I’ve been sort of surprised by the week-long scandal involving Mary McCormack, her husband Michael Morris and Michael’s affair with (also married, but probably separated) Katharine McPhee. The photos of Katharine and Michael’s public makeout session were released several days ago, and according to yesterday’s Page Six, Michael got a heads up about TMZ’s purchase of the photos last weekend. Michael tried to buy the pics (so they would never be published), but TMZ went ahead and published them anyway. Michael apparently came clean (sort of) about his affair and Mary McCormack kicked him out of their LA home (which they share with their three young daughters). Meanwhile, Katharie has been telling every outlet that would listen that SHE and her husband had already separated months ago, as if that was the only part of the equation that was shady. So here’s what Us Weekly had in the way of new quotes:
If only Smash had been this consistently riveting onscreen. Katharine McPhee and her series director Michael Morris stole some of the spotlight away from Kim Kardashian’s engagement and Prince George’s christening this week when the pair were photographed making out in broad daylight in an L.A. parking lot — in spite of their marriages to other people.
And, while Morris’ actress wife of ten years Mary McCormack allegedly kicked him out of their home after finding out the news, McPhee’s situation is a little different. As rumored, the actress and American Idol runner-up, 29, has been separated from producer husband Nick Cokas for at least six months, multiple sources confirm to Us Weekly.
Indeed, since she and husband of five year Cokas, 47, parted ways, McPhee “has had friends living with her for months,” one insider says.
“She is SO embarrassed she was caught,” a second source says of the undeniable photos. “She should have known better!”
In Plain Sight star McCormack and Morris share three kids together and reportedly split their time between L.A. and New Mexico. The actress, 45, “is so cool and the nicest person,” the second insider adds. “It’s so sad that this happened to her. She’s truly great.”
I would hope that Katharine IS embarrassed but not because she was “caught”. She should be embarrassed for the sheer fact of making out/having an affair with a married man! Saying you’re embarrassed to be CAUGHT is like saying “I’m sorry you suck.” As for the future of Mary McCormack’s marriage, Life & Style has some dirt:
Katharine McPhee may have split from her husband before she started hooking up with director Michael Morris — but Michael certainly didn’t end things with his wife! Life & Style can reveal that his wife, actress Mary McCormack, 44, was shocked to find out he’s been carrying on a relationship with Katharine, whom he directed in the series Smash, and now she wants to end their relationship.
“They’ve been together for more than 10 years and always had such a solid marriage,” an insider tells Life & Style. “They have three daughters, so it’s incredibly sad. He wants to keep the family together, but as far as Mary is concerned, it’s over. There’s no going back.”
Michael, it seems, hadn’t split from Mary when he began his alleged fling with the American Idol alum.
“Mary only found out this week about the affair after he confessed everything to her,” the source explains. “She had no idea anything had been going on. The last thing she ever thought was that he was seeing another woman.”
The duo, who wed in July 2003, have three daughters: Margaret, 9, Rose, 6, and Lillian, 2.
“She is beyond furious and is absolutely devastated. So is Michael. He really wants to make it work between them and try and save the marriage,” adds the insider. “But at the moment, Mary wants to split up with him.”
As Life & Style reported yesterday, Katharine, 29, ended her relationship with Nick Cokas, her husband of five years, in March — months before she started seeing Michael. Katharine and Michael were recently photographed kissing in Hollywood.
“Only time will tell if Michael and Mary can make things work and get over this,” the source tells Life & Style. “He loves Mary and is so sorry about what he’s done.”
Michael sounds like a douche-canoe. Sure, he’s sorry now that he’s been caught. He’s sorry that he couldn’t buy up the paparazzi photos so he could hide them from his wife and mother of his three little girls. He’s sorry that he’s been banging Katharine McPhee for months (I’m assuming) and his wife is only realizing it now. I’m with Mary on this one –don’t try to work it out. Just dump the loser and move on.
Photos courtesy of WENN.
This has happened in my family. Yes, the guy is a selfish douche, but equal disgust goes to McPhee. She made herself available to a married man, truly despicable.
Yupp. She should be ashamed of herself for that, not gor getting caught. They’re both terrible, him just a teensy bit more than her. She can’t act like she’s better than him cause she was already separated. She knew he was married with kids.
