Stars Who Were Caught Cheating on Their Spouses With Co-Stars Mid-Production

Hollywood film sets are notorious breeding grounds for romantic entanglements and scandalous affairs. The combination of long hours, isolation from families, and intimate scenes often blurs the lines between fiction and reality for actors. This high-pressure environment has frequently led to married stars falling for their leading ladies while the cameras were still rolling. The following list explores famous men who strayed from their spouses with a co-star during a production.

Brad Pitt

The production of ‘Mr. & Mrs. Smith’ became the backdrop for one of the biggest scandals in modern Hollywood history. Brad Pitt was married to Jennifer Aniston when he met Angelina Jolie on the set of the action-comedy. Their on-screen chemistry was undeniable and fueled immediate rumors of an off-screen romance. Pitt and Aniston announced their separation shortly after filming wrapped. He and Jolie eventually confirmed their relationship and built a life together for over a decade.

Richard Burton

Richard Burton was married to Sybil Williams when he was cast as Mark Antony in ‘Cleopatra’. He met Elizabeth Taylor on set and their connection was instantaneous and volatile. Their affair caused a massive media frenzy and was condemned by the Vatican. Both actors divorced their respective spouses to marry each other. This marked the beginning of their tumultuous relationship that included two marriages and two divorces.

Eddie Cibrian

Eddie Cibrian was married to Brandi Glanville when he was cast in the television movie ‘Northern Lights’. He began an affair with his co-star LeAnn Rimes during the production. The relationship was discovered after photos of the pair surfaced in the press. Cibrian and Glanville eventually divorced following the public revelation of his infidelity. He went on to marry Rimes shortly after his marriage ended.

Kenneth Branagh

Kenneth Branagh directed and starred in ‘Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein’ while married to Emma Thompson. He began a romance with his co-star Helena Bonham Carter during the filming process. The affair led to the dissolution of his marriage to Thompson, who was a beloved figure in the British press. Thompson later channeled her heartbreak into her performance in ‘Love Actually’. Branagh and Bonham Carter continued their relationship for several years before splitting up.

Ewan McGregor

Ewan McGregor had been married to Eve Mavrakis for over two decades when he was cast in the television series ‘Fargo’. He played two brothers in the show and met actress Mary Elizabeth Winstead on set. Photos emerged of the two kissing in a London cafe while he was still legally married. McGregor filed for divorce shortly after the news broke to the public. He and Winstead eventually married and welcomed a child together.

Rupert Sanders

Director Rupert Sanders was married to model Liberty Ross when he directed ‘Snow White and the Huntsman’. He was caught in a compromising embrace with the film’s lead actress Kristen Stewart. The photos were published by a tabloid and caused an immediate global scandal. Sanders issued a public apology to his wife and children for his indiscretion. Ross filed for divorce shortly after the incident and the marriage ended.

Harrison Ford

Harrison Ford was married to Mary Marquardt during the filming of the original ‘Star Wars’. He engaged in a secret affair with his co-star Carrie Fisher while on location in London. The relationship was kept successfully hidden from the public for decades. Fisher eventually revealed the details of their three-month romance in her memoir. Ford and his first wife divorced in 1979, though the affair was not cited as the sole cause.

Ryan Phillippe

Ryan Phillippe was married to Reese Witherspoon when he began filming ‘Stop-Loss’. Rumors swirled that he was involved with his co-star Abbie Cornish during the production. The speculation intensified as his marriage to Witherspoon crumbled shortly after filming concluded. Phillippe and Cornish publicly dated for several years after his divorce was finalized. Witherspoon later cited the complexities of the industry as a factor in their split.

Chad Michael Murray

Chad Michael Murray married his ‘One Tree Hill’ co-star Sophia Bush in a lavish ceremony. Five months later, he began filming the horror movie ‘House of Wax’ with Paris Hilton. Rumors of infidelity on the set plagued the production and reached the press. Bush filed for an annulment citing fraud and the marriage ended abruptly. Murray publicly dated a significantly younger extra from the set shortly after.

Humphrey Bogart

Humphrey Bogart was in an unhappy marriage with Mayo Methot when he was cast in ‘To Have and Have Not’. He met a nineteen-year-old Lauren Bacall on the set and fell deeply in love. The pair began a discreet affair while filming continued. Bogart eventually divorced Methot to marry Bacall. They remained one of Hollywood’s most iconic couples until his death.

