Top 15 Celebrity Affairs

Celebrity relationships are always under a microscope, but a few affairs have been so public—and so consequential—that they reshaped careers, marriages, and even public policy. The stories below focus on clear, well-documented cases where the people involved acknowledged relationships or the facts were established through legal proceedings, official statements, or on-the-record interviews.

Each entry gives you the essential context—who, what, when, and what happened next—so you can see how these events unfolded and why they mattered. You’ll find timelines, key statements, and outcomes like divorces, reconciliations, or career fallout, all in one place.

Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky

In 1998, President Bill Clinton acknowledged an “inappropriate relationship” with White House intern Monica Lewinsky after previously denying it under oath in a deposition connected to the Paula Jones case. The revelations triggered an independent counsel investigation and led to Clinton’s impeachment by the U.S. House of Representatives on charges of perjury and obstruction of justice; he was later acquitted by the Senate and finished his term.

The scandal had lasting effects for both people. Clinton paid a civil contempt fine and agreed to a multi-year suspension of his Arkansas law license and a temporary suspension from the U.S. Supreme Court bar. Lewinsky later discussed the media and political fallout in interviews and essays, became an anti-bullying advocate, and participated in projects examining the wider cultural treatment she received.

Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles

Charles’s relationship with Camilla Parker Bowles pre-dated his marriage to Diana, Princess of Wales, and continued during the marriage, becoming public through leaked private phone calls and media coverage in the early 1990s. Charles admitted adultery in a televised interview after the couple had separated, and both he and Diana finalized their divorce in 1996.

Charles and Camilla married in a civil ceremony in 2005. Over time, Camilla took on a full public role alongside Charles, including international tours and charitable patronages. Following the death of Queen Elizabeth II, Camilla became Queen Consort, later Queen, formalizing a partnership that had started as an extramarital relationship decades earlier.

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie

Brad Pitt met Angelina Jolie while filming ‘Mr. & Mrs. Smith’. At the time, Pitt was married to Jennifer Aniston, and the co-stars’ on-set connection drew intense attention as Pitt and Aniston announced their separation and later finalized their divorce in 2005. Pitt and Jolie appeared together publicly soon after and confirmed their relationship.

The couple built a family through birth and adoption, collaborated on philanthropic efforts, and eventually married in 2014. Jolie filed for divorce in 2016, beginning extended legal proceedings over custody and property, including disputes related to a winery they co-owned. Their relationship’s origins and aftermath remained recurring topics in entertainment reporting for years.

Tiger Woods and Elin Nordegren

In late 2009, Tiger Woods admitted to multiple extramarital affairs after a widely covered car incident outside his Florida home. He released public statements apologizing for his conduct, announced an indefinite break from professional golf, and later returned to competition. Several sponsors reduced or ended endorsements during the height of the scandal.

Woods and Elin Nordegren divorced in 2010 and reached a settlement that included custody arrangements for their children. In subsequent years, Woods discussed undergoing therapy and addressed personal issues while rebuilding his career, culminating in major-title wins after his comeback, which drew renewed focus on the long-term repercussions and recovery following the scandal.

Arnold Schwarzenegger and Mildred Baena

In 2011, Arnold Schwarzenegger publicly acknowledged that he had fathered a child with Mildred Baena, a longtime member of his household staff, years earlier while married to Maria Shriver. The disclosure followed Schwarzenegger’s departure from the California governorship and came after Shriver confronted him with questions about the child’s parentage.

Schwarzenegger and Shriver separated shortly before the public revelation. Their divorce was finalized years later after extended proceedings. The family addressed the situation in interviews and public statements that emphasized co-parenting and privacy for the children involved, while Schwarzenegger continued professional work in entertainment and public service roles.

Jude Law and Daisy Wright

In 2005, Jude Law issued a public apology to then-fiancée Sienna Miller after reports surfaced of his affair with Daisy Wright, a nanny who worked for Law’s children. The apology was widely covered, and Miller and Law’s relationship went through a breakup before later reconciliations and eventual final separation.

Wright’s account of the relationship appeared in the press, adding details that shaped public discussion at the time. The incident affected Law and Miller’s public images and became a durable reference point in coverage of celebrity relationships involving domestic staff, while both continued acting careers with high-profile roles.

Kristen Stewart and Rupert Sanders

In 2012, photographs published by a celebrity magazine showed Kristen Stewart and director Rupert Sanders together while promoting ‘Snow White and the Huntsman’. Both issued public apologies: Stewart addressed then-boyfriend Robert Pattinson, and Sanders addressed his wife, Liberty Ross, and their family. The incident received extensive media attention due to the couple’s popularity and the film’s profile.

