Gleeden says happy couples can still have affairs

Gleeden is challenging the idea that infidelity always signals a broken relationship, citing user data and Spanish survey results that suggest some people in stable, happy partnerships still pursue extramarital sex. The company says the behavior often reflects personal needs for novelty, recognition or identity rather than a simple relationship failure.

Why it matters: - The claim challenges a common assumption that infidelity is proof a relationship is failing. - The argument reframes some affairs as a personal issue, not only a couple's problem. - The debate matters in Spain, where social attitudes toward nonexclusive sex have shifted in recent survey data.

What happened: - Gleeden, a platform for extramarital encounters focused on women, published data and commentary arguing that not all infidelity comes from a relationship crisis. - The company says 55% of its users are in stable relationships and consider themselves happy, while also saying parallel relationships help them preserve their primary partnership. - In Spain, the CIS found in 2008 that 21% of people believed a couple can work well and be happy even if one partner has an extramarital affair. - The CIS returned to the topic in 2023 and found that 41.4% of Spaniards agree or strongly agree that partners can agree to have sex with other people without creating a romantic bond.

The details: - Sílvia Rúbies, Gleeden's communications lead in Spain, said dissatisfaction, loneliness inside the relationship or a sex life that has lost intensity can encourage an affair, but those factors do not explain every case. - Rúbies said many cases stem more from a personal crisis in the unfaithful partner. - Eva Moreno, Gleeden's sexologist, said people sometimes look for a simple explanation for a complex behavior. - Moreno said infidelity can reflect a search for novelty, recognition, excitement or a lost part of one's identity. - Moreno said a person can love a partner deeply and still feel attraction to someone else. - Moreno said love tends to seek security in stability, while desire is fed more by novelty and surprise.

Between the lines: - The messaging positions infidelity as a symptom that can exist alongside satisfaction in a long-term relationship. - That framing aligns with Gleeden's business model, which is built around extramarital encounters and female users. - The emphasis on identity, freedom and desire suggests the company is trying to normalize a more nuanced view of nonexclusive behavior.

What's next: - Gleeden is likely to keep using survey data and sexual wellness language to push back on stigmas around affairs. - The broader public debate in Spain may continue to shift as more people accept the idea of consensual nonmonogamy or sex outside a committed relationship without romance. - The company's stated goal is to keep promoting female sexual empowerment and breaking taboos around extramarital encounters.

The bottom line: - Gleeden's core message is simple: a happy relationship and an affair are not always mutually exclusive, and the reasons behind infidelity can be more personal than relational.