Introduction
Shania Twain: Betrayal, Heartbreak, and Finding Her Voice Again
Shania Twain opens up about one of the darkest chapters of her life — discovering that her husband of 14 years, music producer Mutt Lange, had an affair with her best friend, Marie-Anne. Twain was blindsided and devastated by the betrayal, especially since Marie-Anne was a close confidante who had previously comforted her during marital doubts.
After the affair was revealed, Twain fell into emotional collapse. She described herself as “ready to die,” overwhelmed with pain and betrayal. She compared herself to a child whose beloved dog had been run over and no one wanted to tell her. Her grief was compounded by her history of childhood trauma.
Raised in poverty and domestic violence, Twain had learned to suppress her emotions from a young age. She once witnessed her stepfather nearly drown her mother during a violent attack — a moment that caused her to bottle up all emotions going forward in order to protect her family.
Music was her only outlet, initially pursued as a way to support her mother’s passion. Twain’s voice eventually caught the attention of Mutt Lange, whom she married quickly. Their creative partnership led to her rise as a country-pop icon.
However, the pain of betrayal took a physical toll: Twain developed voice issues, later linked to the emotional trauma she had suppressed. Her vocal condition worsened until she met Frédéric Thiébaud — Marie-Anne’s ex-husband, who was also blindsided by the affair. Through shared pain, Twain and Frédéric bonded deeply and eventually fell in love.
With his support, Twain gradually healed, learned to forgive, and rediscovered her voice — both emotionally and musically. After 11 years away from original work, she returned to the studio with a new outlook, embracing grace, acceptance, and resilience.