Spencer Tracy

Spencer Tracy was a devout Catholic married to Louise Treadwell. He met Katharine Hepburn on the set of ‘Woman of the Year’ and began a lifelong partnership. Tracy never divorced his wife due to his religious beliefs and guilt about his son’s deafness. He and Hepburn lived separate lives but maintained a relationship for twenty-six years. They starred in numerous films together while keeping their love story largely private.

Steve McQueen

Steve McQueen was married to Neile Adams when he starred in the action thriller ‘The Getaway’. He began a passionate affair with his co-star Ali MacGraw during the shoot. MacGraw was married to producer Robert Evans at the time of the betrayal. McQueen and MacGraw eventually left their spouses to marry each other. Their subsequent marriage was turbulent and ended in divorce five years later.

John Malkovich

John Malkovich was married to actress Glenne Headly when he was cast in ‘Dangerous Liaisons’. He began a brief but intense affair with his co-star Michelle Pfeiffer. The romance reportedly caused the breakdown of his marriage to Headly. Pfeiffer and Malkovich did not sustain a long-term relationship after the film wrapped. Headly later referred to the incident as a difficult time in her life.

Ted Danson

Ted Danson was married to Casey Coates when he was cast in the comedy ‘Made in America’. He began a high-profile affair with his co-star Whoopi Goldberg during production. The relationship scandalized the tabloids and led to a costly divorce for Danson. He and Goldberg dated publicly for a brief period following the split. Danson eventually married another actress, Mary Steenburgen.

James Cameron

Director James Cameron was married to Kathryn Bigelow while filming his epic ‘Titanic’. He began a relationship with actress Suzy Amis who played a minor role in the film. Cameron left Bigelow to be with Amis after the production concluded. He and Amis married in 2000 and have remained together since. Bigelow went on to become the first woman to win the Best Director Oscar.

Robert Rodriguez

Director Robert Rodriguez was married to producer Elizabeth Avellán for sixteen years. He began filming ‘Planet Terror’ and cast Rose McGowan in the lead role. Reports of an affair between the director and his muse surfaced during production. Rodriguez and Avellán announced their separation soon after the rumors began. He and McGowan had a publicized relationship before eventually splitting up.

Dean McDermott

Dean McDermott was married to Mary Jo Eustace when he filmed the lifetime movie ‘Mind Over Murder’. He met Tori Spelling on set and the two began an affair immediately. Both actors were married to other people at the time of their meeting. McDermott left Eustace and Spelling left her husband to be together. They married shortly after and starred in several reality shows about their life.

Laurence Olivier

Laurence Olivier was married to Jill Esmond when he was cast in ‘Fire Over England’. He met Vivien Leigh on set and they began a passionate affair. Both were married to others but could not deny their strong attraction. They eventually secured divorces and married each other in a secret ceremony. Their relationship was one of the most famous and tragic in theater history.

Clark Gable

Clark Gable was married to Ria Langham when he filmed ‘The Call of the Wild’. He had an affair with his co-star Loretta Young during the snowy location shoot. Young became pregnant and secretly gave birth to their daughter to avoid a scandal. Gable remained married to Langham for several more years. The truth about his daughter’s paternity was not confirmed publicly until long after his death.

Gary Cooper

Gary Cooper was married to Veronica Balfe when he starred in ‘The Fountainhead’. He began an intense romance with his younger co-star Patricia Neal. The affair became an open secret in Hollywood and caused significant strain on his marriage. Cooper eventually returned to his wife after the relationship with Neal ended. Neal later described the breakup as one of the most painful experiences of her life.

Paul Newman

Paul Newman was married to Jackie Witte when he filmed ‘The Long, Hot Summer’. He reconnected with Joanne Woodward on set and their professional admiration turned into love. Newman felt immense guilt but eventually asked Witte for a divorce. He married Woodward shortly after his first marriage was dissolved. They remained married for fifty years until his passing.

Antonio Banderas

Antonio Banderas was married to Ana Leza when he was cast in the comedy ‘Two Much’. He met Melanie Griffith on the set and sparks flew immediately. The pair began a romance that led to the end of his marriage to Leza. Banderas and Griffith married soon after and became a Hollywood power couple. They were together for nearly twenty years before divorcing.

Tom Cruise

Tom Cruise was married to Mimi Rogers when he began production on ‘Days of Thunder’. He hand-picked Nicole Kidman to play his love interest in the racing drama. Their on-screen chemistry translated into a real-life romance. Cruise divorced Rogers and married Kidman later that same year. They became one of the most photographed couples of the decade.

