5 Celebrity Cheaters We've Forgiven

Why is it that some celebrities suffer intense negative scrutiny when they are caught in scandalous extramarital affairs, and others emerge scarlet letter free? Who knows, but here are five who did just that!

LeAnn Rimes - Was This Celebrity Cheater "Blue"

Could it be the fact that Rimes won our hearts as an innocent, young girl that softens her marital indiscretions as a woman? After all, didn't it seem as though one day we were listening to a 13 year-old who could belt out a power ballad better than the seasoned ladies in the country music genre, and the next day she was standing before us a full-grown woman? It's almost impossible to imagine her in a raunchy, torrid affair, isn't it? Well, that may be, but she isn't denying that her affair with Eddie Cibrian ended her marriage to Dean Sheremet and wrecked Cibrian's happy home as well.

Rimes met backup dancer Dean Sheremet when he was chosen to dance during Rimes's hosting of the 2001 Academy of Country Music Awards. They married in 2002 and separated in 2009, after it was widely publicized that she had begun an affair with Northern Lights co-star Eddie Cibrian. Cibrian's divorce from his wife of eight years is still in the works. Even though this scandal is fairly fresh, Rimes has escaped the intense criticism other stars have faced.

David Letterman - His Celebrity Confession Was Mistaken for a Comedy Stunt

Letterman pulled a one-two punch and outed himself in the face of an extortion attempt. He made a late-night confession of his sins in front of millions of TV viewers, admitting that he had succumbed to multiple affairs with "Late Night" staffers, prior to his October 2009 marriage to Regina Lasko, but during their 23-year dating relationship. His audience first laughed as he confessed, believing it to be a Letterman joke, but the laughter soon became uncomfortable silence as he delivered one of his most serious monologues to date.

His decision to nip the scandal in the bud and admit his poor judgment so quickly is undoubtedly the reason his fans got over this so quickly. He confessed, apologized and then made us laugh about it. And who can stay mad at someone who can make you laugh? The question is, even though we might have forgiven him, will Lasko?

Hugh Grant - Caught With His Knickers Down

Hugh Grant ended up in a police mug shot after his foray with a Hollywood prostitute in 1995. When the news surfaced, women across the globe wondered how Grant could do such a sleazy thing while he had such a beautiful girlfriend in Elizabeth Hurley!

Grant proved to be one of the earlier scandalized celebrities who showed intelligence by quickly apologizing to Hurley and his fans on shows such as "Live with Regis and Kathie Lee", "The Tonight Show" and "Larry King Live". The public embraced him afterward, in spite of his bawdy behavior, because of his honesty and the classy way he handled the situation. Elizabeth Hurley stuck with Grant for another five years, but they made an amicable split in 2000. Grant's popularity has boomed since that 1995 scandal as his IMDb Filmography history proves. Didn't we all love him in his role as a "cad" in the 2001 Blockbuster, Bridget Jones's Diary? In addition to his honesty, Grant's charm is obviously a key factor in him coming out on top of this scandal.

Meg Ryan in a New Adulterous Role?

Meg Ryan as a home wrecker seems diametrically opposite to her image. She exudes innocent charm with those twinkling blue eyes and tousled blonde locks that we remembered in When Harry Met Sally. And who could blame any woman for straying from a marriage whose husband had beat her to it, anyway? After her breakup with Quaid and affair with Russell Crowe became tabloid fodder, Meg Ryan announced that Quaid had broken his marriage vows well before she began her relationship with Crowe (they met while filming Proof Of Life). The Ryan-Crowe tryst lasted only a few months and according to online People Magazine's article, "Meg Dumped Russell, Not Vice-Versa", Ryan discontinued her fling with Crowe because his pursuit was too intense. Possibly she was just looking for a transitional man to escape her disappointing marriage to Quaid and Crowe filled the bill? In spite of it all, most of us would still accept Meg Ryan as a charming and sweet leading lady in a romantic comedy, wouldn't we?

Valerie Bertinelli from Innocent Teen Groupie to Rock Star Wife

Valerie Bertinelli came into our homes and hearts during her role as teenager, Barbara Cooper, in the television series, One Day at a Time. Little did we know that, in a behind-the-scenes wedding in 1981, she became wife to Rock guitarist, Eddie Van Halen. She admits in her tell-all book, "Losing It" that life was not all bright lights in her marriage and that she herself experimented with drugs and engaged in extramarital affairs, as did her husband. But Valerie has proven that she is a survivor and has risen above life's knocks. In her role as spokesperson for Jenny Craig, we cheered her on to her eventual weight loss of fifty pounds. Her fans were happy to see that Bertinelli was becoming the confident, sweet Valerie we have always loved, and during it all, forgave her for her eighties wild side.

All Celebrities face the same public scrutiny and scorn when their personal lives fall apart and their behavior proves to be less than shiny clean, however, it is obvious that some earn our forgiveness easier than others. Why? For some it may be their honest reactions and sincere apology. But for others it could be that their image transcends their actions, and we love them for who we believe them to be.

Resources:

Wikipedia "LeeAnn Rimes"
Wikipedia "David Letterman"
CNN Showbiz News, "Spin cycle: Hugh Grant finds "honesty" best policy", July 17, 1995
Wikipedia, "Elizabeth Hurley" and "Hugh Grant"
People.com
"Losing It" by Valerie Bertinelli, published 2008 by Free Press
MSN's "Valerie Bertinelli Biography"