The aftermath of adultery isn't pretty for anyone involved, but when it's a celebrity
who's supposedly done the dirty deed-ing, things can get especially messy.
From Oscar-winners to TV stars, and singers to sports icons, these celebs paid the price
for their romantic slip-ups with their Hollywood careers.
"Hello ladies.
No one call me for three days"
Meg Ryan was one of America's most in-demand sweethearts of the silver screen starring
in rom-coms like When Harry Met Sally and You've Got Mail.
But her girl-next-door image was completely sullied when rumors emerged about a tryst
with her Proof of Life co-star Russell Crowe which was publicly perceived as the reason
she divorced her husband of nine years, Dennis Quaid.
She denied the speculation, telling Harper's Bazaar,
"There's almost no win in any of the world of tabloid because as soon as you defend yourself,
there's more story"
Though there may be plenty of blame to go around, it was Ryan's career that really hit
the skids.
Proof of Life bombed at the box office, and the Golden Globe-nominated actress has yet
to wield the marquee status that made her a household name in the '90s.
Jude Law's affair with his children's nanny became a true celebrity spectacle.
"In America we call it gossip."
When his mistress went public with the alleged details, he issued an apology declaring that
he was quote "deeply ashamed and upset."
It wasn't the first time he'd been accused of stepping out, but his high-profile relationship
with actress Sienna Miller made Law's indiscretion that much more damaging to his career.
"You're English?
I love English.
What's your name?"
Law had enjoyed A-list status with leading roles in The Talented Mr. Ripley, Cold Mountain,
and Closer, but after the affair, it took years for him to recoup his mainstream appeal
by way of Sherlock Holmes.
The Twitter wars and shocking headlines that still surround LeAnn Rimes marriage to actor
Eddie Cibrian make it easy to forget that she's actually a renowned country music artist
and author.
"Our relationship didn't quite start off like we had planned."
Rimes met Cibrian, who was then married to future Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star
Brandi Glanville, while they were filming the 2009 TV movie Northern Lights.
Rimes was also married at the time to dancer Dean Sheremet.
The demise of their respective marriages and the lasting bitterness with Glanville, who
is the mother of Cibrian's two children, continues to overshadow Rimes' professional pursuits.
Before the affair, Rimes had nabbed a whopping six Grammy nominations and two wins.
But after the scandal, Rimes earned just one Grammy nod in 2011, and her 2013 album, Spitfire,
tallied disappointing sales.
Cibrian's career hasn't fared any better.
In fact, he defends himself against the haters who think he's living off his wife's music
earnings, saying on his reality show LeAnn and Eddie:
"Contrary to what some people think, my ex-wife, I actually do work."
Few pro golfers have ever earned the kind of household name status of Tiger Woods and
even fewer have watched their reputations sink into the mud quite like his did in 2009,
when his many extramarital affairs were unearthed.
"I've done some pretty bad things in my life."
Woods had been married to Swedish model Elin Nordegren since 2004, and she'd just given
birth to their second child, when tabloids unearthed one of Woods' relationships with
another woman.
Nordegren's own investigation reportedly exposed even more dalliances, prompting the single-vehicle
crash heard 'round the world.
No longer a family-friendly face, Woods lost millions in endorsement deals and was even
blamed for billions in shareholder losses.
His golf game suffered as a result of the personal drama, too.
Woods' career on the green briefly recovered in 2013, but it didn't take long for personal
drama to tarnish his image yet again.
New allegations surfaced, claiming he'd cheated on girlfriend Lindsey Vonn, a beloved Olympic
skier.
But the tide began to turn when Woods earned his 80th PGA Tour win in September 2018.
And less than a year later, he won his fifth Masters tournament in April 2019, by one stroke.
He's also been tapped to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom, with President Donald Trump
tweeting it's…
Oscar-winning actor Ben Affleck's life became the stuff of tabloid fodder at the same time
he realized his lifelong dream of portraying Batman.
Affleck allegedly cheated on his wife, actress Jennifer Garner, with their children's nanny
in 2015.
Affleck's rep denied the reports, but the couple separated soon after the rumors emerged.
But that wasn't the last of the cheating allegations overshadowing Affleck.
When his relationship with SNL producer Lindsay Shookus was made public, reports claimed they
were fooling around for years before his divorce from Garner was announced.
"Public scrutiny everyone says oh you've had to go through this in public.
The public isn't what's hard.
What's hard is going through it."
Affleck was riding high before his reputation became embroiled in bad press.
But his star status has faded significantly since the implosion of Bennifer.
Not only has Affleck endured several box office bombs, including Justice League and Live by
Night, but he's also become something of a punchline.
"We're just not that cool."
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