Arnold Schwarzenegger

Arnold Schwarzenegger was married to Maria Shriver when he filmed ‘Red Sonja’. He had a fling with his co-star Brigitte Nielsen during the production. Nielsen wrote about the affair in her autobiography years later. Schwarzenegger admitted to the infidelity in his own memoir. He remained married to Shriver for decades until a different scandal ended their union.

Clint Eastwood

Clint Eastwood was married to Maggie Johnson when he cast Sondra Locke in ‘The Outlaw Josey Wales’. The two began a domestic partnership that lasted for over a decade. Eastwood remained legally married to Johnson for much of his relationship with Locke. He and Locke made several films together during their time as a couple. Their eventual breakup was acrimonious and resulted in a palimony lawsuit.

Peter Bogdanovich

Director Peter Bogdanovich was married to Polly Platt who also worked as his production designer. He cast Cybill Shepherd in ‘The Last Picture Show’ and fell in love with her. The affair took place openly on set while his wife was present working. Platt continued to work on the film despite the humiliation. Bogdanovich left his wife for Shepherd after the film was completed.

Roberto Rossellini

Italian director Roberto Rossellini was married to Marcella De Marchis. He received a letter from Ingrid Bergman expressing her desire to work with him. During the filming of ‘Stromboli’, the two began an international affair. Bergman became pregnant with his child while still married to her first husband. The scandal caused a massive uproar in the United States and nearly destroyed her career.

William Holden

William Holden was married to Ardis Ankerson when he starred in ‘Sabrina’. He fell in love with his co-star Audrey Hepburn during the production. The two had a passionate affair that ended due to his vasectomy. Hepburn wanted children and ended the relationship when she learned he could not provide them. Holden remained married to Ankerson for many years despite his infidelity.

Tony Curtis

Tony Curtis was married to Janet Leigh when he went to Argentina to film ‘Taras Bulba’. He met the seventeen-year-old German actress Christine Kaufmann on the set. Curtis pursued Kaufmann and eventually left Leigh to marry her. The divorce from Leigh was highly publicized and shocked fans of the golden couple. Curtis and Kaufmann were married for five years before divorcing.

Frank Langella

Frank Langella was married to Ruth Weil for nearly two decades. He was cast in the basketball comedy ‘Eddie’ alongside Whoopi Goldberg. The two co-stars fell in love during the filming process. Langella filed for divorce from his wife shortly after production wrapped. He and Goldberg lived together for several years before separating.

John Wayne

John Wayne was married to Josephine Saenz when he starred in ‘Seven Sinners’. He met Marlene Dietrich on set and began a three-year affair. Dietrich was famous for her liberated lifestyle and Wayne was captivated by her. The affair contributed to the collapse of his first marriage. They remained friends and made two more films together.

Yves Montand

Yves Montand was married to Simone Signoret when he was cast in ‘Let’s Make Love’. He starred opposite Marilyn Monroe who was married to Arthur Miller. The two actors had a brief affair while their spouses were often nearby. Signoret famously stayed with Montand despite the public humiliation. The fling ended when the production wrapped and Montand returned to France.

Dominic West

Dominic West was married to Catherine FitzGerald when he filmed ‘The Pursuit of Love’. He was photographed kissing his co-star Lily James in Rome during a break in production. The images caused a media storm in the United Kingdom. West and his wife put on a united front and stated their marriage was strong. James refused to comment publicly on the situation.

Sam Shepard

Playwright and actor Sam Shepard was married to O-Lan Jones when he was cast in ‘Frances’. He met Jessica Lange on the set and the attraction was immediate. Shepard left his wife and young son to be with Lange. The couple remained together for nearly thirty years but never married. They starred in ‘Country’ and ‘Crimes of the Heart’ together.

Charles Dance

Charles Dance was married to Joanna Haythorn for over thirty years. He starred in ‘The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby’ with Sophia Myles. Dance began a relationship with Myles who was significantly younger than him. The affair led to the end of his long-term marriage. He and Myles dated for a short time before going their separate ways.

Marilyn Manson

Marilyn Manson was married to burlesque star Dita Von Teese. He began filming his passion project ‘Phantasmagoria’ and cast Evan Rachel Wood. A relationship developed between the rocker and the young actress during the production period. Von Teese filed for divorce citing irreconcilable differences shortly after. Manson and Wood had a volatile on-and-off relationship for several years.

Tell us which of these on-set scandals surprised you the most in the comments.