While folks like Beyoncé, Cardi B and Khloé Kardashian elected to stay with their husband, fiancé and boyfriend after the men cheated, other women believe it’s not always a simple decision.
On a panel on “Steve” Friday, April 13, actress Ta’Rhonda Jones, singer Tamar Braxton and actress Christine Lakin gave their two cents on when women should stay or go.
Jones said it would depend on the circumstances in the relationship such as the length of the union and agreed with Lankin that forgiveness wouldn’t be granted upon the second affair. However, Braxton said cheating happens in life.
“Most relationships [have] this issue,” she says. “You got 10 years, 15 years, 20 years. When you cheat on somebody, you have to have a real conversation about … what’s going on in your relationship.”
While host Steve Harvey agreed, he also gave insight into the two different kinds of cheating men do.
“There’s meaningless cheating that men do,” he begins. “She don’t mean nothing to me, it ain’t really ’bout nothing, it was available and I did it. And then you got that other cheating where he went to get something from a person and she provides it over a long period of time.”
He noted that the most predominant form of male cheating is the meaningless kind but that did little to convince the audience about the reasoning.
“That didn’t help no damn body,” Harvey says scanning the crowd. “Because women just [sits back in the chair stonefaced]. This lady right here looking at me like, ‘Cheating is cheating!'”
While Braxton, who has dealt with rumored cheating from her estranged husband Vince Herbert, couldn’t wrap her mind around the idea of sex not meaning anything, Harvey gave an explanation.
“In a man’s mind, the one that ain’t nothin’ was not supposed to cause a risk,” he said. “All this is wrong on a man’s part. I’m just giving you the thinking behind it.”
He added that he doesn’t believe all men cheat, which Braxton disagreed with.
“I feel like all men cheat probably except for [former President Barack] Obama,” she says.
Meanwhile, viewers at home shared their takes on the discussion.
“I think it’s sad how society has accounted cheating as the norm, as Tamar said, ‘Oh its life.’ No, it’s not,” a viewer stated. “Sad that we are teaching, telling and showing the next generation this false fact. Cheating or getting cheated on is not life. No common causality wow. Heaven forbid people raising children saying, ‘Yea honey, you get married to get cheated on, but its OK it’s the facts of life.’ NEGATIVE.”
“People will always say that its harder to leave someone when you’ve been married for years with kids,” someone else wrote. “I say it should be harder to cheat! Why would you want to risk losing your kids and wife? And everything you’ve been building on for years?”
“Depends on the situation but fool [me] once… like she said I’m not allowing you to keep cheating on me I don’t care what the circumstances are,” another person said. “I can’t get back with a man who’s had a whole nother side chick or mistress just HELL NO!”
