It's not always easy for a relationship to thrive in Hollywood, and we've seen a lot of celebrity couples — even the ones who seem totally meant to be — crash and burn as the world watches. Unfortunately, even living in the spotlight isn't enough to keep infidelity from happening, and sometimes, these celeb breakups happen because someone cheated with the nanny. Awkward, yes, but this is real life we're talking about (even if it doesn't seem like it sometimes).
Honestly, it makes sense. In many cases, nannies spend so much time working in a couple's home and with their children that they practically become part of the family themselves — and we can see how they might get a little too close to their clients. But it's always heartbreaking to see it cause a family to break up, though sometimes everyone involved is happier on the other side of an otherwise difficult situation.
Here are 12 celebrities who have been involved in cheating scandals where the nanny was a factor.
Gavin Rossdale
Though it was never officially confirmed, one of the reasons that reportedly contributed to Gavin Rossdale and Gwen Stefani's split was that he cheated with their nanny. According to what insiders told Us Weekly, Gwen herself had discovered that Gavin was having an affair that spanned three years with nanny Mindy Mann. Apparently, there were explicit text messages they'd shared on the family's iPad.
"The iPad was linked to Gavin’s phone," an insider told the news outlet. "One of the other nannies discovered the exchange and told Gwen."
Rob Lowe
In 2008, Rob Lowe's nanny, Jessica Gibson, accused him of sexual harassment and assault while working with him. Rob denied the accusation and even went on to pursue legal action against her and another nanny who had worked for their family. Rob and his wife, Sheryl Berkoff, are still married.
Ben Affleck
While Ben Affleck was still married to Jennifer Garner, reports were circulating that he had an affair with their family's nanny, Christine Ouzounian. After their split, Jennifer confirmed that had really happened in an interview with Vanity Fair, though she did note she didn't hear about it until after they'd already decided to divorce.
"We had been separated for months before I ever heard about the nanny. She had nothing to do with our decision to divorce. She was not a part of the equation," she said. "Bad judgment? Yes. It's not great for your kids for [a nanny] to disappear from their lives."
Jude Law
Going all the way back to 2005, Jude Law admitted in a public statement to cheating with Daisy Wright — the nanny to his three children from his previous marriage to Sadie Frost — while he was dating Sienna Miller. After that, it was no surprise to anyone when the two separated.
"Following the reports in today's papers, I just want to say I am deeply ashamed and upset that I've hurt Sienna and the people most close to us," his statement read. "I want to publicly apologize to Sienna and our respective families for the pain that I have caused."
Joe Giudice
Real Housewives of New Jersey stars Teresa and Joe Guidice have been through a lot (including a prison stint), and one of their ups and downs was rumors of cheating with the nanny. Though they're no longer together, while they were still married, there were rumors that Joe cheated with Nicole Cemelli, the family's nanny at the time.
Ethan Hawke
When Ethan Hawke and Uma Thurman's nine-year marriage ended in 2003, it was rumored to have been due to Ethan's affair with the nanny, Ryan Shawhughes. That affair was never confirmed, but not long after he and Uma split up, Ethan and Ryan started publicly dating before tying the knot in 2008. The couple is still married today.
Mick Jagger
Apparently this rocker got down and dirty with the help in all sorts of places, including the kitchen counter. Mick Jagger reportedly had sex with nanny Claire Houseman while his wife, Jerry Hall (shown), was asleep in another room. Jagger's reputation as a serial cheater is the stuff of music legend.
Robin Williams
Although most people think of the late actor and comedian as a class act, he was still married to his first wife, Valerie Velardi, when he fell for their son's nanny, Marsha Garces (shown). Robin ended up leaving Valerie and marrying Marsha. By the time they said "I do," the new couple was expecting.
Jon Gosselin
Jon and Kate plus … the nanny? In 2009, Stephanie Santoro claimed that for the month she was employed as a nanny for the reality show couple, she and Jon engaged in everything from massaging and kissing to soaking in hot tubs. This was but one of several issues the Gosselins dealt with publicly throughout their marriage, which ended the same year.
Arnold Schwarzenegger
The Terminator's affair with housekeeper and nanny Mildred Patricia Baena pretty much terminated his marriage to Maria Shriver. It also threw an entire nation for a loop. The former California governor managed to keep the indiscretion under wraps for years, but the affair made headlines when it came out that Arnold had fathered a child.
It's not quite clear if the tryst with Mildred was ongoing or a one-time thing, but once the details emerged, Maria filed for divorce.
Jim Edmonds
In 2019, Meghan King Edmonds accused then-husband Jim Edmonds of cheating with their nanny, Carly Wilson, by confirming fans' suspicions on Instagram when the Real Housewives of Orange County star responded to their comments. Reportedly, Carly denied the allegations, but the Edmonds' marriage fell apart anyway. Today, former MLB star Jim is engaged to someone else.
Stephen Belafonte
Amid her split from Stephen Belafonte, former Spice Girl Melanie Brown accused her ex-husband of cheating with their nanny Lorraine Gilles. According to legal paperwork filed by Mel B. (via The Sun), their daughter, Madison, was asked to keep their relationship a secret.
"I am shocked that our daughter would be forced to perpetuate a lie formed by her father simply to keep his mistress/girlfriend/nanny out of trouble," she noted in the paperwork.
