'DWTS' Contestant Jesse Metcalfe & Ex-Fiancé Cara Santana: Everything To Know About His Cheating Scandal
He allegedly cheated with not one, but two women.
Getty Images Former Desperate Housewives star Jesse Metcalfe has been tearing up the dance floor on Season 29 of Dancing with the Stars, and while we're excited to see what else he can do with dance partner Sharna Burgess this season, we're curious about one part of his life that isn't as smooth as his dance moves: his love life. Particularly, his relationship with ex-fiancé Cara Santana, who called off her engagement to the actor after he found himself in the middle of a cheating scandal in January of 2020.
Who did Jesse Metcalfe cheat on Cara Santana with?
That's a complicated question to ask because there's more than one answer; here's everything fans need to know about the situation.
Metcalfe and Santana announced the end of their relationship on January 22, 2020.
Reports first surfaced claiming that Metcalfe and Santana were done in mid-January, and although cheating certainly had something to do with it, insiders said that trouble had been brewing in their relationship for a long time — and one of their main points of contention was that after almost four years engaged, Santana was ready for a wedding while Metcalfe was still dragging his feet.
"It has been very rocky starting the end of last year and especially the last couple of weeks," the source said. "They haven't been very vocal or open about what they are going through as they are trying to work it out, but they are just not getting along."
The couple had been together for more than 10 years.
After meeting and beginning their relationship in 2009, the former couple took their time getting to know each other before their engagement in 2016. Metcalfe popped the question as they celebrated Santa's birthday, and the Desperate Housewives star's rep confirmed the news shortly afterwards. Since then, it's seemingly been smooth sailing for them but lately, it looks like there's been a lot more going on behind the scenes than fans may have originally realized.
He was seen with an Australian actress and a model.
On Jan. 22 — the same day Metcalfe and Santana announced their split — photos of Metcalfe with model Livia Pillmann were published. In the pics, Pillmann and Metcalfe can be seen hugging and getting close outside of a Los Angeles restaurant, and it definitely seemed to give off the vibe that this was more than just a friendly outing. Later that same day, Metcalfe was spotted with yet another woman, this time, actress Albany Pietrantonio, who he was seen kissing outside of a bar also in LA.
It wasn't looking good, especially since Metcalfe was wearing the same clothing in all of these photos, suggesting he saw two different women in the same day.
Santana was reportedly blindsided by their breakup.
Reportedly, Santana definitely didn't expect to find out that Metcalfe had been with other women, and their breakup came as a shock to her.
“She was wearing her ring yesterday,” a source who referred to Metcalfe as a "cheater" said. “She had no idea things weren’t fine until she saw the photos online today. I promise they never broke up until today.”
Olivia Culpo appears to be speaking out on the matter.
Culpo — a longtime friend of Santana's — took to her Instagram story to share memes that seemed to shed light on the situation with Metcalfe, seemingly confirming that cheating did go on. One of the memes included a screen cap from Mean Girls that says, "Don't cheat ... nobody likes a cheater," as well as a photo of Macaulay Culkin in Home Alone holding a gun that reads, "When someone upsets my best friend."
Metcalfe has already returned to social media.
After his breakup with Santana was confirmed, Metcalfe shared a photo on Instagram of himself in a car wearing sunglasses with a caption that said, "Check your blind spot!" His caption seemingly refers to the situation at hand, although he didn't offer up any other kind of explanation.
For her part, Santana has remained silent on her Instagram since before the news broke.
Who is Cara Santana dating now?
As of August 2020, Cara Santana is dating Thirty Seconds To Mars drummer Shannon Leto. And if his last name sounds familiar, that's because he's the older brother of Jared Leto, the actor and musician who literally never ages.
Who is Jesse Metcalfe's girlfriend?
Around the same time, Jesse Metcalfe started dating Canadian model Corin Jamie Lee Clark. "They feel like they've been together forever even though it's only been a few months. He's crazy about her," a source said. "Jesse has gotten serious with Corin very quickly. He thinks she's amazing and they have been inseparable."
Nicole Pomarico is an entertainment and lifestyle writer whose work has appeared in Cosmo, Us Weekly, Refinery29, and more.