AKM-GSIRemember when Gavin Rossdale was accused back in 2012 of cheating on wife Gwen Stefani with their nanny after they were photographed during a hike with his hand on the small of her back? Or maybe just a bit lower?
"He is not having an affair with his nanny," a source assured E! News at the time. "He's with her and the kids in a photo. It's harmless."
Unfortunately, three years later, that story has come back to haunt us and it's grown sharp new teeth.
Gwen filed for divorce in August and the usual inoffensive reasons were bandied about—but this week a report surfaced that Gavin had been carrying on for several years with family nanny Mindy Mann. A source told us that "all Gavin is concerned about right now is protecting his kids." Meanwhile, another insider told us yesterday that they wouldn't be surprised if the cheating story turned out to be true.
Whether or not Gavin indeed fooled around with Mindy, he has joined the ranks of celebs who've been linked to a household employee while married or otherwise attached:
Ben Affleck: About a month after he and Jennifer Garner announced in June that they were splitting up after 10 years of marriage, a report surfaced claiming the Gone Girl star had been dating their former nanny Christine Ouzounian. Affleck's camp immediately shot down the story as a "shameful ploy" for the publication in question to "stay relevant," but sources later told us that Garner was mortified by the very existence of the reports regardless. Ouzounian, who before the divorce announcement enjoyed a trip via private jet to Vegas with Affleck and his superstar athlete pal Tom Brady as a perk of her soon-to-be-terminated employment, didn't do anything to dispel the rumors on her end, but the clock dutifully ticked down her 15 minutes and Jen and Ben are moving on with their lives.
Jude Law: The British thesp and father of five with three different women admitted to a fling with nanny Daisy Wright in 2005. And what a tangled web: Wright had been hired by Law's ex-wife, Sadie Frost, and he was dating Sienna Miller when he had the affair.
"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," Law said in a statement to the British Press Association after Wright went public with a graphic account of their encounter. "I want to publicly apologize to Sienna and our respective families for the pain that I have caused. There is no defense for my actions, which I sincerely regret, and I ask that you respect our privacy at this very difficult time."
He gets one point for manning up and admitting to screwing up.
Robin Williams: The late Oscar winner's second wife, Marsha Garces Williams, worked as a nanny for Williams and his first wife, Valerie Velardi, when their son Zak was about 1. Marsha had a boyfriend at the time and Williams had a girlfriend (while also being married). "I'm proud of how well I cared for him. I loved Zak then and I love him now," Marsha told The New Yorker in 1993.
Marsha worked for the Williamses for about a year and then after Robin and Valerie split up, in 1986, she returned to the actor's employ as an assistant. By 1987, they were constant companions. They married in 1989, had two children together and divorced in 2010.
Rob Lowe: Things got dicey there for a while when, in 2008, the West Wing star and his wife, Sheryl Lowe, were sued for alleged sexual harassment by two of their former nannies. The actor, meanwhile, had previously sued both of the women for, among other things, breach of confidentiality and breach of contract, alleging they had conspired to extort $1.5 million from him and Sheryl.
But it all got more sordid before it got better.
The couple denied the harassment allegations and declarations later given by other members of the household staff painted one of the plaintiffs as a major flirt—and the other plaintiff didn't fare particularly well in court documents, either. Everything was figured out eventually, however: In May 2009, lawyers for all sides filed requests to have all remaining claims dismissed, an indication that an out-of-court agreement had been reached.
Arnold Schwarzenegger: The movie star and by-then former governor of California separated from wife Maria Shriver in 2011 after 25 years of marriage. It wasn't long after that it was revealed that Schwarzenegger fathered a son with the family's former maid Mildred Patricia Baena. The boy was already 13 by then.
"After leaving the governor's office I told my wife about this event, which occurred over a decade ago," Schwarzenegger told the world on May 11, 2011. "I understand and deserve the feelings of anger and disappointment among my friends and family. There are no excuses and I take full responsibility for the hurt I have caused."
One point for manning up?
(Originally published July 30, 2015, at 2:32 p.m. PT)