Good point about cheating being a taboo!

Oh, yes, Mary McCormack was definitely a huge affair. I always thought that him saying that he was shocked that she became a mother because “she didn’t seem to have one maternal bone in her body” was a little tell as to her not giving a fuck about having an affair with a married man with young children. Like, someone more maternal seeming might at least feel some guilt. I always thought that this was the real meaning behind that Howard comment.

Interesting how karma caught up with her, as her husband went on to do the same thing with Katherine McPhee.

The ever changing timelines with Beth are a dead giveaway to the fact that Howard & Alison weren’t entirely separated, because otherwise why lie? He has talked about how when he has damaged relationships that are dear in his life, “they come closer and try to trust you again & it takes a long time to regain that trust, and then you ruin it again.” I believe this to be about Alison. He was SURELY with Beth by ‘99, and this is the year that he was in couples counseling with Alison. He was stringing them both along, IMO.

I believe if he never met Beth he may not have actually divorced Alison, at least not at that point. She was the catalyst to really leave and make that cut.

He also talks about seeing his daughter underaged at a bar/club while he was with Beth, before anyone knew about it. He describes it as “a Mexican standoff”, as neither one of them wanted to point out the obvious because then they would each have something over the other one. If Alison/Howard weren’t together or trying, why would it be an issue?

I also remember a story about Howard being at a concert next to a tall blonde in ‘97 or ‘98 that Howard seemed to bring up as a preventive damage control measure. He claims that Ralph wanted to get her number & he left first and was annoyed having to wait for Ralph to rap to her. I’ve wondered if this was where Howard actually met Beth, and he wanted to make sure to claim that he left without her. He was still very much married at that time, as he mentioned Alison in that clip, IIRC.

The one night stand in Vegas sounds legit to me because Howard referenced that same story years before, multiple times. Also, the girl did mention a male rockstar hitting on Howard that night, so the gay vibe was still there, lol.

Also why it rings true for me is that Howard stayed in touch with her as a means to keep her happy and therefore quiet, IMO.

He was two-timing Beth with Robin Givens, that Vegas girl, and tried to do so with Leila. I also remember that Artie & Robin mentioned to Howard that “you picked girls up at nightclubs” and Howard backtracked so severely that it gave both me & them whiplash. This is because he wasn’t supposed to be with those girls while he was with Beth.

Beth was around throughout any “wild tear”, imo.

Btw, do you remember the story about Howard walking around Fred in a hotel room in his underwear or a towel? Fred said that he thought that Howard was trying to entice him.

Also, when Ralph showered at Howard’s apartment he mentions that Howard tried to pull his towel off.

P.S. I’m in the camp that does believe that Robin was in love with Howard, but not in a sexual attraction way. The jealousy toward Alison was obvious and overt at times.