Politicians and their affairs

In any case, a politician with a damsel on his arm is newsworthy material, but if that pretty young thing is not his wife or girlfriend, it becomes the fodder for reams of fiery gossip. And, thankfully, we have had a lot! Here's a look at some of the most talked about, and celebrated, affairs in the world of politics.

Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky

A political sex scandal that convinced the world of the grey goings-on in the White House, the Clinton-Lewinsky affair has all the ingredients of a potboiler: the most powerful man in the world (Clinton), an intern (Lewinsky), an upcoming politician (Hillary Clinton), an impeachment motion, and the subsequent acquittal.
Clinton went on to complete his term as President, and is now a guest at numerous talk shows; his wife, Hillary, could well be the next American President. And Monica Lewinsky — who?

Silvio Berlusconi and Ruby Rubacuori

Italy's playboy Prime Minister is known for his voracious appetite for women — and bunga bunga parties. But if the participants in the said 'bunga bunga' romps are under-aged girls, well, let's just say Silvio bungled up.
Widely circulated reports about his multiple affairs with high-class escorts may or may not be true, but one that caught the imagination of the Italian public and the world was his alleged affair with a Moroccan nightclub dance, Karima El Mahroug who is better known by the stage name Ruby Rubacuori.
Berlusconi was accused of paying for the sexual services of Ruby when she was still a minor girl, an offence in Italy.
Whatever the case, the world will not see a more colourful leader, except, of course, Nicholas Sarkozy!

John F Kennedy and Marilyn Monroe

Did it happen? Did it not? Yes, screamed the headlines of half a century ago, and 'No' were the categorically stoic White House officials.
What? Well this was THE affair (or not) of all time — the swashbuckling American icon JFK and the most enduring actresses Hollywood history Marilyn Monroe.
The two took their secret to the grave, but the grapevine hasn't stopped buzzing since.

Nehru and Edwina Mountbatten

India's first Prime Minister, the charismatic Jawaharlal Nehru, and Edqina Mountbatten, the wife of India's last Viceroy. They made a beautiful couple, but, if reports are to be believed, they shared a strictly platonic relationship.

Antonio Villaraigosa and Mirthala Salinas

Former Mayor of Los Angeles Antonio Villaraigosa made the news for all the wrong reasons when he divorced his wife for Spanish television reporter, Mirthala Salinas. After intense media scrutiny, Villaraigosa filed for divorce, and subsequently Salinas was also suspended by her employers.
Villaraigosa is now in a relationship with Lu Parker, a former Miss USA, 17 years his junior.

Amarinder Singh and Aroosa Alam

Rumour mills have it that former Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh is in love. His relationship or 'friendship' with Pakistani journalist Aroosa Alam has raised many eyebrows, even raising a political storm of sorts in the Punjab Assembly.
On a lighter note, his political opponents are convinced that Singh was the first official Indian conquest of the pakistani ISI!

Arnold Schwarzenegger and Mildred Baena

Terminator proved that he was human after all. One of the most loved action heroes of Hollywood, Arnold Schwarzenegger proved that he was far from the ideal hero when earlier in the year it emerged that he had an affairwith his maid Mildred Baena and had even fathered a child with her. To top it all the actor had kept his 'affair' a secret for almost 14 years.
Needless to say, the actor and his wife Maria Shriver soon separated. Shriver is believed to have told Arnie, while leaving, that "I'll never be back". (We just made that one up, but you knew that, didn't you?)

John Profumo and Christine Keeler

A scandal that rocked Britain in the 1960s, the 'Profumo Affair' could well have been the epitome of 'love at first sight', after politician John Dennis Profumo saw Christine Keeler emerging out of a swimming pool wearing nothing but her smile.
Media reported the 'Profumo Affair' as a torrid sexual relationship between the two. Keeler, as it emerged, was a prostitute, as well as the mistress of a Russian spy.
All said, clandestine, this affair was not!

Gavin Newsom and Ruby Rippey-Tourk

Another Mayor falling from grace. This time it was the reported affair between San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom and Ruby Rippey-Tourk, the wife of his former deputy chief of staff and then campaign manager, Alex Tourk, which created a furore among the supporters of the Mayor.