He’s not sorry for what he’s done. He’s sorry he got caught. They’d have planned their next hump session by now if the photo hadn’t been taken. Ska*k McPhee isn’t overly bright carrying on with a married man who has three small children at home.
I’m sure now the publicist will say “we don’t discuss our clients personal life”
She’s separated but still legally married
I don’t think it’s wrong to date when separated
Just wrong to date/bang married people when separated. He was not separated and she knew that
Audrey, I agree. When I first heard this, I thought maybe that he could’ve been separated/in the process of a divorce, and we, the public, didn’t know about it, because he and his wife didn’t announce it.
I mainly thought that, because most people in the public eye, who are cheating on or with someone, don’t do it in PUBLIC. That’s not as bad as minicoopering–but still. I would rather walk in on my husband/boyfriend in my bed, in the throes, than to have pics forwarded to me from some open area.
I feel bad for his wife Mary. I hope she just dumps him–no marriage counseling, nothing. The fact that he even felt “safe” to make out with some other chick in broad daylight tells us how much he respects his wife (beyond the actual cheating).
I agree, EQUAL shame to both of them for doing this. In these cheating situations, even if the woman is single (see Kristen Stewart) she seems to get a lot of flak for it. Um, it takes two to tango, and BOTH parties should be equally to blame and should get the same amount of “So-and-So Cheating Scandal” headlines. Sure, Katharine is “separated” but she knew he was married, and vice versa.
Exactly. Both were in the wrong. I feel sorry for his wife and children, and I’m glad she booted him out.
Maybe he was telling Katharine. something different. If he lied to Mary he was likely lying to Katharine
I remember her on American Idol. Didn’t like her then – she looked like she would do anything for fame. Still does.
I love how, after the fact, the cheater “wants to keep the family together”. Tough shit, jerkoff.
I know, his timing is certainly auspicious, isn’t it? Maybe he should have thought about his dear children before he cheated on their mother.
I wish people with small children would think twice before doing stuff like this. I mean, a 2 year old child, for God’s sake. If he had been fulfilling his parental duties, he wouldn’t have had time for an affair.
Well said!
BOOM! Too right! Go home to your kids and be a fkn dad!
Exactly, he didn’t look too concerned while making out with his side piece.
Forgot to add, they’re both pieces of shit.
They were not one bit shy about making out in public. Its like they wanted to be “caught”.
I almost wonder if she didn’t set it up with paps to force his hand (if the rumor is true her marriage was fake this whole time). They’re both nasty pieces of work.
Ooo, I like this theory. If she separated from her husband in March, that’s right around when the final episodes of the show was filming. It’s more than likely they started the affair while working together, so maybe she ended her marriage and expected him to do the same, and when he didn’t…
I would be more likely to suspect that McPhee’s estranged husband, Cokas, set up the taking of the pics then McPhee having a hand in it. He’s been with her since her career got moving, that seems to be his his meal ticket, and her infidelity is probably “evidence” of a potential claim that she was already involved with Morris before she was separated. That may also be why Morris couldn’t buy off the pics — maybe they were going to come out through a divorce proceeding anyway, so ‘buying them off’ wasn’t really possible.
I must say I’m really surprised by all of this. I posted the other day here that Morris and McPhee looked so unconcerned in these photos of them kissing that I couldn’t imagine there was any real scandal. Guess I was wrong!
@Lucy That does line up quite nicely…
I wondered about this too.
wondering if she called them, a la LeAnn Rimes. like, she got tired of waiting and fixed it so McCormack would find out.
ETA: lol at tracking…posted my comment before I saw yours. great minds, and all that…
also, I’ve always thought that McPhee was more devious and fame-whorey than she lets on. she tries to put out this innocent, “sweetness and light” image, but she always gave me the impression that the image was very carefully crafted.
doofus: In the past I’ve read a lot of negative comments from people who know and who worked with Katharine — so I think your assessment of her personality has a lot of truth to it
This is the most attention she’s had since Idol. Very well could have been a setup.
Run, Mary. He’s not worth it.
Christ.
Another Falcor and Eddiot. This is beyond unacceptable. Sadly, more men out there (Hollyweird) than not think with their tools, and girls need to have a hands off policy where married men are concerned.
