In today’s digital age, relationships are being tested in ways that previous generations never imagined. The line between loyalty and betrayal has blurred, and couples are struggling to agree on what truly counts as cheating.
The latest debate centers around a story from Perth, Australia, where a young woman ended her relationship after making a discovery that shocked her. What seemed at first like harmless online activity quickly became the center of a heated national conversation.
This personal story struck a chord because it echoed a larger survey of more than 54,000 Australians. The results showed that half of the respondents believe subscribing to adult content is definitely cheating, while 42% said it depends on the type of interaction involved. Only a small minority saw it as harmless.
The gender divide was also clear. Over 61% of women said such subscriptions are cheating, compared to just 35% of men who felt the same way. This gap reveals why many couples clash on the subject even when looking at the same behavior.
Maddi Miller, a 20-year-old, an OFs creator herself who earns around $30,000 a month from her work, revealed she broke up with her partner after finding out he had secretly subscribed to explicit online account (another OFs creator).
She explained, “Trust is so important, which is why I had to end it with an ex after I caught him looking at naked photos of other women while in bed with me.”
She explained, “Trust is so important, which is why I had to end it with an ex after I caught him looking at naked photos of other women while in bed with me.”
Her stance highlights the issue at the heart of the debate: is it the content itself that matters, or the secrecy behind it. Miller admitted that if her ex had been honest, the outcome could have been different.
“If my ex had maybe asked to watch some content together, or he had expressed that he was curious, then we could have had a conversation about it… But the fact that he was deliberately looking at content created by people I knew was not okay.”“It was a huge breach of my trust… It’s the same thing. It’s betrayal,” she said.
For Miller, the betrayal came from the secrecy, not the act itself.
Industry voices like Lucy Banks, founder of Million Billion Media, argue the answer is not so black and white. She said, “Society and relationships have evolved… the level of transparency, emotional intelligence, and communication required to maintain a healthy relationship is now much higher. Is it cheating if your partner subscribes to someone? It really depends on the relationship.”
As the debate continues, one thing is clear: there is no universal rule. For some, it is an unforgivable breach. For others, it depends on honesty and boundaries. What began with one young woman’s breakup has now become part of a much bigger conversation about trust in modern relationships.
Featured image Credit: (Alibi/Medium)
