The celebrity cheater: Donald Trump, New York real estate tycoon.
The other woman: Marla Maples, Georgia beauty queen and aspiring actress.
What was gained: Maples became a celebrity and bankable Broadway actress ("The Will Rogers Follies") thanks to her high-profile relationship with the real estate mogul from 1988 until Trump divorced first wife Ivana in 1992. Trump and Maples married and had daughter Tiffany (not in that order) the following year, separated in 1997 and divorced in 1999. Maples received $2 million as part of a prenuptial agreement, plus child support.
In the bigger picture, the media heat that surrounded the affair arguably elevated Trump's public profile from prickly multimillionaire to enduring celebrity, paving the way for the 2004 debut of "The Apprentice," his successful reality TV franchise. Ivana launched her own empire, which includes fashion, jewelry, cosmetics, bestselling novels and a reality show, "Ivana Young Man."
What it cost: Divorcing Ivana cost Donald a rumored $20 million, the couple's $14 million Connecticut estate, half of their Mar-a-Lago manse in Florida, $350,000 annual alimony and child support for their three children, Donald Jr., Ivanka and Eric.