Adam Levine’s name has been appearing in numerous headlines these past few days, and it’s not for a good reason. The Maroon 5 lead singer and former The Voice judge has been wrapped up in a cheating scandal. The news broke on September 19, 2022, when Instagram model Sumner Stroh posted a TikTok exposing Levine’s cheating. Stroh claimed to have had a year-long affair with Levine, who has been married Victoria Secret model Behati Prinsloo since 2014. The couple shares two children, and Prinsloo is currently pregnant with their third child.
Cheating scandals, and just scandals in general, among celebrities, pretty frequently make the news. Having your actions scrutinized by the public is a known drawback of being a public figure and building success off of an army of fans. After all, when fans are providing a platform for someone, it’s not surprising that they want to know just who it is they are supporting. Levine seems to be learning this the hard way, as his cheating scandal has truly blown up the media. Stroh set off a chain reaction, as several more women came forward with cheating allegations against Levine following her viral TikTok.
What is truly upsetting about Levine’s scandal is his seeming lack of remorse and regret regarding his actions, indicated, in part, by his comment about naming his and his wife’s unborn child after his mistress. That detail, as well as Levine’s past nonchalant admissions that he’s a cheater, has made Levine’s cheating much more shocking and unbelievable than the majority of scandals out there. Here is Levine’s cheating scandal explained in detail.
Stroh alleges affair with Levine
Stroh took to social media to expose Levine with a TikTok that has now gone viral, with 24.5 million views. In the short video, Stroh explains that she had an affair with Levine for a year, before eventually cutting contact for several months. After months without contact, she suddenly received an Instagram message from Levine, in which he revealed to her that he and Prisloo are expecting another child. He then told her that, if it’s a boy, he wants to name him Sumner, after Stroh’s given name. Levine reiterated that he was “dead serious” and asked her to tell him what she thought of his idea. Check out the TikTok below:
The allegations that Stroh made appear to be legit. She even shared her Instagram DMs with Levine, that clearly showed his account username along with its verified check mark. Stroh’s TikTok quickly went viral, with many appalled that Levine actually tried to name his wife’s baby after his mistress. Stroh also received backlash for her role in the affair and for choosing to go public, rather than reaching out to Prisloo privately. However, Stroh alleged that she was young and naïve, and easily manipulated when the affair occurred. While her actions aren’t excusable, there certainty is a concerning power disparity between a 23-year-old newly self-made Instagram model and a 43-year-old celebrity pop star.
Stroh made a followup video and explained she went public with the cheating scandal because a friend of hers had heard the story and was attempting to sell it to a tabloid. Hence, she quickly went on TikTok to break the news herself. Additionally, she alleged that Levine manipulated her by lying that his marriage to Prinsloo was over.
Levine responds to cheating allegation
On September 20, 2022, Levine addressed the cheating allegation in an Instagram story. In it, he denied that he had an affair. Instead, he admitted to “crossing the line” and speaking to other women in a flirtatious manner. He also admitted that his flirting with other women became inappropriate at times. Levine concluded by saying that he is working to fix the situation and that he regrets making a mistake that almost cost him his family. Read his statement below:
A lot is being said about me right now and I want to clear the air. I used poor judgment in speaking with anyone other than my wife in ANY kind of flirtatious manner. I did not have an affair, nevertheless, I crossed the line during a regrettable period in my life. In certain instances it became inappropriate; I have addressed that and taken proactive steps to remedy this with my family.
My wife and my family is all I care about in this world. To be this naive and stupid enough to risk the only thing that truly matters to me was the greatest mistake I could ever make. I will never make it again. I take full responsibility. We will get through it. And we will get through it together.
Of course, many were skeptical of Levine’s response. After all, his denial of having a physical affair doesn’t match up with Stroh’s allegations nor the damning DMs she shared. Additionally, many criticized him for attempting to speak for Prisloo, with his claims that they will work through it together.
More cheating allegations pour in
Following Stroh’s TikTok and Levine’s response, several more women came forward to share instances of Levine’s inappropriate social media conduct. One of the most troubling allegations came from Alanna Zabel, the singer’s ex-yoga instructor. Zabel took to social media to share that she, too, received a random dirty text from Levine. Zabel claims the text sparked a physical altercation with her jealous ex-boyfriend. When Zabel responded to ask Levine if he had intended the message for his girlfriend, he didn’t respond. In fact, he never responded, or apologized, to Zabel, instead he removed her from his gig and, as she told the Daily Mail, treated her “like used garbage.”
Another Instagram model, Maryka, also claimed Levine sent her inappropriate texts. In an interview with In Touch, she alleged Levine sent her nudes and that the two sexted after he claimed his relationship with Prisloo was complicated. Instagram Model Alyson Rose also revealed, to In Touch, Levine’s inappropriate messages to her. She first started talking to him because she was shocked when she saw he viewed her Instagram stories. This led to him allegedly asking her for pictures and flirting with her. She says she eventually cut contact with him, sending him a final message saying he should stop since he has a wife.
21-year-old college student Ashley Russell also came forward with flirty messages from Levine. Russell was also shocked when she saw Levine viewing her stories from her modest fitness page on Instagram. Eventually, he started flirtatiously bantering with her. He also started viewing and liking every single video she posted, as well as texting her every night at the same time. At one point, he double checked that she was in college before continuing to flirt with her.
What Levine’s cheating scandal means
First and foremost, Levine’s cheating scandal is about Levine. Many reading this story are erroneously attacking or judging the women involved. However, they need to remember that Levine is the one who has been married for 8 years and is the one cheating. Levine was the one who sought out the women and instigated the conversations. Not only that, but many of these women were small-scale models or influencers in their 20s, suddenly finding themselves in conversation with one of the most famous male singers in America. Meanwhile, they are choosing to come forward on their own to expose Levine, despite being aware of the large amount of backlash they are likely to receive.
Also, Prisloo has not addressed the cheating allegations publicly. While our hearts break for her, no one should be speaking for her. Similarly, no one knows what Levine’s and Prisloo’s relationship is like, besides them. Lets not speculate on what it’s like, why Levine cheated, or how they’re working things out now.
The bottom lines is that Levine cheated on his wife of 8 years. There are questions about whether it was physical, but it was cheating nonetheless. Meanwhile, attempting to name his child after his mistress is about as low as one can stoop and shows his total and complete lack of respect for his wife. Finally, he used his platform and fame to target and manipulate vulnerable young women. Levine’s cheating scandal goes beyond just having questionable morals and reveals a manipulative, insecure man with an inflated ego, who shows little remorse for the multiple women he callously used, lied to, cheated on, and utterly disrespected.
(featured image: NBC)
