If you were anywhere near a grocery store checkout line in 2009, you know the faces. Brandi Glanville, the tall, blonde model who looked like she stepped off a runway, and LeAnn Rimes, the country star with the powerhouse voice. Between them stood Eddie Cibrian.
It was the affair that basically broke the internet before we even used that phrase for everything.
Honestly, looking back at the Brandi Glanville and LeAnn Rimes timeline is like watching a slow-motion car crash that eventually turned into a weirdly functional minivan. People still search for this because it’s the ultimate "scorned wife vs. new wife" trope. But what most people get wrong is thinking they still hate each other’s guts.
They don't. Or at least, they’ve reached a level of "modern family" zen that would make most of us look like amateurs.
The Northern Lights Affair That Changed Everything
It all started on the set of a Lifetime movie called Northern Lights. Very ironic name, considering it blew up two marriages in the most public way possible. At the time, Eddie was married to Brandi. They had two young sons. LeAnn was married to dancer Dean Sheremet.
When those photos of Eddie and LeAnn getting cozy at a restaurant hit the tabloids, it wasn't just a "celebrity scoop." It was a tactical strike. Brandi has been open about how she felt blindsided. She went from a stay-at-home mom in a "perfect" marriage to a woman whose heartbreak was being sold for $4.99 at CVS.
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LeAnn, on her end, has spent years explaining her side. She recently told Flow Space in 2025 that she felt like a "target that was easily projected upon." She took responsibility but also noted that the world’s pain isn’t hers to carry. It's a complicated stance. You've got to admire the honesty, even if it's uncomfortable.
The Twitter Wars of the 2010s
For a solid decade, these two were the queens of the "sub-tweet."
- LeAnn would post photos of Brandi’s kids calling them "her boys."
- Brandi would fire back, calling LeAnn a "stalker" or worse.
- There were accusations of eating disorders, laxatives, and parenting negligence.
It was messy. It was mean. It was incredibly human. Brandi even admitted on a podcast that she once threatened to kill LeAnn. Just once! But that’s the kind of raw, unfiltered emotion that kept people glued to their screens during the peak of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.
Why Brandi Glanville and LeAnn Rimes Finally Called a Truce
So, how do you go from death threats to sharing Christmas dinner? It wasn't some magical epiphany. It was the kids.
Around 2018, something shifted. Brandi tweeted that the feud was officially over after the three of them—Brandi, Eddie, and LeAnn—sat down and "hashed everything out."
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The catalyst? Apparently, something happened with one of the boys. Nothing scary, but enough to make the adults realize they were being, well, children. Brandi famously said, "I think I've acted like a child enough." That’s a massive admission for someone who made a career out of being the "wine-tosser" on Bravo.
By Christmas 2024, Brandi was literally at Eddie and LeAnn’s house. She told her Unfiltered podcast listeners that she went there for her kids. She’d take a bullet for Mason and Jake. If that means eating turkey with the woman who "stole" her husband, then she’s passing the gravy.
The Reality of a "Modern Family" in 2026
The current state of the Brandi Glanville and LeAnn Rimes relationship is less about friendship and more about a peace treaty.
They aren't necessarily "besties" who go shopping together, but they are a unit. Brandi has referred to them as "sister wives" in a joking way. It’s a survival mechanism. When you have kids with someone, you’re tethered to them for life. You can either spend that life in a state of acid reflux, or you can find a way to coexist.
The Career Fallout
It's worth noting how this drama fueled their careers while also casting a long shadow.
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- Brandi used the heartbreak to fuel her best-selling books and her reality TV persona.
- LeAnn released Ladies & Gentlemen, an album that felt like a direct response to the public's judgment.
- Eddie... well, Eddie stayed mostly quiet, which is probably why he’s still working.
But there's a price. Brandi has talked about how the stress and the public "shame" led her to make choices—both in her personal life and with her appearance—that she sometimes regrets. The internet is forever. Every time one of their sons reaches a milestone, someone on Reddit is digging up a tweet from 2012.
Lessons from the Longest Feud in Hollywood
What can we actually learn from this? It’s not just gossip.
First, forgiveness isn't for the other person; it's for you. Brandi mentioned that seeking revenge was "eating away" at her. Once she stopped, she could actually start dating again. She even had a brief thing with Gerard Butler (who apparently was very paranoid about paparazzi, which, fair).
Second, the "villain" narrative is usually too simple. LeAnn was the "other woman," but she's also been a consistent stepmother for over 15 years. That’s not a fling; that’s a life.
If you're dealing with a messy breakup or a blended family situation, here is the Brandi and LeAnn blueprint for survival:
- Prioritize the "Common Goal": For them, it was the kids. Find the one thing you both care about and make that the "demilitarized zone."
- Stop the Public Play-by-Play: Most of their healing happened when they stopped tweeting and started talking in private.
- Accept the New Normal: You don't have to like what happened to move past it.
The story of Brandi Glanville and LeAnn Rimes isn't over, but the war is. They’ve proven that even the most toxic Hollywood scandals can eventually settle into something that looks a lot like peace.
If you want to understand the full scope of how they manage their holidays now, check out Brandi's recent podcast episodes where she breaks down the logistics of "blended" gifting. It’s surprisingly relatable.