Fact check: Husband who pulled away into an emotional affair with a colleague, becoming cold, distant, short tempered and sometimes downright mean to his wife, who continued a pattern of denial, emotional manipulation and Darvo when his emotional affair came to light, is an adult who should be able to continue contact with his affair partner because she didn't do anything wrong and his wife is just jealous.

1. Summary of the results

1. Summary of the results:

The analyses show that emotional affairs are considered as serious as physical infidelity by relationship experts, causing significant psychological trauma including depression, anxiety, and lowered self-esteem in betrayed partners. Research indicates that maintaining contact with affair partners actively impedes relationship healing and demonstrates lower commitment to repairing the primary relationship.

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints:

• The original statement omits the documented psychological impact of emotional affairs on betrayed spouses, which research shows can be as severe as physical infidelity
• The statement fails to acknowledge that workplace relationships often violate professional boundaries and company policies, potentially affecting both parties' careers
• Research indicates that successful relationship recovery after infidelity typically requires complete cessation of contact with the affair partner
• The statement overlooks that both the unfaithful spouse and affair partner knowingly participated in damaging the primary relationship, contradicting the claim that the affair partner "didn't do anything wrong"

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement:

• The statement dismisses legitimate emotional trauma as "just jealousy," when research shows these reactions are normal responses to relationship betrayal
• It employs DARVO (Deny, Attack, Reverse Victim and Offender) terminology while simultaneously demonstrating those very behaviors by minimizing the spouse's feelings and shifting blame
• The statement presents a false dichotomy between being an "adult" and maintaining boundaries, when professional research shows that mature relationship recovery actually requires establishing and maintaining clear boundaries
• It attempts to normalize workplace emotional affairs by framing them as innocent relationships, contradicting professional perspectives on workplace ethics and relationship boundaries