Sad, and sickening. Team McCormack.
Be careful what you wish for!
I cannot imagine Leann Rimes is truly happy. Looks like that is Katherine McPhee’s future.
TEAM MARY!!!
I am glad there is still someone in Hollywood who is not willing to participate in a scam-marriage where one or each part is cheating on the other and everbody just plays along and pretend nothing happened (side-eye to Bloom&Kerr). He is a douchebag, McPhee is pure trash. She’s trying to save her sorry ass by saying that she’d been separated for months, as if this was a reasonable excuse. She sure knew he was married with children while banging him, and was happy with the arrangement.
Is there any chance he told her they were split? I know zilch about any of the three of them, so this is an honest question.
There is a possibility, but in the age of internet and social media, how further can you really go with such a lie? Sure, he could have said they hadn’t filed for divorce yet and he was still living at home, but that should have made her at least a bit suspicious. I don’t buy it.
Duh? Who isn’t embarrassed when they are caught screwing a married man and it splashed all over the papers? Well, not LeAnn, who wanted it that way, but that’s a different story. LOL
Katherine’s album might as well be shelved. She doesn’t sell a whole lot anyway, but coming off of her TV show, Smash, which was almost a musical, it got her face back out there and voice, so it probably would have done okay. Not now, though.
There’s something strange here. I don’t think the paparazzi just happened upon this. I think Katherine set this up. I feel bad for Mary if she was truly in the dark about her husband’s cheating ways. I listened to her Howard Stern interview and she thought he was a good guy.
I agree. She looked very aware of the fact that they were photographed.
I don’t know if she set it up but there has been something unsettling about it all. Why make out in public in a parking lot? I know Kristen and that other guy did that too but their pictures were obviously taken from a far distance. Some of these pictures here of McPhee and douche holding hands seem close range.
Hmm.
If they were close range and she knew, that would mean he knew, and I highly doubt that. He is married with kids and his wife didn’t know. He even tried to buy the photos when he was informed they were coming out to keep it from his wife. So obviously he was never aware of the pap taking the photos, so not close enough to be visible to him.
Sometimes a pap will get a call of a sighting like from someone working at a restaurant or eating there (didn’t they have lunch first) or sometimes someone who knows of the affair will sell the info and the publication will tail one of them until caught together. Who knows on this one.
I was wondering about that too. It’s not like she’s a tabloid fixture. Or maybe she is but I never noticed.
Yeah, I commented on this above before I saw yours. I agree.
I remember Howard interviewing Mary when they were filming “Private Parts”. Howard was very sweet and referred to Mary as his “movie Wife”. It was cute. 🙂
This sitch is a classic case of a self-centered ass wanting a family, but still can’t keep his dick in his pants. Casting couch chicanery.
Yeah, she’s embarrassed she got caught. They’re both gross and should be embarrassed. I wished more women would take a hard stand and kick out their philandering husbands. It also shows their girls that they shouldn’t expect being treated like garbage by the one who’s supposed to love you the most.
She kicked him out initially, but they have three small girls so not as easy as that permanently. One day the kids are in a happy family and the next dad is gone suddenly. Poor Mary is having to deal with all of that, three little faces scared and not understanding what is going on. I wouldn’t be surprised if she agrees to marital counseling while he is out of the house. But knowing of an affair is one thing, thinking they screwed some chick but no feelings. How do you get out of your head the photos of him holding hands in public and staring adoringly at Katherine and brushing her hair off her face tenderly? It obviously looks like a love affair.
Oh cry me a river Kate. Boo effing hoo.
And a big “Bitch, please”.
Yessssss! Lol.
you both deserve 3 snaps in Z formation..
Let’s see how this plays out… We may have found LeAnn 2.0
Or maybe shades of the Great Twihard Meltdown Scandal? Or BOTH?!?! It’s like the perfect sh!tstorm of nasty, skanky behavior…
Or Angelina 3
A woman who kisses a MARRIED man with KIDS in broad daylight all over Hollywood is sorry?! Please, tell another story or don’t say anything at all…
Something tells me she wanted his wife to find out…
I’m surprised Katharine didn’t just announce the separation. But I guess she finally figured out that being married to a man twice her age won’t work for her new image as a pop star.
