cheated but is she taking more of the heat? tonight, who really pays the price when younger, beautiful women tangle with powerful men. and, alicia on top. as she sings herself -- ♪ this girl is on fire >> this girl is on fire. with a new family and a new album, alicia keys talks love, music and the power of motherhood. plus, heartbreak and fear in the middle east. families praying for a cease-fire as missiles fly in both directions. we're on the ground as israeli troops gear up for what could be an all-out war. good evening, i'm cynthia mcfadden. tonight, sex, power and who

ultimately takes the blame when it comes to extramarital affairs, no doubt it takes two to tango but in the aftermath of the sex scandal that brought down david petraeus, the head of the cia, many claim his mist rest, paula broadwell is taking the brunt of the ridicule. to women pay the price when it comes to high-profile affairs? david wright takes a look. >> reporter: the general and biography, juicy enough to take down america's spy master, obvious fodder for "saturday night live." >> next, author paula broadwell -- >> reporter: opening this weekend with a parody of a paula broadwell book reading. >> lock the door, said the general, with my skirt hiked up above my waist -- >> reporter: her david petraeus biography as "50 shades of grey." >> pull my hard and spank me.

>> reporter: the humor and criticism came mainly at the woman's expense. >> i think it's very clear from the media treatment of the personalities involved that this is a form of theater and that it is a sexist form of theater. in which whoever the woman is, she's always mocked, derided, and you know, that kind of mo mockery is not really aimed at the man. >> reporter: powerful men do pay a price for their sex scandals n petraeus' case it cost his job and quite possibly a bright political future, though it's not entirely clear. powerful men can hope for redemption. >> i did not have sexual relations with that woman. >> reporter: bill clinton's scandal may have wrecked his presidency but eventually he got to become the elder statesman, whe whe wheremonica lewinsky will always be "that woman."

>> i understand she has a $12 million book deal to write about that, but nonetheless that's the brand she now has, she's been branded. >> reporter: the attorney gloria allred, specializes on helping women cash in on rich and powerful cheaters, tiger woods and herman cain, saying the men can restore their good names by, in part, accepting financial responsibility. >> the american people are sx treatmently forgiving as long as high level person steps up and takes responsibility. ask for forgiveness. >> reporter: except for john edwards. >> john edwards is always the glaring exception because that was so egregious. >> reporter: john edwards not only cheated on his wife, he fared a baby and a time when his beloved wife was dying of cancer, so for him redemption may be tricker. as society do we reserve special

contempt for a woman perceived as a homewrecker, especially when a powerful man is involved? >> the very question has some sexist language in it. to suggest that a woman who is having an affair with a powerful man is a homewrecker is to lay blame 100% at the foot of the woman who is involved in the affair. >> reporter: sarah stars in a new canadian reality show called the mistress. >> used to be a mistress -- >> reporter: which does interventions for women involved in married men. >> the man always fares better and eludes me to be honest, he chose to step out on his way, betray her, break his vows. >> reporter: broadwell is married with children, feminist naomi wolf who published a new wolf on women and sexuality says she doesn't condone adultery.

>> it's not up to me to give anybody a scarlet letter but if we sit around shaming people for going outside their marriages, let it at least be a single standard for god's sake. i would rather we didn't shame anybody. >> reporter: interestingly, allred suggesting paula broadwell may not have taken enough heat for this scandal which recently expanded to include jill kelley and her twin sister. >> paula broadwell was doing with jill kelley, was it warranted, not warranted, did she go about it in the right way, did she not? there are many questions. >> reporter: sounds like would you rather have the kelleys as your clients than paula bro broadwell. >> i don't have any comment about that. >> reporter: just today, one day after our intereview, allred, announced that natalie, jill kelley's sister is her newest client. i'm david wright. >> thank you, david. tonight a family friend of

broadwell tells abc news that she quote, deeply regrets the damage that's been done to her family. up next, she's come a long way from "fallen." she talks about her 2-year-old son and brand-new album. okay, now here's our holiday gift list. aww, not the mall. well, i'll do the shopping... if you do the shipping. shipping's a hassle. i'll go to the mall. hey. hi. you know, holiday shipping's easy with priority mail flat rate boxes from the postal service. if it fits, it ships anywhere in the country for a low flat rate. yea, i know. oh, you're good. good luck! priority mail flat rate boxes. online pricing starts at $5.15. only from the postal service.

