Assignment 5-1

In the People magazine this week, there were two articles about well publicized infidelities. There are many similarities: both are men, both are rich, both are public figures, and both managed to keep their affairs secret for a while. When the news broke about each one, it was a surprise to everyone. These two men fell quickly from favor with the public. The main difference between the two stories is that one wife has left her husband, and the other one has not decided what to do.

Tiger Woods has practically disappeared from the public since his scandal broke in November 2009. The current speculation is that he is in a clinic for treatment of sex addiction. His wife, Elin, no longer wears her wedding rings, but she is rumored to be participating in his therapy and has not made a decision on whether to seek a divorce. The big question on everyone’s mind is whether he is undergoing the rumored treatment to save his marriage, his career, or both (Tresniowski, Grossman, Messer, Marx, Helling, Dowd, Zuckerman, & Breuer, 2010).

John Edwards was a presidential candidate in 2006 when he had an affair with one of his campaign workers. He confessed the affair in December 2006 to his wife. In July 2007, John and his wife renewed their wedding vows. He admitted to the media in August 2008 that he had the affair, but he said that the child his mistress gave birth to was not his. Elizabeth, his wife, met the child last year, purchased Christmas presents for the child, and even shopped with John for a house for the child and her mother. Finally, in January 2010, John admitted to the media that the child was his right before a new book written by a former aid hit the bookshelves. Elizabeth has finally had enough after four years of lying and has finally left her husband (Westfall, Cotliar, and Eagan, 2010).

I believe in marriage and working things out when you have problems. I do not believe that you should stick by someone who has treated you badly over a long period of time. John Edwards was unfaithful, which is not always something that leads to divorce. The worst thing he did was to lie about everything to his wife and insist he did nothing wrong only to have to publicly admit that he lied about everything a few years later. It is not known if Tiger and his wife will be able to weather this storm. Apparently he has been cheating for quite a long time. The Woods household has not released any information yet.

These two well-known men have given up a lot because of affairs. They are just a few in a long line of rich, powerful men who think that they can do what they want and will not get caught. I hope that the fun they had will make them happy in the future when they have given up their good names, their children, and their money.

References:
Westfall, S., Cotliar, S., and Egan, N. (2010, February 8). I want my life back. People, 73, 88-91.

Tresniowski A., Grossman, W., Messer, L., Marx, L., Helling, S., Dowd, K., Zuckerman, S., and Breuer, H. (2010, February 8). Inside his struggle. People, 73, 72-74.