Athletes Who Treat Their Significant Others Like Trash

The following article includes mentions of domestic violence.

There are two sides to being the spouse or significant other of a top athlete. There is a glamorous side that consists of living a life of luxury, feeling financially secure, and never having to work again. Then there's the not-so-glamorous side. Unfortunately, the world of sports has seen its athletes caught in scandalous affairs, cheating rumors, and several disturbing allegations. Way too many wives or girlfriends of popular athletes have felt the sting of their partner's infidelities and wrongful actions and when it gets aired out, it's humiliating and deeply concerning. 

Michael Jordan's ex-wife Juanita Vanoy was not going to let the star-studded NBA player get away with his cheating ways. According to The Washington Post, a private investigator spotted Jordan with multiple women during their marriage, including a stripper. The couple was married for 17 years when their divorce was finalized in 2006 and Vanoy took home a whopping $168 million, making it one of the most expensive divorce settlements in history.

The athletes on this list treated their significant others like trash and some of it isn't pretty. From infamous extramarital affairs to abuse allegations, these sports stars became more known for their horrible actions toward their partner than for their celebrated career.

Chien-Ming Wang became a hero to the Taiwanese people when he made his first appearance as a New York Yankees starting pitcher in 2005. However, in 2009, Wang suffered a crushing shoulder injury that took him out of the rest of the season with the Yankees ultimately letting him go and making him a free agent. 

The same year that he had to rehabilitate his shoulder, he was having an extramarital affair. According to the Taipei Times, Wang held a press conference in 2012 where he confessed that he had an eight-month affair with a woman named Cyndi. He decided to come clean about his affair after Cyndi revealed that she would expose him if he ended things with her. Wang stated, "I really do not want to hurt this lady. But weighing on the situation, the people I should not hurt are my family." Wang married his wife Chia-Ling in 2003 and the couple welcomed a son in 2009. 

According to Goldsea, Cyndi admitted that she did not know Wang was a professional baseball player or that he was married when they met at a karaoke bar in Florida. She learned about his true identity when their relationship was becoming more serious. However, their relationship was over after Wang admitted to feeling a sense of guilt. As of this writing, Wang is the pitching coach with the CTBC Brothers, a team in the Chinese Professional Baseball League, and is still married to his wife.

Country singer Jana Kramer's six-year marriage to former NFL player Mike Caussin was not an easy one. A year after the two wed in 2015, Us Weekly reported that Caussin was unfaithful, having been with multiple women, and he sought help for sex addiction. Although he went to a rehabilitation in 2016, he admitted on their podcast "Whine Down with Jana Kramer" that he was only sober for a year, adding, "Yeah, we've been through some s***. So that's why even though I've been in the program coming on three years, I'm a year sober," with Kramer stating that her husband had "relapses" but did not engage in physical intimacy with anyone.

The couple renewed their vows in 2017, but in April 2021, Kramer shared on Instagram that they were done for good with Us Weekly revealing that he had cheated on her again. "I've given everything I have, and now I have nothing else to give ... I just can't fight any longer. It's time to heal," she wrote. In July, Kramer announced that the former couple were legally divorced and wrote, "Today has not been easy and I didn't know if I would even say anything. If I'm honest I had no idea how I would feel. Relieved? Sad? But I got the 'final' call that I'm officially divorced and the tears came."

Less than a year after their public split, Kramer introduced her Instagram fans to her new boyfriend Ian Schinelli in January 2022. She and Caussin also share two children.  

In 2012, NBA great Shaquille O'Neal published his memoir "Shaq Uncut: My Story" which not only talked about his rise to stardom and his many accomplishments in basketball, but also his infidelities towards his ex-wife Shaunie O'Neal. 

The former couple was married from 2002 to 2009 with TMZ reporting that Shaunie filed for divorce and had asked for child support for their four children as well as spousal support. What may have baffled fans reading Shaq's memoir is the NBA legend not only admitted to his wrongdoings towards his ex-wife but stated that he did not cheat on her "disrespectfully." His book states, "At one time my ex-wife Shaunie and I were happy, but I admit it — I was a guy. I was a guy with too many options. Choosing to be with some of those women, well, that's on me. In my mind, I never did it disrespectfully, but obviously, I should have never done it at all."

According to People, Shaq had initially filed for divorce in 2007 and claimed that his former spouse was hiding assets. The couple reconciled until Shaunie decided it was time to call it quits two years later. Although they are no longer together, they remain on good terms. Shaunie expressed to Page Six how she hoped her ex-husband finds a good woman, stating, "When I see Shaq with a new woman I'll be like, 'Oh, is this the one. Please let this be the one. Like, girl, stick in there — you got this.'"

Larry Wayne "Chipper" Jones Jr. was a celebrated MLB player after having played for the Atlanta Braves his entire career. His team won the 1995 World Series against the Cleveland Indians, and the next year, they headed to the World Series yet again but lost to the New York Yankees. While Jones was regarded as a hero to fans, off the field, he appeared to be a different man when he revealed that he had multiple affairs — and that one of his affairs resulted in the birth of his son, Matthew. 

