Blaming the Age Gap Between Ashton Kutcher and Demi Moore for Cheating is Unfair

News commentaries focusing on the current rocky times in Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher's relationship consistently mention the fact that Demi is 15 years older than her husband. The age gap in their relationship is held up as a catch-all reason that explains why Kutcher potentially strayed from the six year marriage and engaged in a sexual act with Sarah Leal, a young woman 11 years his junior. Such a broad generalization about why Ashton may have strayed is disingenuous for a couple of reasons.

Lots of Celebrities Cheat

Ashton Kutcher wasn't the first celebrity to cheat on his wife, and his transgression likely has very little to do with the fact that his wife is older than him. Ages don't matter; the integrity of the partner doesn't matter; and the beauty of the wronged spouse is immaterial. Taking a look at last year's major cheating story - Tiger Wood's bevy of adultery partners - clearly demonstrates that a man (or woman) who does not place a higher value on his marriage than he places on his urges will stray when the opportunity presents itself at the right time, in the right place.

Tiger Woods spent a lot of time on the road which created a lot of opportunities. Ashton and Demi both remain primarily in L.A. and spend more time in each other's presence. This led to Ashton having less time to skim the crowds of young women throwing themselves at anyone with a hint of name recognition and minimized his access to out-of-marriage intercourse until recent months.

Lots of "Regular" People Also Cheat

A February 2007 survey conducted by MSNBC.com and iVillage found that approximately one out of five "average Americans" have cheated on their spouse. The survey also found that cheating is no longer the foray of men alone - wives stray almost as often as husbands. The only real definitive split occurs when income increases. In short, men who make more money are more likely to cheat based on better access to opportunities.

If Ashton Kutcher cheated, it wasn't because Demi Moore is an old woman. It was because Ashton Kutcher is a cheater or a partner in an open marriage. The opportunity to have sex with another woman presented itself, and he took it. One out of five other American men would follow suit with or without access to Ashton's resources. The age-gap in their relationship doesn't really matter at all when examining his extracurricular love affairs. Blast him for cheating and not for marrying Demi.