38 Celebrity Couples You Forgot Started As Affairs

And plenty of them are still going strong! Most people have that one celebrity couple they absolutely adore. But just as fascinating as those Hollywood romances are the stories behind how they began — and in the case of these 38 couples, things kicked off with a scandal. If you’ve forgotten that these pairs started out as affairs, get ready for some serious surprises.

1. Eddie Cibrian and LeAnn Rimes

LeAnn Rimes was already a well-known country music voice, and Eddie Cibrian had carved out a name for himself on CSI: Miami, when the two crossed paths on the set of the 2008 Lifetime film Northern Lights. The timing couldn’t have been more complicated — LeAnn was married to Dean Sheremet, a former dancer turned chef, while Eddie was in a committed marriage with Real Housewives of Beverly Hills personality Brandi Glanville. Their chemistry on set sparked something neither of them seemed prepared for, and what followed became one of the most-talked-about Hollywood controversies of the era. Despite the tabloid storm that surrounded them, LeAnn and Eddie eventually settled into a surprisingly low-key life together. LeAnn has since been open about owning her choices: “I take responsibility for everything I’ve done. I hate that people got hurt,” she shared with People magazine, adding that she has no regrets about where things ended up.