What even is emotional cheating?

What even is emotional cheating?

Author: Danielle Bezalel, MPH: Sex Educator | Pleasure Expert February 28, 2025 Duration: 11:41

In The Wedding Planner, Steve and Mary never technically cross a physical line—but does that mean nothing shady is going on? If you're emotionally invested in someone outside your relationship, is that cheating?

This week, DB brings in feminist relationship theory from bell hooks, Esther Perel, and Adrienne Rich to unpack emotional infidelity—what it is, why it happens, and how relationship norms shape who gets away with it.

Plus: why women are expected to tolerate emotional neglect, how to set boundaries without controlling your partner, and why emotional closeness doesn't have to be a threat to commitment.

Mentioned in this episode:

"The Wedding Planner": Girlbossing, Gaslighting, and Groom-Stealing" (Rom-Com Vom)

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Sex Ed with DB is your go-to podcast for smart, science-backed sex education—delivering trusted insights from top experts on sex, sexuality, and pleasure. Empowering, inclusive, and grounded in real science, it's the sex ed you've always wanted.

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Creator, Host & Executive Producer: Danielle Bezalel (DB)
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You have questions about pleasure, intimacy, and your own body that feel too complex or awkward to ask out loud. Sex Ed with DB: smart, science-backed sex education is the space where those questions are not only welcomed but explored with depth and clarity. Hosted by Danielle Bezalel (DB), a sex educator with a Masters in Public Health, this podcast moves beyond basic biology to address the real, often unspoken, aspects of our sexual lives. Each episode is built on a foundation of credible research and compassionate insight, dismantling the myths and shame that so often accompany these topics. You’ll hear DB in conversation with leading experts, therapists, and researchers, translating their knowledge into practical advice you can actually use. Whether it’s navigating communication with a partner, understanding your own desires more fully, or simply seeking a more confident and joyful connection to your sexuality, this series provides a trustworthy guide. The tone is direct, inclusive, and refreshingly free of judgment, meeting you exactly where you are in your personal journey. Tune in for a re-education that focuses not on what’s wrong, but on what’s possible for a more fulfilling and informed intimate life.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Sex Ed with DB: smart, science-backed sex education
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