When country singer LeAnn Rimes met Eddie Cibrian on the set of the 2009 film “Northern Lights,” they took a huge gamble and started a secret affair. Their illicit relationship led to the end of both their marriages, causing a storm of public outrage that hasn’t died down since.
Now, let’s rewind to August 28, 1982, when LeAnn was born in Jackson, Mississippi. At six, she moved with her parents to Garland, Texas, where she discovered her love for singing and dancing. She burst onto the music scene in the mid-’90s, and by the time she was 14, her re-released song “Blue” had sold 6 million copies. She made history as the first country singer to win a Grammy for Best New Artist in 1996. That same year, a 14-year-old LeAnn met 23-year-old aspiring actor Eddie Cibrian. They took a photo together and then went their separate ways.
When Leanne was young, she faced a demanding tour and recording schedule, performing at 500 shows over three and a half years. This hectic pace took a toll on her mental health. There were days she desperately wanted a break but felt lost when she wasn’t performing. She shared with Inside Her website, “Being in the public eye from such a young age and having to suppress my true self was a big part of what triggered my anxiety and depression.”
In 2001, while hosting the Academy of Country Music Awards, Leanne met a backup dancer named Dean Sheremet. Their romance quickly blossomed, and in 2002, at just 19 years old, Leanne married 21-year-old Dean. For their 7th wedding anniversary, they celebrated with 30 close friends at a California winery. Leanne told People magazine, “We wanted to remind ourselves how blessed we are and how excited we still are about each other.” She also expressed a desire to start a family, but life had other plans.
Things are about to get messy. At the start of 2009, she traveled to Alberta, Canada, to film the Lifetime movie “Northern Lights” with Eddie, who was married to Brandy Glanville at the time. Eddie and Brandy also had two children together. “I’ve only worked with Leanne so far. We’ve become really good friends. He’s a very sweet guy, and, um, he’s my pool partner, actually. Off set, we’ve been playing a lot of pool,” Brandy told People magazine.
Brandy visited Eddie on set and insisted on meeting Leanne, so Eddie arranged a double date. In her memoir, which we’ve linked in the description box, Brandy wrote that she and Eddie went out for sushi with Leanne and Dean. Brandy added, “This woman, whom I had just met, spent more time flirting with my husband than acknowledging her own. She needed her ass beat.” As the evening progressed, Brandy claimed that as Leanne made multiple inappropriate advances toward Eddie, Eddie would squeeze Brandy’s hand a little tighter or kiss her passionately in front of Leanne and Dean to ease Brandy’s fears.
Later that night, Leanne dragged Eddie on stage to perform a karaoke rendition of Sonny and Cher’s “I Got You Babe.” They were bold as hell, baby. Couldn’t have been me. Couldn’t have been me, honey. But that wasn’t all. Leanne accidentally smeared some cake frosting on her shirt, and without realizing Brandy was standing behind her, Leanne asked Eddie if he wanted to lick it off with her thirsty self. Brandy wrote in her memoir that Eddie simply laughed and gave Leanne a look with his hungry eyes. After stepping between them and asking what the hell was going on, Eddie told Brandy she was being silly and eventually convinced her she was just being paranoid. When Brandy brought up the frosting incident, Eddie reportedly told her, “You see and hear things that don’t actually happen.” Talk about gaslighting!
Dean told Entertainment Tonight that he first sensed something was off when he noticed Leanne and Eddie’s body language during a game of pool. “I wouldn’t trust Eddie as far as I could throw this table. He just felt like one of those guys from the beginning, a total schmoozer,” Dean remarked.
In March 2009, US Weekly released security footage showing Leanne and Eddie holding hands as they entered a bar in Laguna Beach, California. Inside the bar, Eddie was seen kissing Leanne’s hands and the couple engaging in some heavy PDA. The magazine also reported that just a week prior, Leanne and Eddie had spent three hours in a Malibu motel.
During an interview with Shape magazine, Leanne admitted she was disappointed in herself for having an affair and became depressed when her fans found out about her infidelity. “I think any relationship is hard to get out of, and I don’t think the way I did it was right,” she confessed.
Brandy found out about the affair through the press and was devastated. She told People magazine that she went home, passed out in the closet, and cried her heart out. Eddie, trying to save face, told Access Hollywood that the gossip was a “fabricated story that is using random snapshots as connective tissue to create a scandalous relationship.”
When Brandy and Eddie finally talked about it, Eddie claimed he didn’t love Leanne and wanted to go to counseling to work on their marriage. However, Eddie continued seeing Leanne while in counseling with Brandy, and Brandy also discovered there was another woman Eddie was involved with.
Scheana Marie Shay’s Rollercoaster Romance with Eddie
“Vanderpump Rules” star Scheana Marie Shay shared that she met Eddie around 2007. About six months into their relationship, she discovered he was married to Brandy. Scheana told US Weekly, “He lied at first about it, and then he admitted it, so I stopped talking to him for a long time.” Years later, Scheana ran into Eddie again, and he claimed he was separated, leading them to rekindle their romance. However, shortly after, she found out he was still married to Brandy and also involved with Leanne. Scheana said, “It was just a mess. I ended things there. I stopped talking to him, and I’ve never talked to him again.” He lied to you the first time, girl. What made you think he would tell the truth this time?
