Hello, and welcome to The Reheat! Each week, I write a column summarizing the highlights of the podcast I co-host with Sadaf Ahsan. Our podcast, also titled The Reheat (what a coincidence!), re-examines the most salacious scandals of yester-year through a contemporary lens. Whether it’s a deep dive into Bennifer’s original love story from the 2000s or a meditation on the time princess Anne was almost kidnapped, we explain why each saga captured our imaginations back in the day. Sadaf and I also ask, would these stories be as scandalous if they happened in 2021? The answers to that question might surprise you!
Whenever we release a new episode, I share some of the juiciest tidbits right here, for Addicted Magazine’s lovely readers. Obviously, we hope these columns tantalize you enough to listen to our podcast. That’s where you’ll learn the fascinating details I don’t share here…
This week’s column is devoted to Eva Longoria and Tony Parker’s truly memorable 2010 divorce. When the pair wed in 2007, Tony was one of the NBA’s hottest basketball stars (physically and in terms of talent). For her part, Eva was one of Hollywood’s hottest TV stars (also physically and in terms of her talent).
As a couple, The San Antonia Spurs baller and the Desperate Housewives star were incandescent! Of course, much of what made them so beloved was their legendary PDA! Tony and Eva were renowned for the sort of sensual PDA that makes onlookers need a cold shower. In short, they were #RelationshipGoals before people used hashtags! So, obviously, the world was shocked when Ms. Longoria filed for divorce in November 2010! What could have come between one of pop culture’s most beloved couples? The answer was both heartbreaking and titillating…
The ensuing scandal was groundbreaking on multiple levels, and this week’s column explains exactly why!
New Of Tony Parker’s Affair Broke On Twitter!
In 2010, even Twitter obsessives like me didn’t have Twitter! It was still an emerging platform, the power of which few people understood. However, the Longoria-Parker divorce made people take notice! On November 18, 2010, Former Sports Illustrated reporter Bryan Armen Graham revealed via Twitter how the surprise divorce was precipitated by cheating! He even outed Erin Barry, the wife of Tony’s former teammate Brent Barry, as Tony’s affair partner. The scandal cemented Twitter as a place to learn celebrity gossip before it hit blogs of newsstands. Anyone who wanted scalding hot celebrity gossip procured a Twitter account post-haste.
Tony’s Affair Was Emotional
As we explain on the podcast, Eva discovered the affair when she found hundreds of text messages between her husband and Erin Barry. But while Erin and Tony talked, flirted, and exchanged sexts, it seems likely the affair never got physical. In 2010, Esther Perell had not yet educated the masses on emotional infidelity, and the idea that two attractive people might text each other but never make out was brand new! The Longoria-Parker divorce showed us normies how technology was expanding the frontiers of infidelity!
Eva Longoria Became a Feminist Icon
Today, Tony Parker is retired from the NBA and appears to be doing well. However, Eva Longoria is the true hero of this story! The Desperate Housewives alum didn’t let divorce beat her. Instead, she moved on like the feminist icon she was meant to be! Eva gave candid interviews to everyone from Amanda De Cadenet to Ellen about how she was rebuilding her life post-split, ridding herself of the patriarchal notion that women need men to be happy! Among other projects, Eva earned a master’s degree in Chicano Studies from California State University in 2013. She also volunteered for Barack Obama’s re-election campaign in 2012.
However, Eva didn’t give up on love! Today she’s happily remarried. Together, Eva and her husband José Bastón share a little boy named Santiago. In addition, she’s a proud advocate for the Latinx community and the rights of refugees. As if Ms. Longoria weren’t busy enough, she’s an emerging filmmaker, too. Talk about doing it all!
Sarah Sahagian
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