Rick Springfield Cheated On His Wife Barbara, She Was 'Uncomfortable' With His Public Admission

Despite Rick Springfield's infidelities, he and his wife, Barbara Porter successfully repaired their relationship.

Actor and singer Rick Springfield is currently facing immense online scrutiny for admitting to committing manslaughter during his youth. During a September 2026 appearance on The Joe Rogan Experience, the 77-year-old revealed that he accidentally killed an enemy combatant while touring Vietnam as a teenager in 1968. Rick finally felt light after opening up about the details of the long-held, traumatic memory.

Rick had a reckless, Casanova-like image back in the 90s. He admitted to making several mistakes back then, blaming it on growing up in a band. Besides being a murderer, he was also a bad partner. Rick himself admitted to using women to feed his addiction to intimacy and thought it was not a big deal to cheat on his partners multiple times.

Rick Springfield admitted to infidelity; his wife, Barbara Porter was 'uncomfortable' when he publicly admitted to it

Rick Springfield might have been a heartthrob and a highly successful artist on stage; however, the Grammy winner had a different persona beyond the glitz and glam of the entertainment industry. His personal life was marked by several low points and controversies, including depression in his teens, addiction to intimacy, and a tendency to cheat on his partners.

Years later, when guilt over his unfaithfulness caught up with Rick, he publicly admitted his actions in his 2010 autobiography titled Late, Late at Night: A Memoir. He revealed that he was too immersed in the band culture and thought being involved with multiple women would boost his sex appeal. He also admitted that he cheated on his partners to assert his masculinity and prove that he wasn't gay.

Rick Springfield, however, wanted to change himself after tying the knot with Barbara Porter in October 1984. Regardless, he couldn't control his addiction to intimacy and ended up cheating on her as well. After carrying the guilt for years, the Jessie's Girl singer publicly admitted to his infidelity in his tell-all memoir and mentioned regretting it a lot. He stated that he had no excuse for his actions and was simply apologetic to his better half.

Rick's wife, Barbara Porter was hurt by his unfaithfulness, but she didn't leave him. He was grateful that she chose to stay by his side despite his numerous mistakes throughout their relationship. According to him, even after all the mess that he created, Barbara still wanted to make their marriage work. In his words:

"It doesn't excuse me from having done it, and I wear that guilt. But I am human, and we want to be together, and we want it to work."

Although Barbara did not give up on Rick or their marriage, initially she was hurt enough to make her contemplate leaving him. During an interview with TODAY, the rocker revealed that he was very close to losing her a couple of times. The couple, however, mended things after intense fights. Revealing Barbara's reaction to him publicly admitting to his infidelity, Rick Springfield stated that she was "really uncomfortable." Talking about their almost split, Rick said:

"Very close. I've come very close to losing her a couple times and the truth is, we both know that we're better together than we are apart. So, we have fought the times that I have fallen off the wagon- nuked the wagon."

More about Rick Springfield and Barbara Porter

Rick Springfield and Barbara Porter first met around 1976-77 at Sound City Studios in Los Angeles. At that time, he was recording an album, and she was working as a studio receptionist. When they were initially introduced, Barbara was only 15 years old. He found her cute but did not pursue her, thinking she was "too young." After a few years, they reunited at the same studio, and since Barbara was 18 by then, he finally asked her out.

In the early 1980s, when Rick shot to mainstream fame with Jessie's Girl, the success got to him. Rick told the Arizona Daily Sun that the pressures of his stardom caused him and Barbara to break up several times during their early courtship. However, they eventually set aside their differences, married, and became parents to two sons, Liam and Joshua. Despite having a lovely family, he indulged in infidelity, yet the couple didn't part ways.

What are your thoughts on Rick Springfield's unfaithfulness towards his wife, Barbara Porter? Let us know.

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