LeAnn Rimes is opening up about the intense backlash she and her husband, Eddie Cibrian, faced after they each ended their previous marriages to be together.
In a new interview with Flow Space, a platform dedicated to women’s health, the 42-year-old singer reflects on the emotional toll of their relationship’s public scrutiny and how she eventually found peace with the situation.
The Affair and Backlash
Rimes and Cibrian met in 2009 on the set of the Lifetime movie Northern Lights, where they both starred. At the time, Cibrian was married to Real Housewives of Beverly Hills alum Brandi Glanville, while Rimes was married to Dean Sheremet. Their affair quickly became public, leading to the end of both of their marriages. The couple married in 2011.
In the aftermath, Rimes was faced with a wave of public hatred, which she now believes was often misplaced. “I realized very quickly that there are a lot of women who’ve been hurt. Like, I’ve been on both sides of that coin — I’ve been cheated on, too, so I know that feeling,” she explained.
“But so many women don’t know what to do with that anger… I was a target that was just easily projected upon. And once I realized that, things got a lot easier.”
Choosing Not to Take It Personally
Rimes went on to explain how she managed to cope with the criticism, choosing not to take it personally. “This is not all my pain to carry,” she said. “I know what I’m responsible for in the situation and making amends for that, but you know, the world’s pain is not mine to carry, and I think that really got thrown at me for a long time.”
This perspective allowed Rimes to find peace over time, despite the initial backlash. She also emphasized that while she understood the pain that others felt, she focused on her own growth and healing.
Blended Family and Moving Forward
In the years since their marriage, Rimes has found peace with Glanville, and the three now share a blended family, co-parenting Cibrian and Glanville’s sons, Mason, 22, and Jake, 18.
Rimes says that she has gone from simply surviving to thriving, and now feels that she is truly living. “I think I’ve gone from survival to thriving to — if there is a level up from thriving — to truly living. I think that’s where I’m headed,” she shared.
Acknowledging the Past
In 2010, Rimes spoke candidly about the affair, calling it “one of the most selfish things that I could possibly do, in hurting someone else.”
She took full responsibility for her actions but also expressed that, despite the hurt it caused, she didn’t regret the outcome. “I hate that people got hurt, but I don’t regret the outcome,” she said at the time.
Similarly, Cibrian also addressed the affair, acknowledging their mistakes but stressing their humanity. “The truth is that we’re human beings. We make mistakes and we learn from them, but we’re human. We fell in love,” he said in an interview with Robin Roberts in 2010.
Looking Ahead
Since the whirlwind years of their marriage and the intense public scrutiny, Rimes has found stability and peace. She released her most recent album in 2022 and is currently on tour. Rimes will also be making her first regular TV appearance in the upcoming series 9-1-1: Nashville, set to premiere in September.
LeAnn Rimes’ reflection on her past with Eddie Cibrian offers insight into her emotional journey over the years. Despite the public backlash and the pain of their affair, Rimes has come to terms with the situation, focusing on personal growth and healing. Today, she embraces her blended family and continues to thrive in both her career and personal life.
