Ashley Madison Turning The Page & Ditching 'Affair' Label After Two Decades Of Being Known For Married Dating

The Ashley Madison you've grown up with over the last two decades is no more. They're not the destination for married folks seeking an affair any longer. They've moved past that.

Pour one out as yet another brand reinvents itself. On Tuesday, the Toronto-based online dating and social networking service announced in a press release that they were shedding the "affair" label.

Ashley Madison is shedding their affair label. A label that they built their brand on. (Photo by Manuel Romano/NurPhoto) (Photo by NurPhoto/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

The reason for this change? They're preparing to "Lead New Era of Ethical Discretion™." With that comes a new tagline.

"Today, the company announces a fundamental shift in its business model and brand identity, moving the platform away from married dating to embrace its new position as the premier destination for discreet dating," the release states.

"To mark this evolution, Ashley Madison also has revealed its new tagline – Where Desire Meets Discretion™."

They're simply following the lead of those signing up for their services. The membership has shifted from married people to single people.

Ashley Madison says their internal data reveals that more than half, 57%, of new members in 2025 identified as single. You can't be the married looking for affairs site with those kinds of numbers.

From ‘Affair Site’ To ‘Discreet Dating Destination’

"In an age where our lives have been constantly put on public display, privacy has become the new luxury," says Paul Keable, chief strategy officer, Ashley Madison.

"We are offering ethical discretion to our millions of members. Whether they are single, separated, divorced or non-monogamous, our community is united by a desire to keep their private lives exactly that - private."

The company cites data from a YouGov study they commissioned that showed dating app fatigue among North American users. Many are making a significant move away from public-first behavior, according to their findings.

People don’t want to sign up for traditional dating apps, create a profile with pictures of themselves, and have others see that. They want a sense of privacy.

To help with this shift, Ashley Madison is launching a new campaign they're calling "Blessed are the Discreet"™. They say they've positioned themselves "as a judgment-free community - where discretion is a choice."

Is this move going to pay off for Ashley Madison? Or will they eventually get back to what they built their brand on?

Are they going to be able to put their adulteress past behind them? What about those who stuck with them as their destination for affairs after the well publicized data breach?

A lot of questions that only time will be able to answer. I think for many, myself included, they'll always hold a special place as the website for those looking for an affair.