Behind the beauty, sex appeal, and fame, there are stories desperately kept in the dark. Stories that aren’t easily made public, but have become the subject of gossip, headlines, and blind items. These are the women involved in explosive controversies of being mistresses—sexy actresses allegedly playing the third party in complicated relationships.

But are the accusations true, or are they simply victims of the public’s harsh judgmental gaze?

Ivana Alawi
In 2024 and 2025, one of the hottest issues was Ivana Alawi’s alleged involvement with Congressman Albee Benitez of Bacolod. His wife, Nikki Lopez Benitez, filed a complaint under RA 9262 or the Anti-Violence Against Women and Their Children Act. In the complaint, Nikki claimed that Ivana had a romantic relationship with the congressman while he was still married to her. The controversy intensified when photos of Ivana and Albee together at an airport in Japan surfaced.
According to Ivana’s camp, it was purely coincidental that they met there, and there was no romantic connection between them. In an interview, Albee Benitez apologized to Ivana—both as an actress and vlogger—and to her family for being dragged into the issue. As of now, Ivana has yet to release any official statement regarding Nikki’s complaint. She has remained silent on social media but continues to be active on her vlogs and endorsement deals.

Herlene Budol (aka “Hipon Girl”)
In 2023, screenshots of alleged private messages between Herlene Budol and actor Rob Gomez suddenly went viral on social media. The leaked messages appeared to show a close, possibly romantic connection between the two, leading netizens to accuse Herlene of being a mistress. Rob was known to have a child and a partner at the time, making the issue even more sensitive.
Herlene did not directly address the issue, opting instead to stay quiet. Despite her silence, online criticism and ridicule continued. Some supporters defended her, while others claimed she was part of the problem damaging the image of women in showbiz.

AJ Raval
AJ Raval, daughter of Jeric Raval, also made headlines when she was linked to actor Aljur Abrenica. At that time, the breakup between Aljur and Kylie Padilla was still a hot topic. Rumors spread that AJ was the third party.
However, AJ strongly denied the accusations, saying that her relationship with Aljur only began after he and Kylie had officially separated. In an interview, AJ stated she would never get involved with someone who’s already taken and expressed her pain over the false allegations.
Despite her clarification, netizens continued to bash her online. Some accused her of using social media to clean up her image and erase the scandal, but AJ stood firm in her defense. Eventually, AJ and Aljur admitted to having a relationship—though it remains unclear whether their involvement was the true reason behind Aljur and Kylie’s breakup.

Gretchen Barretto
Gretchen Barretto is one of the most controversial personalities in showbiz. One of the main controversies in her life was her long-standing relationship with business tycoon Tonyboy Cojuangco. Tonyboy was still legally married when he and Gretchen entered into a relationship.
This was no secret to the public. In fact, Gretchen openly admitted in interviews that she was aware of her position as the “other woman.” Instead of hiding it, she told the media she had no shame in their relationship and was happy being with Tonyboy.
Because of this, she faced harsh backlash, especially from conservative sectors of society. Despite everything, their relationship endured for many years, and Gretchen eventually chose to live more quietly away from the spotlight.

Aiko Melendez
Aiko Melendez was once again caught in controversy when she made public her relationship with Subic Mayor Jay Khonghun. What made the issue complicated was that Mayor Jay was still legally married when their relationship began.
In interviews, Aiko claimed she was not the cause of the mayor’s separation from his wife. However, she still received criticism, especially from those aware of the situation within the mayor’s family. Some even blamed Aiko for the alleged breakdown of the family.
Aiko stood her ground, saying she shouldn’t be judged based on accusations that lacked solid evidence. Eventually, the issue died down, and Aiko continued her career as both an actress and public servant.

Ara Mina
Ara Mina is also among the sexy actresses who got entangled in a serious cheating scandal when she was linked to actor and former councilor Jomari Yllana, who at the time was married to Aiko Melendez. According to some reports, Ara’s alleged affair with Jomari was the reason for the couple’s separation.
On Aiko’s part, she admitted she was deeply hurt by Jomari’s actions and by Ara’s supposed involvement in their relationship. Ara, on the other hand, chose not to speak much about the issue, which only fueled speculation that the rumors were true.
To this day, Ara’s role in the alleged love triangle remains a hot topic in showbiz throwbacks.