Douche-canoe. Amazing.
And I also agree that something is fishy about these photos…as if a random photog would just be wandering down the street, notice 2 people acting like a couple, and clue into who they are? Sorry, they’re what, like low d-list? Not highly recognizable.
SEVERE love for ‘douche canoe’. And I hate douche but that is beyond awesome!
It kind of seems like she called the paps to push things out in the open. He was probally happy with having a side piece and she wasn’t.
Just the mere fact that she used the word ’embarassed’ instead of ‘horrified’ ‘appalled at what she’s done’ or ‘filled with regret for the pain she’s caused’ leads me to think that:
a) Katherine McPhee is a first class narcissist, and
b) she is the one who called the paparazzi and tipped them off.
She didn’t use that word. A “source” did.
I seem to remember reading somewhere that this is not the first tine she’s gotten involved with a married man. If true, I’m not buying that she’s embarrassed, just upset she was busted.
Whatever happened to women looking out for one another? I hate women that knowingly sleep with married men & then act sad. Skanks.
My ex is now with a new girlfriend who I think is good for him (which works out well for me–I’m the one who ended it), but he tried to booty call me the other day. I didn’t go for it, because YUCK, even though the sex was what kept us together longer than we should have been. I told a friend of mine who knew the situation what happened and she thought I was stupid for turning him down! I told her I didn’t want the bad karma and she just shrugged and said “whatever.” I was appalled, and I have been re-thinking our friendship since then. I know for effing sure that she will have NO CONTACT WHATSOEVER with my new man when I get one! No respect for the girl code!
Your friend actually said that to you?
Wow.
If you were my friend, I’d be congratulating you for getting out of a relationship that you knew wasn’t good for you AND sticking to your morals.
(internet hug)
Aw thanks, Virgilia. Considering the fact that she’s been cheated on, I would have expected her to understand that I don’t want to court that drama in my life. But no. Apparently, my (maybe not for much longer) friend is kind of an insensitive ho.
Yeah, definitely end that friendship.
She deserves a better friend than one who calls her an “insensitive ho.”
Obviously Katharine set it up. She won’t get him in the end any way.
This!! douche-canoe it cracked me up. Why do men only realize what they lost when the woman ends the marriage? These two hurt innocent people.
“Douche-canoe” is now my word of the day!
Wow, both seem like really bad people. he only tells his wife because he couldnt buy the pics, dont tell me he wanted to buy them to keep it private and then tell her about it…
and she is so sad she got caught. that sucks so much about cheating, you can get caught and have to face consequences, damn.
on another note, i wonder how many pics get bought by more powerful and richer celebs.
This story isn’t salacious enough to grab my attention, but I find the narrative of most commenters odd. Why so much shade just because someone is caught making out with a married man? Like, aren’t there worse offenses in the celebrity world? I don’t think it makes them disgusting, horrible people. I think they’re humans who inhabit this bizarre ecosystem that we view mostly through publicists, stunts, and paparazzi lenses. And we’ve been fed this one so many times. These people were already meh and uninspiring, so what difference does their personal “tragedy” make? Again–I’m writing this comment because I’m interested in the reactions to this story, and expressly *not* because I care about these particular people.
I don’t know. I’d say this is on the worse end of the behavior spectrum as far as celebrity behavior goes. Sure, you have your Charlie Sheens and your Mel Gibsons who are actually dangerous to those around them, and I think everyone would agree that’s far worse. You also have your addicted messes, which usually results in disapproval combined with pity. After that, I’d say adultery is the worst offense that comes to mind.
Being embarrassed you got “caught” is not the same as being embarrassed you cheated with a married man. She’s probably one of those people who thinks bad publicity is better than no publicity.
Ask Kristen Stewart how that worked out for her.
I’d put CS in the latter. If women still get with him I don’t feel much sympathy especially for their self interests. Happy he is drug free. Almost seems normal when not using.
Oh please. Katharine McPhee has never had this much attention in her life. She’s loving it.
