10 Things Cheaters Always Say, Relationship Therapist Shares

Posted by Susy Alexandre on April 11, 2019

When it comes to maintaining a healthy and mutually beneficial relationship, trust and honesty are two of the biggest keys to success – but what happens when that trust is broken? Many relationship experts will agree that when it comes to infidelity, the first step toward healing stems from acknowledgement and accountability from the guilty party. This is easier said than done. To unearth the most common things cheaters say when their faithfulness comes into question, we’ve enlisted the help of registered psychotherapist and Canadian certified counsellor Holly Behiels. Read on as Holly reveals the top 10 things cheaters always say.

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    Cheaters will tell you it didn't mean anything

    “It didn’t mean anything.”

    According to psychotherapist Holly Behiels, cheaters will often make this claim as a way to minimize the damage of their actions. “It can be an attempt to show a partner there was no emotion or commitment attached to the action,” says Holly.

    These statements, explains Holly, are most commonly expressed by those who’ve engaged in a short-lived period of infidelity, “such as a one-night-stand or a brief affair that that has ended, rather than an ongoing emotional relationship.”

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    Cheaters will make excuses for being away from you

    “I have to work late/work out of town.”

    This is one of the most obvious red flags to partners who suspect infidelity, according to Holly who cites this statement as one commonly used to account for and justify missed time.

    “Excuses that are given for the time away need to be believable and something that is hard to argue with,” Holly says.
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    Cheaters will play the friendship card

    “She/he is just a friend.”

    “Declaring a relationship a platonic friendship is one way of making an excuse to spend time with an individual and increase communication,” says Holly. She goes on to explain that this statement is generally one used in the case of an “ongoing affair”.

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    Cheaters will try gas lighting

    “You are crazy.”

    While this kind of response to a partner being questioned about their infidelity is so aggressive that it’s insulting – regardless of the basis in truth – Holly notes that this statement is actually quite common in the case of cheating partners.

    Holly explains this (and the next three statements on this list) are known as “gas lighting”. The cheater’s goal is to make you feel insecure, doubt yourself and cease to question them or pursue answers to your concerns.”
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    Cheaters will try to reduce your feelings

    “You are overreacting.”

    Another statement that qualifies as “gas lighting” — Holly explains, “A cheater may make you feel as if you are damaging the relationship or personally harming your partner by seeking answers.” The end goal for the cheater? “Claiming that you are blowing something out of proportion attempts to cause the partner to be silent about the cheater’s actions.”

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    Cheaters try to shift blame

    “You’re just jealous.”

    Yikes. Just what every suspicious partner wants to hear, right? This highly insulting retort, Holly explains, is just a further “gas lighting” attempt to shift blame. Says Holly, “Blaming you for any insecurities you may experience is a way of making you doubt your concerns and instinct, deflecting on their (your partner’s) external relationships.”
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    Cheaters try to deny fault

    “It wasn’t me.”

    No, we’re not playing that heinous Shaggy song on loop – this is actually a common statement made by cheaters. Holly notes this retort often comes from “serial cheaters or someone who believes their infidelities cannot be proven.” Interestingly, and to our earlier comment, Holly goes on to say, “In pop culture, it (denial) has been normalized in the song by Shaggy, in which advice is provided that despite his girlfriend having actually seen him engaged in intercourse with another person, he should insist that it was not him…” Denial, denial, denial.

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    Cheaters play with semantics

    “I did not have sex with that person.”

    Cheaters thrive off the grey areas. “Cheating means different things to different people,” explains Holly. The boundaries for fidelity within your relationship should be established early on to avoid excuses in the long-term. “Some people might consider talking to another person in a flirtatious way or sliding into their DM’s (direct messages on social media) as cheating — while a person cheating might use the excuse that it was not sex — clearing them of an violation of relationship boundaries,” says Holly.
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    Cheaters aren't afraid to blame technology

    “My phone was not working… my battery died…”

    Another common excuse used to account for lost time and missed communications, Holly says, “When your partner is with someone else, they will likely avoid answering your calls or texts.” According to Holly, it is common to use every excuse related to why they could not answer your calls for an extended period of time to account for their avoidance.

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    Cheaters avoid accountability

    “I’m just not feeling close/I’ve been feeling distant.”

    This statement is one typically used to redirect or share blame in one partner’s individual actions. “Putting distance in the closeness of the relationship or blaming you for not being bonded is a red flag that something is not right in the relationship,” Holly warns. She adds, “This can mean individuals are seeking to have their emotional and sexual needs met by someone else.”

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