mick married in 1971 and welcomed a daughter, Jade, that same year. Bianca divorced Mick in 1978 following his affair with Jerry Hall. Mick's longest relationship would be with Hall, but it ended in 1999 after Hall discovered Mick had fathered a child with model Luciana Gimenez. In a 2010 chat with The Guardian, Hall shared that she was aware of Mick's many infidelities but eventually reached her limit. "After the fourth child," she recalled. "I thought, 'Right, done that, he's served his purpose.'"
Jagger's philandering days appear to be over as he's settled down with Melanie Hamrick since 2014. The couple welcomed a son named Deveraux in 2016.