Image via Complex Original
Mobile phones are our most personal of gadgets. We treat 'em like women treat their pocketbooks: as troves of intimate info. That's why we lock them with passcodes and watch closely as people rifle through our photo collections lest they see something meant for our eyes only. It's also why people feel comfortable using their phones to do their dirt. Most often than not that dirt is shoveled via text message. Introduced in the '90s, SMS has become the most used mobile data protocol in the world. It's also responsible for ending a good number of relationships.
Just ask former New York Congressman Anthony Weiner, or Tiger Woods, or Tony Parker, or A-Rod—a simple text message from the wrong person (or 10) can ruin a relationship. Whether it was through a hack job, careless actions like not unlocking their phone, or the cheating party leaking their goods for an extra 15 minutes of fame, these famous figures have all had their privates turned public. See what famous celebs got caught sext-handed.
RELATED: The 10 Signs That Your Girlfriend is Cheating
Jesse James
Cheated on: Sandra Bullock
Secret lover(s): Michelle McGee
Oscar winner Sandra Bullock found out about her husband's infidelity the same way we did: through the media. Looking to prove her affair with the West Coast Choppers CEO was legit, tattoo model Michelle McGee sat with In Touch and blew up James spot by sharing details and raunchy text messages, which had James saying things such as "Speaking of licking" and "Wish is was cum'n! We are dorks." Mcgee also said James enjoyed hitting it raw. TMI? Very much so, but James brought it on himself.
Alex Rodriguez
Cheated on: Cynthia Rodriguez and Madonna
Secret lover(s): Madonna and Melissa Britos
Once the media caught a hold of A-Rod's infatuation with the Kabala Queen, his wife, Cynthia, played sleuth and investigated her husband's texts. Mrs. Rodriguez hit the slugger with a $50 million divorce suit and threatened to publicly release the messages between the two superstars. It gets better. During a trip to Miami, A-Rod was caught lounging with Melissa Britos, whom he supposedly became love struck according to a friend of the model: "He became obsessed with her. He sent her at least a dozen text messages, asking her to spend time with him." The press leaked the story while he was still dating the material girl. Double fail.
Anthony Weiner
Cheated on: Huma Abedin
Secret lover(s): Lisa Weiss, Ginger Lee, and several others
Former New York Congressman Anthony Weiner proved he couldn't keep his smartphone out of his pants and overexposed himself by sending dirty texts and images to several mistresses. First, Nevada blackjack dealer, Lisa Weiss, divulged information on her affair with Radar Online, providing over 200 text messages and claiming Weiner used government resources to engage in a phone sex session with her. Then, former porn star Ginger Lee took things a step further and released messages he sent her discussing his penis: “Alright, my package and I are not going to beg...You aren’t giving my package due credit.” What a dick.
Téa Leoni
Cheated on: David Duchovny
Secret lover(s): Billy Bob Thornton
Ma$e said it best: "You can't think you gonna be cheatin' and the girl ain't gonna cheat." Even after nympho David Duchovny admitted to being unfaithful for several years and checked himself into sex rehab, scorned wife Téa Leoni sought revenge. And she found the perfect guy to soil her sheets—her Manure co-star Billy Bob Thornton. Once completing rehab, Duchovny came back home and took a peak at Leoni's cell phone, where he stumbled upon a few X-files in the form of dirty texts sent by Thornton.
Tony Parker
Cheated on: Eva Longoria
Secret lover(s): Erin Barry
How anyone, let alone Tony Parker, could marry and cheat on a beauty like Eva Longoria is dumbfounding. And who does he choose as his promiscuous sex partner? None other than former teammate Brent Barry's wife. One unnamed source told Us Weekly that Longoria found hundreds of texts on Parker's phone, while other sources identified Erin Barry as the mystery woman. Sports Illustrated reporter Bryan Armen Graham co-signed the allegation and tweeted, "Have it on good authority from entertainment sources that "former teammate" in Tony Parker-Eva Longoria affair is Brent Barry." Grimey.
Ryan Phillippe
Cheated on: Reese Witherspoon
Secret lover(s): Abbie Cornish
If any actor from the Cruel Intentions camp embodied their on-screen persona to a T, it's definitely Sebastian himself, Ryan Phillippe. Ironically, he married co-star and Hollywood sweetheart, Reese Witherspoon, and just like the fictional playboy, he gave himself to another women: Stop Loss hottie Abbie Cornish, who he shared the screen with as well. Reese did what any suspicious wife would do best and searched her husband's phone when he wasn't around. Unfortunately, she found a secret text conversation between the two and called her marriage quits. Art imitating life? You call it.
Eliot Spitzer
Cheated on: Silda Wall Spitzer
Secret lover(s): Ashley Dupre and various other hookers
Text messages found during a federal investigation of a prostitution ring called the Emperor's Club VIP revealed one thing about the the politician known as Client 9: dude loved hookers. Some of Spitzer's most memorable quotes involved the former NYC governor spouting shameful pick-up lines like "Do u download illegal mp3's?...I'm gonna pound you harder than I did Sony." Other messages revealed his repulsive obsession with condiments and his package, as he shared with hooker Sandra Buttocks, "You'll find out later but I can tell u this: it involves knives and ketchup. A LOT of ketchup. And a plaster-mold of my penis." Classy.
David Boreanaz
Cheated on: Jamie Bergman
Secret lover(s): Rachel Uchitel
The Angel star admitted to his devilish ways after BBM messages between him and his mistress, former Playmate Rachel Uchitel, hit the Net. One convo showed the two bickering with each other about spending "quality time" together, with Uchitel stating, “I can’t do this anymore...Just fucking go and be with her,” and Boreanz snapping back with “Why do u act like such a fucking child!!!...We spend more than enough time together.” Uchitel claimed someone accessed her phone and leaked her texts to portray her in a "false light." Right. Did we mention Boreanaz's wife Jamie was pregnant with their second child during his affair?
Shaquille O'Neal
Cheated on: Shaunie O’Neal
Secret lover(s): Vanessa Lopez
“Hey baby I’m still wit da babies. I’m sorry I’m a c u when I get bak.” One of the infamous texts sent by Shaq Diesel to his long-time lover, model Vanessa Lopez. Basketball Wives star and ex-wife Shaunie O'Neal went as far as to hire an investigator to dig up some dirt on her cheating husband and found several flirty messages from the All-Star center and his mistress. The Big Aristotle didn't see that block coming.
Tiger Woods
Cheated on: Elin Nordegren
Secret lover(s): Jaimee Grubbs, Joslyn James, and many, many others
As if leaving his name on a mistress' voicemail wasn't the biggest voicemail fail ever, Tiger Woods proved why he's the worst cheater of all-time after a few of his jumpoffs shared his messages with the entire world. Cocktail waitress Jaimee Grubbs told Us Weekly about her three-year affair with the PGA champion and provided some texts to back up her claim. “I will wear you out...when was the last time you got (redacted)?," Woods wrote to Grubbs. But that's nothing compared to the 122 texts former porn star Joslyn James posted on her site, one of which asked the question, "Have you ever had a golden shower done to you?" Classy.
