In the prime of reality TV in the late 90s, Cheaters had audiences glued to the on-screen drama of infidelity. Host Tommy Habeeb produced and hosted Cheaters when it aired from 1999 until 2002, and remembers facing angry spouses, weapons, and having to defend himself on multiple occasions.
Cheaters was a straightforward concept that was new and tantalizing at the time, featuring couples where one partner was suspected of committing adultery, or cheating, with the investigations led by the “Cheaters Detective Agency”.
In an interview with People, Habeeb admits that while the show was popular, it was also widely hated.
“People saw Cheaters as this, you know, exploitation — we’re going in, we’re disrupting families. But not really,” he said.
“You know, people came to me in trouble, and many times they were on their last leg. They were trying to figure out their suicidal [tendencies], or they were drinking every day, doing whatever it took to deaden the pain of a mate [cheating]. They weren’t getting answers.”
He adds that due to the nature of the reality series, he often dealt with angered partners who were willing to harm him. As a result, he trained with Navy SEALs on “how to disarm people” and look for tell-tale signs that something might lead to a violent altercation.
During his time as host, he admits having faced dangerous situations multiple times where people “tried to pull knives, guns, hit me with a bottle or whatever because they thought I was the [bad] guy.”
During one encounter, Habeeb was at a bar with friends when an angered woman came toward him and flung a glass at him. He later learns the woman was cheating on her husband and was angered when seeing the Cheaters host.
Despite the danger, Habeen remembers the good that sometimes came out of it. He was once approached by a man who was ready to “take out” his wife and best friend, who were having an affair, until Habeeb spoke to him and calmed him down.
Since Habeeb’s exit from Cheaters, the reality series went on to be hosted by Joey Greco, Clark James Gable, and Peter Gunz. Its final season aired in 2024.