Jones' marriage to his wife Karin of six years appeared to be over when he shared that he slept with women after the 1996 World Series and got a waitress in Florida pregnant. He even detailed the time he had to tell his wife about his wrongdoings in his book "Ballplayer," stating (via The Atlanta Journal-Constitution), "I would get it all out, and whatever happened after that, happened. It would probably get violent, and she'd probably never want to see my face again." The couple stayed together and went to therapy to resolve their issues with Karin sharing that it all came crashing down when she learned that he was unfaithful again. "I finally had to wake up and face reality," she said. The couple divorced in 2000. 

The same year he divorced his first wife, Jones married Sharon Logonov and the couple has three children. They divorced in 2012 and he married his third wife, Playboy model Taylor Higgins in 2015.

NBA star Tristan Thompson and Khloe Kardashian's relationship has made constant headlines because of the athletes' numerous infidelities. The pair began dating in 2016, and a year later, the reality star announced on Instagram that she was pregnant. Not everything was smooth sailing, as TMZ reported that Thompson had cheated on Kardashian with multiple women throughout her pregnancy, and just days after she was to give birth to their daughter, True, he was seen with another woman.

According to Us Weekly, in February 2019, Kardashian faced another heartbreak when Thompson cheated on her again with Jordyn Woods, half-sister Kylie Jenner's best friend. It came as a shock to the Kardashian family, but during their 2021 "Keeping Up With the Kardashians" reunion, Khloe admitted (via People), "I forgive Jordyn, or else I would be a prisoner in my life." She also appeared to make amends with Thompson.

Thompson's relationship with Khloe Kardashian came to a standstill when it was discovered in December 2021 that he had yet another affair with a woman named Maralee Nichols and that she was pregnant with his child. When a paternity test proved that Thompson was the dad, he publicly apologized to Kardashian on Instagram, stating (via Daily Mail), "You don't deserve the heartache and humiliation I have caused you ... Again, I am so incredibly sorry." Nichols' son was born in December of that year.

English soccer star Ashley Cole's marriage to songstress Cheryl Cole was forever broken when five women came forward to reveal that they had slept with the athlete. The couple wed in July 2006 but just two years later, a hairdresser named Amiee Watson told the Daily Star that he had cheated on his pop star wife with her. Unfortunately, this wouldn't be the last allegation of Cole being unfaithful. 

According to The Guardian, Cole had sent model Sonia Wild inappropriate photos of himself in 2010, with a third woman, a secretary at Premier League club, Liverpool, coming forward to state that she too had an affair with the soccer star. A fourth woman had also slept with Ashley, as did a fifth woman named Alexandra Taylor. Taylor went into detail about her night out with Cole back in 2004, when he and Cheryl had made their relationship public. She told the Mirror, "But I didn't know anything about him and Cheryl – he certainly never mentioned her while we were talking. And later that night we went back to his place for sex."

Cheryl filed for divorce from the professional athlete in 2010 and cited "unreasonable behavior," per Reuters. In 2019, Cole told The Telegraph that he was a changed man after having two children with model Sharon Canu, who he began dating in 2014. "It's a different me, I'm more of a family man now. You won't see me in nightclubs anymore, you'll see me at a park pushing my kids," he shared.

Former New York Giants star Tiki Barber and his wife Traci Lynn Johnson have been together since 2012, but their relationship has come with some scrutiny. In 2010, it was revealed by the New York Post that Barber had left his first wife of 11 years Ginny Cha while she was 8 months pregnant with their twins for Johnson.

According to Us Weekly, Barber and his first wife tied the knot in 1999 and welcomed two sons in 2002 and 2004. However, in April of 2010, news broke that he had an affair with the much younger Johnson who was working as an NBC intern. Cha gave birth to twin daughters that May with the New York Post revealing that Barber was not allowed in the delivery room. Days after his divorce from Cha was finalized, Barber married Johnson in New York City, per the Daily Mail. Since tying the knot, the couple has welcomed two daughters named Brooklyn and Teagan.  

Fans might recognize Johnson after joining the cast of women of Bravo's "The Real Housewives of New Jersey" for the reality show's 12th season where she has discussed her marriage with Barber.

NFL offensive lineman Chad Wheeler was released from the Seattle Seahawks after he faced three charges including first-degree domestic violence assault for an incident involving his girlfriend Alleah Taylor in January 2021, per SI. Taylor detailed the horrific account on "CBS This Morning," where she shared that Wheeler had texted a photo of himself earlier that day with a shaved head which was odd since he "loved his long hair." She stated that when she arrived home Wheeler went "downhill emotionally" and "snapped into a dark place." He asked her to "bow down" to him and when she refused, he choked Taylor twice into unconsciousness, and when she woke, she heard him state, "Wow, you're still alive." 

According to ESPN, Wheeler pleaded not guilty to the charges and had a scheduled court date of April 6th, 2022. As of this writing, if he is found guilty, the ex-NFL player could face eight to 12 years behind bars. Wheeler tweeted an apology and called the incident a "manic episode" with Taylor stating that he has bipolar disorder. He added, "It is time for me to walk away from football and get the help I need to never again pose a threat to another. I cannot express my sorrow or remorse enough. I am truly ashamed."

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.