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I'm dating someone who has cheated in the past. What should I do?

306 Answers
Last Updated: 05/15/2022 at 5:43pm
I'm dating someone who has cheated in the past. What should I do?
1 Tip to Feel Better
United States
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D'Anna Davis, LCSW

Clinical Social Work/Therapist

The journey to where we are today included many ups, downs, twists and turns. Healing from the events of life is crucial in achieving mental health and happiness.

Top Rated Answers
Blaise23
June 7th, 2018 5:17pm
Unless you feel safe and trust them, it is fine to continue.If they have shown any signs that lead to doubt ,please discuss or ask them right away and then you can decide if you want to continue or not.
Anonymous
June 9th, 2018 12:06am
Be wary, but not suspicious. Don't make super left-field assumptions based on their history. In fact, address your potential concerns with your partner, as communication is key in a relationship. If you're worried about their devotion, then they should know about that so they can better manage how they act so you'll trust them. Communication is key.
Anonymous
June 10th, 2018 1:27am
It is important to make sure he/she wont cheat on you, u can ask why he/she cheated before if he/she is comfortable with that.
Anonymous
June 17th, 2018 10:02am
I think it all depends upon trust. If you think your partner made a mistake, would be apologetic and not go into infidelity again, you can lower your walls and let them in, even if you do that a bit cautiously.
Anonymous
June 24th, 2018 10:29am
If they cheated in the past, well, it's most likely they will do it again. They must've been all lovey-dovey with their previous partners but still craved for more. No exception on you. Just be careful around them.
Allears247
June 24th, 2018 12:30pm
If they have cheated with you than you should do what your gut it telling you. If they have cheated in the past with someone else I would remain cautious, but wouldn't hold it against the person. People do change, maybe they're not a cheater anymore.
Anonymous
June 27th, 2018 7:13pm
You should give him chance and alot of time and love so that he don't have time to think about cheating but would think to love you more
delicateZebra
June 30th, 2018 9:51am
Trust them until they prove you wrong. Everyone makes mistakes but also everyone deserves a chance, You never know unless you try, this person may be your one and they may never stray from you, Have you spoken to them about why they cheated on the last person?
Anonymous
July 4th, 2018 1:08am
Be cautious and make sure they are in the relationship for you and respect you. It will take time to build up that trust again but it will be for the best.
Ramiz
July 11th, 2018 2:38pm
Establishing trust is one of the hardest things in a relationship. And if your partner has already had misgivings about trusting people then it just becomes doubly difficult. So to ease the pressure of trust on your partner you should start by letting them inside your shell. You open up to them, because its a two way game. First you give trust then the other person gives you their. Do activities that show commitment, make long term plans etc.
Anonymous
July 12th, 2018 1:38pm
I say give them a chance! Maybe that person has learned from their mistakes? But if you ever feel uncomfortable, be clear on ending it!
MarysGrotto51
July 15th, 2018 6:43am
Keep communication linesv open between you. Take one step at a time. Breathe. Build your trust together .
Anonymous
July 18th, 2018 12:51pm
That's not a big problem. You can have a relationship with him/her. One thibg you can do is making sure he/she won't make the same mistake.
resourcefulFreedom38
July 26th, 2018 2:57am
Relationships are about trust. You knew the background before entering into the relationship. The choice was made to trust. Continue trusting and try not to allow the past to dictate the present.
Anonymous
July 26th, 2018 6:12pm
Well everybody deserves a second chance in life, and people can change, but even if this person has cheated in the past, It doesn't mean that you shouldn't care at all about it, just beware. If you suspect that this person is cheating on you, you should fetch factual evidences before you confront. Never confront without a consistent evidence.
Anonymous
July 29th, 2018 1:01am
Its hard but first try to trust it amd feel comfortable talking about your feeling and its feelings
Harry53
August 1st, 2018 5:10am
If he or she has cheated in the past you should not discount the possibility that he or she may do that again. You must then decide if staying in the relationship is worth the risk and the potential hurt that may result.
Anonymous
August 1st, 2018 3:59pm
You should just trust your intuition and go with the flow. You should give that person a chance to get to know him better
Anonymous
August 2nd, 2018 4:13am
In this case, I think it is best not to jump in right away into a romantic relationship with the person you are dating. Try to get to know the person better and see if he is willing to be truly loyal to you through his actions. Just give the person a benefit of doubt. There should always be trust in a romantic relationship and you should not have to worry about the person cheating on you. Also remember that actions speak louder than words. I am just saying all of this so you can avoid yourself from a heart break in the long run.
Anonymous
August 12th, 2018 8:29am
Wow I would say try and trust them the most but maybe try and do a phone check twice a month I hope everything goes well for you
Anonymous
August 12th, 2018 12:19pm
I mean if they’ve been open about this and you said you were okay with it, then you have to kind of try and trust them but if your being weary this is natural because your scared of getting hurt but you have to ask yourself if your willing to take the chance of trusting them and if not you have to let go because it’s not fair on you or them