Stewart and Pattinson separated following the revelations and had an on-off reconciliation before parting. Ross filed for divorce from Sanders in 2013, and the case concluded in 2014 with a settlement that included custody and property terms. The film series continued without Stewart in the follow-up installment centered on the Huntsman character.

LeAnn Rimes and Eddie Cibrian

LeAnn Rimes and Eddie Cibrian began a relationship after working together on the TV movie ‘Northern Lights’. At the time, both were married to other people—Rimes to Dean Sheremet and Cibrian to Brandi Glanville. As the relationship became public, both couples separated and moved ahead with divorces.

Rimes and Cibrian married in 2011. The aftermath involved co-parenting logistics and public exchanges with Cibrian’s ex-spouse that periodically surfaced in entertainment media. Rimes addressed the timeline and impact in interviews, while continuing her music career with tours, recordings, and television appearances.

Tristan Thompson and Khloé Kardashian

Professional basketball player Tristan Thompson faced multiple publicized cheating incidents during his relationship with Khloé Kardashian, including reports coinciding with the birth of their first child in 2018. Later, court documents in 2021 confirmed he fathered a child with another woman while he and Kardashian were expecting a second child via surrogate.

The pair have navigated on-and-off reconciliations and now focus on co-parenting. The events played out on reality-TV episodes and in legal filings, providing a clear timeline and official confirmation for key parts of the story. Thompson issued public statements acknowledging responsibility and addressed legal obligations related to paternity.

Jay-Z and Beyoncé

Jay-Z publicly acknowledged infidelity within his marriage to Beyoncé in interviews surrounding his album ‘4:44’, following Beyoncé’s earlier explorations of betrayal and reconciliation themes on ‘Lemonade’. Both artists discussed therapy and personal work as part of their path forward, using music and visuals to address the subject in their own words.

The couple continued performing and releasing projects, including a joint tour that featured material referencing the marital issues and their resolution. Neither party identified the third person involved, and coverage largely relied on lyrics, interviews, and concert staging as primary sources documenting what the artists chose to share.

Hugh Grant and Divine Brown

Actor Hugh Grant was arrested in 1995 in Los Angeles during an encounter with sex worker Divine Brown while he was in a long-term relationship with Elizabeth Hurley. Grant later pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor charge, paid a fine, and completed an education program, following a widely viewed televised apology.

The incident became a late-night punchline and a case study in rapid public contrition. Hurley and Grant remained together for several more years before ultimately ending their relationship in 2000. Both continued successful careers, with Brown later giving interviews about the sudden attention and financial opportunities that followed.

David Letterman and his staff affairs

In 2009, David Letterman revealed on his late-night show that he had engaged in affairs with employees after an extortion attempt targeted him with threats to expose the relationships. He cooperated with law enforcement, and the individual behind the plot was arrested and later convicted. Letterman apologized to his staff and audience for his conduct.

The disclosure prompted workplace-power discussions, although no harassment claims were substantiated in connection with the case. Letterman married longtime partner Regina Lasko earlier that same year and continued hosting before retiring from late-night television in 2015. The episode remains a notable example of public figures disclosing personal misconduct in response to criminal pressure.

Tori Spelling and Dean McDermott

Tori Spelling and Dean McDermott met while filming ‘Mind Over Murder’. Both were married to other people at the time and began a relationship that led to separations from their respective spouses. Spelling and McDermott married in 2006, merging families and launching reality-TV projects that chronicled their home life.

Years later, McDermott admitted to separate infidelity during the marriage, which the couple documented as part of a televised counseling arc. They continued to address family dynamics and financial challenges publicly, updating audiences through interviews, podcasts, and social media posts while raising their children together.

Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez

In early 2019, reports revealed that Amazon founder Jeff Bezos was in a relationship with former news anchor and helicopter pilot Lauren Sánchez. The news became public alongside allegations of private-photo leaks and a separate claim that a tabloid had threatened exposure; Bezos published a detailed post describing an attempted extortion and blackmail effort.

Bezos finalized his divorce from MacKenzie Scott in 2019 with a settlement that included a major equity transfer. Bezos and Sánchez have since made a number of appearances together at public events, collaborated on philanthropic initiatives, and announced their engagement, while legal and security issues related to the leaks played out in separate investigations and lawsuits.

Kevin Hart and Eniko Parrish

Comedian Kevin Hart publicly admitted to infidelity in 2017 after an extortion attempt involving a video. He apologized to his wife, Eniko Parrish, in a social media statement and addressed the incident in a stand-up special that discussed the legal and personal fallout, including the role of law enforcement in the extortion case.

Hart and Parrish remained together and later welcomed another child. Hart has since referenced the episode as part of his personal narrative in interviews and documentaries, while continuing a prolific schedule of films, tours, and media projects that kept the incident in the public record through his own accounts.

Share your thoughts on which stories had the biggest ripple effects—in the comments below.