Does anyone else see that the pictures looked like a total set up, a photo op whenever a celebrity wants to “debut a relationship”. My guess Katherine set this up bc she doesn’t want to just be a side dish anyone and her relationship was done. My guess the man just wanted a side piece AND the wife and kids and marriage…typical. She should be embarrassed , her husband is done with her and the guy wants his wife in the end. The poor kids though….
Wonder how long it will take bef someone posts on here to quit “slut shaming” her? The thought process behind not calling such behavoir shameful- which it is-continues to elude me!!
“Douche-canoe”. Glorious insult.
Now, how to work that into polite conversation? Hmmm….
I think this is a regular occurence in Hollywood. These two are nothing special. Just another couple of fuckarounds.
Could someone tell me why it seems these married people have to have their affairs in parking lots in broad daylight??? Not that I condone any of this but whatever happened to renting a hotel room??? If you’re embarrassed, then act embarrassed and take you ass to a hotel and keep this sh- behind closed doors where the paps can’t see it.
Because they are classless, thoughtless, heartless pigs, and they don’t care who they hurt, so why should they care if they do something like that in public?
Probably because the douche canoe isn’t famous enough for the paps to be tailing him all the time–I had never heard of him before this. But “someone”, coughkatherinecough, called the paps this time–straight from the Leann Rimes book of “How to get your douche married boyfriend to make you his main piece, instead of one of the sides”.
I can guarantee you that the only thing this guy is sorry for is that he picked a fameho, and that he probably fed her a bunch of bs when they began their affair , talking about how he wants to marry her, take care of her, make a family with her, and so on (which is the exact same bs that my older sister’s baby daddy told her).
He looks like Brian Austin Green and the wife looks like Abbie Cornish.
Is it so hard to find a hotel room?
Mary was so gorgeous without the plastic surgery. I always liked her though her stories about her kids were trying too hard tho ChelseaHandler influenced. I dk why just saying you want a divorce before cheating is hard. In Hollywood and in real world.
Because many men don’t want divorces, at least right then. They have their children they love, wife they still care about, and financially secure. Breaking up would cause financial hardship, emotional pain for the children, and they are comfortable in their life and home. But every now and then, or maybe only once, they enjoy an affair and the new sex and newness of it and even the thrill of seduction. Most of these men divorce eventually, I think, just much futher along when the children are graduating from high school and when they’ve met someone new at that time that they fall in love with and decide to leave. Some actually never divorce and stay married.
I don’t think Mary’s husband ever seriously planned to leave Mary, probably just fantasized about it during the affair. They have three small children and also Mary has made a lot of money for the family. It would be too complicated and the wrong timing in his life to divorce. Who knows down the road.
It’s like they wanted to be caught. Especially like another poster said, with everyone having camera phones and social media
It’s like the twighlit chick and the movie director situation. I don’t remember his name
What a b*tch she looks for not even being sorry about it, just the aspect of being “caught”. Talk about a moral vacuum of a woman.
What a mess of a week for that family. Mary McCormack just learned her new series was cancelled after only three weeks on the air. Then she learns her husband is cheating on her. Then because of that bad publicity he loses his new directing job for the one-hour series Songbyrd set to start filming for E Network very soon. The producers of Smash are producing this show also. Although, I don’t understand what his affair would have to do with him directing, except I guess they don’t want any drama attached to it since it’s new. So now both parents are unemployed. So not just emotional stress, also financial stress. Plus working is helpful at a time where you’re devastated, something else to focus on instead of thinking of your cheating, loser husband.
And to boot, Thanksgiving is around the corner, family holiday get-together time, and Mary has a big Irish Catholic family. That’s usually a happy time for families, Not so this time.
I really feel for Mary McCormack. How devastating. I’ve always loved her on TV shows and her self-deprecating humor and personality.
Hopefully Mary’s family will provide some stability and other jobs will become available for her. As for her husband and his Kat, let the chips fall where they may.
She is sorry she got caught.
Am I the only one who is upset about this simply because Katherine had SUCH a beautiful wedding? Haha!
I agree that Mary should dump him now…..after cheating, why do the cheaters come back and say they “really want the marriage to work?” This is ridiculous. It’s only because they were caught that they suddenly want to ensure their place with the family. But had he not been caught, he would have carried on behind his wife’s back, no problem! Not good……get rid of him, Mary…..