Hillary Clinton’s interview on the Tyra Banks Show has resurrected the question of why many women choose to stay with unfaithful husbands rather than file for divorce.

It is difficult for many women to understand why a woman like Hillary Clinton would remain married to a husband like Bill Clinton, who reportedly has a history of extramarital affairs and is rumored to have cheated on her on more than one occasion (Monica Lewinsky, Gennifer Flowers and Paula Jones)

Reasons why women stay with unfaithful men

Below are some of the many reasons that wives choose to stay with cheating husbands:

  • Love
  • convenience
  • Financial reasons
  • I am not willing to give up the lifestyle.
  • Insufficient proof of infidelity
  • For the sake of the children
  • Fear of change
  • Low self-esteem
  • Bad moment
  • Thinking the cheater will change
  • To achieve professional goals
  • Hoping the advice helps
  • Fear of being alone
  • Loyalty
  • Religious beliefs
  • Desire to keep the family intact
  • Belief that it will not happen again

But there are many other reasons as well, reasons that only make sense to the woman involved.

In the end, it all comes down to a woman doing what she thinks is best for her (and her children).

In her interview with Tyra Banks, Hillary Clinton stated, “I really had to dig deep and think a lot about what was right for me, what was right for my family.”

A woman shouldn’t have to explain

Having been the victim of infidelity, I feel that no woman, not even Hillary Clinton, should have to explain or defend her decision to anyone (other than her children) why she has decided to leave or stay with a husband who cheats on them.

Choosing to leave or stay with an unfaithful spouse is a personal matter. Some women can make an immediate decision when they find out about the affair. And many times they may regret their choice. For other women, staying or leaving is a well thought out decision with many factors taken into account.

So while we can speculate, no one can claim to know the real reasons Hillary chose to stay with Bill, except for Hillary Clinton herself.

What NOT to do when a husband cheats

Friends, family members, even complete strangers, who know about the affair, like to comment on what a woman should do when she finds out about her husband’s affair.

After 15 years of researching male and female infidelity, and consulting regularly with infidelity victims, I discovered that it is more important to know what NOT to do after the discovery of an extramarital affair.

Many women react blindly when they find out that their husband or boyfriend is having an affair. They let fear, anger, pain, or a desire for revenge make them do things they later regret.

Regardless of whether a woman ultimately decides to stay with the cheater or leave him, doing something wrong in the initial stages of discovery will only make the bad situation worse. It can even sabotage the course of action you later decide to take. Hillary Clinton was right to avoid making a decision in the heat of the moment and to take enough time to think about the situation and decide what was right for her.

For Hillary Clinton, the right decision was to stay. For me, the right decision was to leave. (I have been happily married for 8 years to a man whose first wife cheated on him) Each woman must decide for herself. The most important thing to do is avoid making a mistake that may undermine the final course of action you decide to take.

FREE tips on how to avoid making a mistake

If your spouse or partner is having an affair, I have a special report titled 5 Things you MUST NOT do if he is cheating on you, which can help you avoid making a fatal mistake. It covers five things to avoid doing immediately after discovering the extramarital affair and examines the reasons. For a FREE copy, email [email protected] with 5 things-ez in the subject line.