LeAnn Rimes and Eddie Cibrian’s relationship started out with quite the scandal.
After meeting on the set of the Lifetime movie Northern Lights in 2008, Rimes and Cibrian struck up a secret romance, only it didn’t stay a secret for very long.
At the time, they were both married; Rimes to Dean Sheremet and Cibrian to Brandi Glanville. When photos of the pair appearing to be on a date surfaced online in March of 2009, the tabloids had a frenzy with it.
They initially denied rumors of an affair, but by July, Cibrian and Glanville were separated. They filed for divorce the following month, and Rimes announced that she and Sheremet planned to file for divorce a week later.
The pair went public with their relationship after that and continued to make tabloid headlines for months.
In 2010, Rimes opened up to People about the affair, taking full responsibility for her actions.
“I did one of the most selfish things that I possibly could do, in hurting someone else,” Rimes told the publication. “I take responsibility for everything I’ve done. I hate that people got hurt, but I don’t regret the outcome.”
Rimes and Cibrian got engaged over the Christmas holiday in 2010.
On April 22, 2011, the couple stunned friends and family with a surprise wedding. When their 40 guests arrived to what they thought was an engagement party at their Los Angeles home, Rimes and Cibrian were ready to say “I do.”
After the wedding, Rimes assumed the role of bonus mom to Cibrian’s two sons from his previous marriage. It’s something she takes very seriously.
“It’s been really rewarding to see them grow up and know that I have a part in that,” Rimes told US Weekly. “That responsibility, to help raise kids, it’s something that hits you really hard. It was something I was up for the challenge of. They bring so much joy to my life, and it’s a new experience every day.”
Rimes has often talked about having a child of her own with Cibrian. The couple even documented a visit to a fertility doctor on their reality show LeAnn & Eddie in 2014. They have yet to expand their family, but the Grammy-winning singer isn’t ruling it out just yet.
“Maybe one day,” she shared with ET. “I mean, I love my stepkids and I get plenty on my plate with them. So, I’m cool at the moment.”
Fun Fact: Rimes and Cibrian actually met long before they co-starred in Northern Lights – they just didn’t realize it.
“Well we don’t remember meeting each other,” Rimes explained to Entertainment Tonight of their first meeting at a fan appreciation event. “No, but there is a photo of it, clearly, and it is odd. We both were like, ‘Wait, what?’ I think he was 23, I was 14 at the time, and he was doing Young and the Restless. He found that right after we had worked together. He was just digging through some photos in his garage and found it.”
