Celebrity Couples That Overcame Cheating With God's Help

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“Scandal” appears to be every tabloid’s favorite word. Lies, addiction, sex tapes, arrests and every form of vice are plastered across the front pages of magazines everywhere. Brightly colored photographs and dramatic headlines catch every would-be-buyer’s eye. No scandal seems to be more exciting and intriguing than that of cheating. Tabloids appear to relish the horror of an affair, turning betrayal and heartbreak into delightful entertainment.

Affairs seem painfully common in celebrity marriages, at least based on the headlines that dominate magazines and afternoon news alike, and divorce rates among celebrities are through the roof. Celebrities are twice as likely to get a divorce as the average American with more than half of the famous couples who married between 2000 and 2010 getting divorced by 2014. As these depressing stats show, cheating and divorce are an accepted part of Hollywood’s culture which makes lasting celebrity marriages unusual.

Celebrity marriages that survive the scandal of an affair are even more unusual. Some celebrities turn to counseling or faith in an effort to save their marriages, but many celebrities who profess to having “saved” their marriage end up divorcing a few months later. That said, there are some celebrity couples that manage to survive the betrayal of an affair. Here are four couples that endured the scandal of cheating with God’s help.

Denise and Alan Jackson

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The country star Alan Jackson strayed from his wife, Denise. This is a sad beginning to an all too common story. The Jacksons, however, wrote a new ending by righting the course of their marriage.

The two Jacksons married young and had a seemingly fairytale marriage before Alan was ever a star. Once his career took off, though, things became strained between Denise and Alan. In 1997, they separated after 18 years of marriage. Instead of letting separation turn into divorce as so many celebrity couples do, the Jacksons went through intense therapy and reconciled the following year.

Denise credits God with saving her marriage. “God took our mess and made something wonderful out of it,” she said. “It took us going through that to finally have the kind of relationship we both always wanted.” The pain of betrayal and separation led Denise not only to a new relationship with her husband, but also changed her relationship with God. She describes her new relationship with God as a “new, passionate love relationship.” Alan and Denise Jackson ended up renewing their marriage vows and now have a steady, solid marriage.

Tina and Teddy Campbell

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Reality TV stars Tina and Teddy Campbell are unusual among celebrity couples. They beat the odds and reconciled after Teddy Campbell cheated on Tina. The two initially separated after Teddy’s affair but eventually decided to give marriage one more try. They received counseling and successfully worked through the pain and betrayal of the affair.

The Campbells weren’t satisfied with simply breaking the celebrity mold and staying married. They wanted to help others do the same. “We’ve learned a lot on our journey…We’ve seen the worst but now we’re experiencing the best of times and we believe we can help [other couples] get there, too,” the Campbells said. Tina and Teddy see assisting other struggling couples as returning to the “same platform that God allowed His glory to be seen in this victorious marriage.”

In addition to sharing “the tools that [the Campbells] used to save [their] marriage” with couples currently struggling with infidelity, the Campbells are continuing to work on their hit WE TV show, “Mary Mary.” The show is currently in its sixth and final season.

Sam and Nia Rader

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YouTube star Nia Rader was one of many wives shocked by the news that her husband had an account on Ashley Madison, a website for people seeking to have an affair. Sam, Nia’s husband and co-star, had an account on Ashley Madison for two years.

The Raders were far from the only celebrities to become embroiled in the Ashley Madison scandal after the site was hacked. Nia and Sam, though, pushed through Sam’s betrayal. “This is an issue that is in our past,” said Sam in one of his YouTube videos. “[Nia] has forgiven me for this mistake I made in opening the account. I have sought forgiveness from God and He has forgiven me, so I have been completely cleansed of this sin.” Sam maintains that he never met anyone face to face through the website.

Nia also made a statement on the Raders’ one and only YouTube video discussing the scandal. She stated that she has forgiven Sam, adding that their marriage “is worth fighting for and it always will be. Marriage is the real deal and it’s been sealed and it’s worth fighting for. It always will be.”

Cookie and Magic Johnson

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Technically, Magic and Cookie Johnson have never suffered the scandal of an affair. That said, their engagement fell apart three times, including at least once when Magic refused to call off a Laker’s pool party. The party was officially men-only but often included strippers and bikini-clad groupies.

The twelve years of Magic and Cookie’s on-and-off relationship was riddled with similar events. According to Cookie, the “prying eyes of other women” were never far away. Johnson dated other women while he was still with Cookie including one incident after he and Cookie had been dating for three months. Cookie went to Magic’s dorm and found a girl in a robe and slippers “standing there…like that was her place and she was his girl.” Magic himself has described how he was “never at a loss for female companionship” before his marriage.

Magic and Cookie did manage to overcome Magic’s various flings and tie the knot, but Magic discovered he was HIV positive only a few weeks after they finally married. Cookie apparently told him that they were going “to beat this together” and told him to get on his knees and pray. Magic credits Cookie for helping him get through the diagnosis and following treatment. “God let me know why I married her, why he brought us together,” Magic said. Magic would go on to become the face of heterosexual HIV and his relationship with Cookie has stayed strong.