Liberty Ross had 20 hours of advance warning before the world learned about her husband Rupert Sanders' affair with Kristen Stewart. She did as much as she could in those 20 hours to protect her family—but the damage done to her marriage couldn't be repaired. In a new interview with Vanity Fair, Ross, a British fashion model and actress, discusses the scandal for the first time.
"It was horrible. It was really the worst, really the worst," she tells the magazine.
It turns out that Sanders, the director of Stewart's film Snow White and the Huntsman, didn't even tell Ross about his affair until he discovered that the photos would be published. At that point, Ross moved her children temporarily into a friend's house outside of L.A., and called in a P.R. person who had experience handling situations like hers. When the smoke cleared, she tried to get past it, but found it to be impossible.
"I'm not a quitter. I’ve done everything I could to be the perfect wife and mother and really support my husband," she says. "But I just didn’t have any more to give, you know?"
Oh, we know. What Ross went through was a total nightmare, and even the fact that she's standing on her feet is impressive. ("I feel like I'm going through a rebirth," she tells the magazine.) Many famous, successful women have seen their marriages end over infidelity, and lived to love again. Here are a few examples to inspire Liberty.
Jennifer Aniston
Then: Lost husband Brad Pitt to co-star Angelina Jolie in 2004
Now: Engaged to Justin Theroux
Eva Longoria
Then: Left hubby Tony Parker over an alleged affair with an NBA teammate's wife in 2010
Now: Dating Penelope Cruz's brother Eduardo Cruz
Katy Perry
Then: Has heavily hinted that her marriage to Russell Brand ended because he cheated
Now: In a serious relationship with John Mayer
Halle Berry
Then: Eric Benet admitted that he cheated during their marriage, which ended in 2003
Now: Married to Olivier Martinez
Elizabeth Hurley
Then: Left hubby Hugh Grant in 2000, five years after he was publicly caught with a prostitute
Now: Engaged to cricket player Shane Warne
Donna Kaufman is a freelance writer and iVillage contributor—find her on Twitter.
A version of this story originally appeared on iVillage.