Gat89
September 6th, 2018 6:24pm
Cheating is rarely noble, but there are tons of reasons why it happens. Are there ever fair reasons to cheat? Never. But often, cheating is an act symptomatic of a bad relationship and poor communication. Cheating is an ignoble way to end things proactively or subconsciously, If possible, try and understand what exactly happened. Find out why it happened and whether it is part of a bigger, consistent character trait in your current partner. You need all this info to help you understand them better and gauge the progress in your relationship. Any red flags, have a chat and see if you both value the same things.
Tamy4210
October 11th, 2018 3:41pm
i would advise you to not continue dating, love. I don't want to sound rude but there's no guarantee that the same wont happen to you too and the pain of being cheated on is really bad and i wouldn't want you to go through that. Why take a risk? There are more cons than pros in this. So think about everything carefully. Try talking to your partner and unless you are completely sure that the person has changed and would never repeat it again, then i advise you to not continue this relationship. I hope you take care of yourself
joyousBubbles123
October 20th, 2018 7:10am
First of all you knowing that the person has cheated in the past is a big thing. You either knew and yet you trusted them with your heart or they told you and then you trusted them. So either way, when you date someone don't have prior presumption. That is something you do before you start dating. When you date you trust not blindly but fully. So be cautious but see what makes it different between the two of you. What efforts they are making for you to believe in them. How happy they make you and how much they love you.
intelligentDay72
October 31st, 2018 9:15am
Past is past, if satisfied with his/her present intentions, character and all other things which YOU consider is satisfactory, then you can continue dating. There is nothing wrong in it as such. You can ask him why he/she has cheated in the past and all other relevant questions and understand whether, he/she has learnt the mistake of not cheating and its adverse consequences to him/her. If he/she has not learnt and is still trying/possible to cheat, then better not to date that person. It's important to know it's all your call at the end of the day regarding dating that person or not.
SolarSystemInATeacup
November 9th, 2018 9:43pm
I feel this is where trust really comes in. There needs to be communication & trust and if this is what you both want you need to work on it together. There will be worries and trust issues to start with, it’s natural but if you’re willing to accept them back into your life trust needs to be rebuilt. In arguments it’s not advised to bring up the cheating. If you’re forgiving them it needs to be swept to the side, not used as ammo. One of the biggest things, which is probably very difficult not to do and a lot of people are guilty of, is do not take all privacy away from them. If you’re learning to trust them again the invading their privacy is not one.
sallysalad1233
December 30th, 2020 12:40am
It must feel very anxious to date someone who has cheated on you. I suggest you to really look out for the person in terms of actions,words and etc. If you feel any suspicion, talk to the other person about it. Trust is the most important thing to have in a relationship. Although it may not be easy, gain their trust. However, if you feel that there is something they did wrong to you or have any suspicion, it is okay to let them know and end the relationship. It is not worth it to be someone who will cheat on you or have chances of them cheating on you if they show constant signs of it. However, if it is evident that they have learned from their mistake in the past, stay with them. Everyone makes mistakes and they could have made a mistake. If you have any additional questions, feel free to leave them here for the community
Anonymous
December 30th, 2020 4:30pm
I would try and have an honest conversation with them and discuss how their cheating on you would make you feel. You have to build up trust and honesty with this person to help ensure that they are trustworthy and will not complete the same mistake that they did in the past. Try and keep the relationship open and honest. This way, you both can be honest if either one of you does make a mistake and can tell each other. Keep each other accountable for mistakes and clearly state what behavior is not tolerated by you, such as cheating.
Anonymous
January 8th, 2021 1:07pm
One important aspect of dating is trust. It can be very hard to trust someone who is known to have cheated in the past. If you're not sure about your situation, it is always advisable to tell your partner how you feel about their actions in the past. A good partner will be able to understand your fears and accept their mistakes. How they react to you expressing your fears tells a lot about who they are as a person and whether or not things will work between you two. They must be capable of understanding that the accusations are caused by their actions in the past and accept them while proving their intentions.
Anonymous
December 27th, 2020 11:10pm
I can see that it makes you feel uneasy that your partner has cheated in the past. No one is perfect, and we all inevitably make mistakes as we go through life. What is important is that we learn from our mistakes and grow from them. Did this person explain why they cheated? What did he learn from that situation and how has it changed him? Do you think you would be able to trust him, despite his past? It is important that we are able to trust our partner in a relationship. WIthout it, the relationship may deteriorate and become toxic.