Brandy’s Quest for Revenge
The public humiliation was too much for Brandy to handle. Every time she turned on the TV, Eddie and Leanne’s faces were everywhere. While Leanne’s husband tried to move on quietly, Brandy sought revenge. She set up an undercover operation and recorded Eddie professing his love for her and dismissing Leanne. Then Brandy sent the recording to Leanne.
Eddie and Leanne’s Relationship
Despite everything, Eddie and Leanne couldn’t stay away from each other. Leanne and Dean separated and put their Nashville home on the market for $7.45 million. In September 2009, Leanne was spotted in Mexico with Eddie. Dean filed for divorce in December 2009, and they agreed on a confidential settlement to divide their assets. Leanne was ready to officially move on, despite knowing Eddie had already cheated on her with Scheana. Leanne moved in with Eddie and his two sons. Eddie told ABC News, “I’m a better father for everything that has happened. I’m a better friend. It’s been difficult, but it’s definitely been worth it.” Eddie continued appearing in films and TV shows, while Leanne faced the backlash of being labeled a homewrecker.
When she announced her engagement to Eddie in December 2010, nobody really cared. Then, in April 2011, they pulled a surprise wedding on their guests who thought they were just attending an engagement party. That was probably the only way they could get people to show up! Instead of enjoying her new life with Eddie, Leanne was struggling. The day after her 30th birthday in 2012, she checked into a mental health facility, seeking help for anxiety, depression, and deep codependency. Being alone for 30 days made her even more anxious, but she later called it the best gift she could have given herself. But did the treatment really help?
In an interview, Leanne admitted that despite her month-long rehab stay, she still had suicidal thoughts. She also worried about Eddie finding someone new, and Eddie was worried about Leanne doing the same. She said, “We’ve been very honest and open with each other about it, and our conversations have only made me understand that he cares as much as I do about being faithful.” Faithful? What do either of them know about being faithful?
They renewed their vows on their first wedding anniversary, but married life was a mess. Eddie’s ex-wife, Brandy, joined “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills,” but co-parenting with Eddie and Leanne was difficult. When Leanne referred to Eddie and his sons as “my boys” in a tweet, Brandy shot back, “They are my boys, Eddie’s boys, and your stepsons for now.” Why are they fighting over Eddie like that? He must have something special!
Brandy stirred the pot by claiming that one of her sons got sick after accidentally ingesting some of Leanne’s laxatives. She told US Weekly that she thought Leanne was unstable and didn’t want her around the kids without supervision. Brandy also accused Leanne of posting a video of her youngest son riding his bike without a helmet. In response, Eddie told Radar Online that his children were lucky to have Leanne in their lives. Leanne’s publicist hit back at the laxative story, telling ABC News that Brandy’s accusations were threatening, mean-spirited, and completely untrue.
So, what’s it like being married to someone who cheated on their partner to be with you? Probably a hot mess. In a January 2013 interview with Entertainment Tonight, Leanne was asked if she still worried about Eddie cheating on her. She honestly replied, “I would be ignorant to say, and everyone else would think I am a liar if I wouldn’t say yes.” Although she admitted to having thoughts about Eddie cheating again, Leanne claimed it wasn’t a major concern anymore. Yeah, right.
Leanne and Eddie took their rocky romance to reality TV with the 2014 VH1 series “Leanne & Eddie.” They soon found out that most people weren’t interested in supporting or glamorizing their sketchy relationship. The show was canceled after just one season. Bye, drama.
During the production of the show, Leanne wrapped up her contract with Curb Records, the label she signed with at just 11 years old. Her final album with them was released digitally across America, Europe, and Australia, with a physical CD available exclusively at Walmart. Since then, she’s dropped four more albums with various labels, but none have hit the same heights she enjoyed before her affair with Brandy’s husband.
In 2020, Leanne started a podcast called “Holy Human” to share her wellness journey and mental health tips with her fans. Ahead of their 10th wedding anniversary in 2021, Eddie told Entertainment Tonight that married life was wonderful and that they kept finding new reasons to fall in love. But was it all worth it?
Many believe their affair derailed Leanne’s once-bright music career. Before the scandal, she sold over 40 million albums worldwide, with 45 singles on Billboard’s country music charts, and she was one of the youngest artists to earn a Grammy. But now, her star has dimmed. While country fans have forgiven others like Jason Aldean for similar scandals, it seems they haven’t been as forgiving towards Leanne.
Her ex-husband, Dean, didn’t hold back, telling Entertainment Tonight, “The dumbest thing she ever did for her career was divorcing me because we were such a good team. She’s strayed from what she was meant to do, and it’s cost her.”
So, is it time for the public to move on from Leanne and Eddie’s affair? Let us know your thoughts in the comments