Cheating is one of the most painful blows a relationship can take — but surprisingly, many couples try to stay together after it happens.

Do those relationships actually work out?
Can trust be rebuilt?
And what do real people — not just statistics — say about surviving infidelity?

This guide breaks down what the numbers reveal, what therapists recommend, and what people who’ve lived through it want you to know.

How Common is Cheating – and What Happens After?

Cheating is more common than most people think. Around 1 in 4 married people admit to it, and the numbers are even higher in dating relationships.

It’s not just about sex. Many affairs start from loneliness, boredom, emotional disconnection, or the need for validation.

Cheating can happen in any setting — at work, through social media, or even on dating apps. One study found that 45% of Tinder users are already in a relationship.

What people define as “cheating” also varies.
A study by Chapman University showed:

• 54% of heterosexual men are more upset by sexual affairs
• 65% of heterosexual women are more hurt by emotional affairs

So when cheating happens, it hits hard — and differently.

Trust breaks. Emotions explode.

The betrayed partner may feel shock, rage, or grief. The one who cheated often feels guilt, fear, or shame.

Some couples split right away. Others try to fix it. Either way, the relationship is changed — and what happens next depends on what both people are willing to face.

Do Couples Stay Together After Cheating?

Surprisingly, many couples try.

Therapist Idit Sharoni estimates that 60–70% of couples stay together after cheating — at least initially. But staying together doesn’t mean staying strong.

A survey by HealthTestingCenters found:

• 54.5% broke up immediately
• 30% stayed together but broke up later
• Only 15.6% are still together today

So while most couples attempt to work things out, long-term survival is rare.

What improves the odds?

• Honesty — couples who openly confess the affair are more likely to make it
• Therapy — guided support helps rebuild trust
• Real effort — full transparency, no contact with the affair partner, accountability

On the flip side:

• In marriages where the cheating was kept secret, 80% ended in divorce
• Rebuilding trust without honesty almost never works

Plenty of couples stay together after infidelity — but only a few truly recover. Most either split later or stay in a relationship that never fully heals.

Can You Rebuild After Cheating?

Yes — but it takes serious work.
Some couples do rebuild and even grow stronger. But that only happens when both people fully commit to healing.

What makes a difference:

• Total honesty — no lies, no hidden details
• Genuine remorse — not just regret for getting caught
• Cutting all contact with the affair partner
• Therapy — couples who seek help do better
• Time and patience — healing can take years

Therapy helps more than most people realize.
A VerywellMind survey found:

• 99% said therapy had a positive impact
• 84% said it became their top relationship priority

And honesty matters.

In marriages where the affair was hidden, 80% ended in divorce. When the cheater confessed openly, divorce rates dropped sharply.

Still, not every couple should stay together.

Some relationships survive, but the damage lingers. Others rebuild trust, communicate better, and move forward. The key difference? Effort, accountability, and truth.

Real-World Experiences and Therapist Insights

Statistics tell part of the story. Real people tell the rest.

On Reddit threads like r/survivinginfidelity, thousands share what it’s really like after cheating — and most say it’s a tough road.

Common takeaways:

• “We stayed, but it never felt right again.”
  Many tried reconciliation, only to break up months or years later.
• “Therapy saved us.”
  A few credit full honesty, no-contact, and counseling for turning things around — but even then, it took years.
• “Staying isn’t always success.”
  Some regret staying. They didn’t rebuild trust — just coexisted in a cold relationship.

Therapists agree:

Couples who recover do the hard work:

• They end the affair completely
• Own their actions fully
• Answer every question with honesty
• Stay consistent and accountable

Relationships that skip this? They don’t last — or they stay broken.

The truth: cheating changes everything.

Some couples use it as a turning point. Others don’t recover. But the ones who do? They face it head-on, not in silence or denial.

📊 Did You Know? (Infidelity by the Numbers)

• 60–70% of couples try to stay together after cheating
• Only 15.6% are still together long-term
• 80% of marriages end when the affair is kept secret
• Just 5–7% of affairs lead to marriage — and over 70% of those end in divorce
• 99% of couples say therapy helped their relationship
• 45% of Tinder users are already in a relationship
• Women are more hurt by emotional cheating
• Men are more upset by sexual cheating

Cheating doesn’t always end a relationship — but it always changes it.

Some couples rebuild, grow, and move forward. Others try and realize it’s better to let go. The difference often comes down to honesty, effort, and whether both people are truly all in.

Whether you’re deciding to stay, leave, or just trying to make sense of what happened — the facts are here to guide you.
What you do with them is entirely yours.

Here’s a list of the sources:

• Divorce Magazine
• ChoosingTherapy
• Brides
• Marriage.com
• SurvivingInfidelity.com
• Renew Breakup Bootcamp
• American Psychological Association (APA)
• General Social Survey (GSS)
• Mayo Clinic
• r/survivinginfidelity (Reddit)
• r/AsOneAfterInfidelity (Reddit)
• American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy
• Journal of Marital and Family Therapy
• Psychologist Dr. Steven Solomon
• Psychologist Dr. Joshua Coleman
• Therapist Paul Coleman
• Research from Norwegian University of Science and Technology
• Hack Spirit
• TikTok (Matthias J. Barker, therapist)