Is cheating ever justifiable or acceptable?
The question was posed on the Nov 8 episode of Hush Podcast by ItsClarity.Co, featuring radio DJ and hosts Germaine Tan, Hazelle Teo, Azura Goh.
The answer, however, wasn’t quite open-and-shut as listeners had expected.
“I don’t want to put a hard ‘no’ to this question,” shared Hazelle.
In the edited clip on TikTok which has since been removed, she stated: “In certain cases where relationships are toxic and people cheat, then I think in a certain way it’s justifiable because you can’t get love from that relationship and that’s why you turn to other means.”
Asked for her take, Azura agreed. “I think there are situations that make it justifiable, but maybe it still doesn’t make it right.”
Germaine continued that while the concept of cheating “morally may not be right”, the reasons for it may be justifiable.
Sharing how “no one is above this moral high ground”, Germaine explained how that’s the reason she has never judged friends who have been together with married men.
“Which is why when the whole Ned Fulmer thing came out I do think people were a bit harsh on him,” said the radio DJ, referencing the former member of The Try Guys found to have cheated on his wife.
In the full clip posted on Spotify and on YouTube, the group appeared to agree that cheating could be a “last resort” when nothing else works.
Many users on TikTok, however, were left aghast by the views shared.
The short one-minute excerpt from the show posted on Wednesday (Nov 9) had gotten close to 55,000 views before it appeared to be deleted on Thursday.
Based on just some of the more than 1,700 comments received, many tore into the opinions shared in the clip.
“The entire clip is a red flag??? Omg,” wrote one commenter. Another shared: “This clip is making my blood boil.”
Several retorted that being in a toxic relationship does not, in any way, provide a good excuse for cheating.
“If you’re in a toxic relationship and you want to find love elsewhere, break up FIRST!” wrote a user.
They took issue too, with Germaine’s revelation that she provided support to a friend who was “doing something wrong”.
Others were perplexed at how the clip passed the vibe check and was published.
There were some, however, who didn’t think the issue is so clear-cut.
It seemed the flurry of negative comments generated soon caught the attention of the publishers.
A note from the editor clarified that “we’re not justifying that cheating/having an affair is okay” and that users should listen to the full episode for context, adding, “we hope this remains a friendly space for a healthy discussion of the topic”
Perhaps one of those other perspectives is Germaine stating that “cheating is probably a sign that there is something wrong in your relationship; it signals that maybe you guys have something you need to work through or maybe it’s time to end the relationship”.
In the podcast, the trio also shared experiences on whether or not they’ve been tempted to cheat — “I felt terrible about it”, shared one host (we won’t say who); how technology makes it easier for people to cheat, and whether “monogamy is dead“.
Yes 933 radio DJ Hazelle also gave a shout-out to engaged Mediacorp actors Nick Teo and Hong Ling, commending them for their loving relationship despite being together for seven years.