I’ll answer with how my in-laws viewed my husbands cheating on me. And I’ll include my family’s views, that is my mum and my adult children who are themselves parents.
So when I told my mum in-law that I threw her cheater son out of our home, she said that she will support her cheater son because he’s her son. She was devastated though at how her good son did this. Without words I got the distinct impression she thought it was much my fault. His sisters supported their brother, and the blame for his cheating was on me.
Today after two years of reconciliation, I think they all understand that his cheating choice was on him. But they still kinda blame me. But my mum in law is worried that now, I will leave her son should he cross critical boundaries. Which is true.
My mum placed the blame on his shoulders. Her view was, if he did not want to be in a marriage with me, all he had to do was tell me. I totally agree with her.
My adult children called him names, and tried to understand why he cheated instead of separating or divorcing. They placed the blame of our marriage breakdown equally on me and their father. And in our situation, they were correct.
So yes, the stigma is there and it seems that for my situation, the in-laws blamed me, my mum blamed him, and my children blamed both of us.