Tommy Habeeb Recalls Dangerous Encounters While Hosting Cheaters

Former Cheaters host Tommy Habeeb has spoken about the dangerous situations he faced while filming the long-running reality television series.

Habeeb, now 67, hosted Cheaters from 1999 to 2002. In a recent interview with PEOPLE, he said some confrontations became threatening because participants believed he was responsible for exposing infidelity.

According to Habeeb, he encountered individuals who attempted to pull knives or guns, throw bottles, or physically attack him during filming. To prepare for such situations, he said he trained with members of the Navy SEALs, learning how to recognize threats and disarm people if necessary.

Habeeb explained that he closely reviewed surveillance footage before confrontations, looking for signs that someone might be carrying a weapon. He said those precautions were essential, noting that he had to disarm several people over the course of the show.

“You can’t think about it in the moment,” he said. “You just have to act and protect yourself.”

Not all encounters were dangerous, however. Habeeb also recalled unexpected and chaotic moments away from filming. In one incident at a crowded pub, a woman began throwing glasses at him after recognizing him from the show. He later learned she became angry because she was cheating on her husband and associated Habeeb with being exposed.

Cheaters followed people who asked the show to investigate suspicions that their partners were being unfaithful. The series ran for 21 seasons before ending in 2024.

Habeeb rejected criticism that the show harmed families, saying many participants were already in serious emotional distress. He said some were struggling with depression, substance abuse, or suicidal thoughts as a result of infidelity and were seeking answers.

“People came to me in trouble,” he said. “They weren’t getting answers, and they needed the truth to move forward.”