20 Years Married to a Narcissist: Serial Cheating, Coercive Control & Getting Out

The Scarlet Edit: Infidelity, Divorce, Starting Over. · Oct 23, 2025 · 57m

I sit down with Lisa Johnson, co-founder of Been There Got Out, a domestic violence advocate and high-conflict divorce strategist who spent 20 years married to a narcissistic serial cheater and sex addict.

Lisa's story starts the way so many do — he was older, seemed stable, made her feel chosen. Within months there were phone numbers in his wallet. He confessed to an affair right after the wedding. He went to therapy and convinced her the therapist said the problem was that she needed to learn how to meet his needs. For 20 years, the cheating never stopped. He was soliciting women from the…