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"nightline" continues from new york city with cynthia mcfadden. >> alicia keys was younger than your average college grad when she skyrocketed to fame on the sheer force of her talent. a classically trained pianist with a soulful voice, keys is r & b royalty and with a new album "girl on fire" hitting stores next week we sat down to talk about love, passion and the

little guy who has changed her world. it's a "nightline" interview. ♪ in girl is on fire >> reporter: alicia keys seems to be living her new hit. ♪ this girl is on fire ♪ she's walking on fire >> reporter: this girl is on fire, i'm embarrassed to say is my new hairbrush song. you make us think we can sing even when we can't. >> i love it. >> reporter: you can really sing it. ♪ this girl is on fire >> the song came from a feeling and this feeling of my kind of finding my own space and to be my own self, my own full self, love it or hate it, whatever the case, here i am and here's me. >> reporter: at 31, she says she's come into her own. >> i'm more excited about this album than i've been for any record, ever. ♪ i keep falling in and out

>> reporter: that is saying something. her first single "fallen" debuted at number one. she recorded it here in her tiny walk-up apartment in harlem. >> we lived on the sixth floor. >> reporter: she was only 17. like a real seamy hallway and then a really skinny kitchen. >> you remember exactly. >> like the living room right here. >> reporter: i first met her about that time and even then, with songs like "a woman's worth" her talent and her drive were already clear. ♪ a real man knows a real woman when he sees her ♪ >> reporter: i asked her back then -- what's the perfect day for you? wow, the perfect day for me? this is my perfect day. >> reporter: you remember what it was? you said, waking up at 3:00 in the afternoon and reading a book. >> still sounds perfect. >> reporter: back then, you tell

me if i'm right, it did seem to be all about the work. >> oh, my gosh, you kidding me. >> totally all about the work. first of all, i grew up with my mother, who was my everything and a single parent. and she had to work her behind off so she also instilled that in me, being a young girl, growing up in the city, you had to be busy or you'll get lost. >> reporter: at 16 she graduated top of her class and was admitted to columbia university. but then, columbia records called, a month into college, she quit. >> i had to focus on the music if i was going to make it work. ultimately i had to focus on school if it was going to make it work. i couldn't juggle the two. >> reporter: it turned out okay, her first album "songs in a minor" award five grammys and her fol llowfollow-up, if the -

ain't got you" and "you don't know my name" earn eed her four more. fair to say you grew up very early. >> a lot of my life i did live ahead of myself. so much, what was going to happen two weeks, one month, what would happen -- how can i get there? and so, that's not a bad thing to have vision and dreams for yourself. >> reporter: and you're a perfectionist, to boot. >> especially then, that was all i had was the chance to show and prove i was good at it. >> reporter: that's a hard way to live. >> i think i lightened up a bit on myself as of recently. >> reporter: what reason might that be? >> really meeting my husband. >> reporter: kasseem dean, otherwise known as hip-hop producer swizz beatz, they met ten years ago but the spark wasn't there. >> he was a little over the top for me, just as a person i was like he's all right, he's a little loud. come to find out she's still

loud and i think we've actually both balance each other out. he's given me the freedom to spread and be a little bit more open. and i've given him the freedom to maybe calm down. >> reporter: why do you think he makes you feel safe because that's what you're talking about. >> he wants me to be everything that i can be. you know? and that is a rare, rare thing. >> reporter: but there is another guy in her life and you can hear him on her new album. the baby. i can't even say the baby without you -- >> i was waiting for the next line, got to syrup. what's your name? >> egypt. >> amen. i love you. >> i love you. bye-bye. >> he's on a song called "when it's all over" which so is beautiful. the chorus goes "when they lay me down put my soul rest when

they ask me how i spent my life at least i got to love you" i feel that way about my husband and son. >> reporter: you like being a mother so much, will there be more little babies? >> i would love to have some more, at least one more for sure. at least one more but i have to finish this. i'll have to fin thish tour and this stuff first because the juggle is something. >> reporter: if it all sounds rosy and bright now things started out on rougher ground when keys and dean got together, he had a 1-year-old and just separated from his wife. a month later he had a daughter with another woman. it started off a little rocky. keys says things are working well now with egypt and his three siblings. >> so, three brothers and a sister and the way they love each other is crazy. it it's -- it's really special. >> reporter: you have a big brood. >> do i. i actually do.

>> reporter: you are bucking the odds, they always say you can't have it all at the same time. >> i do believe that you can have it all. you can everything that you want. if you want it and you want to work for it, you can have it. ♪ don't be mad ♪ it's just a time for me [ cheers and applause ] [ male announcer ] this is steve. he loves risk. but whether he's climbing everest,

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we turn now to the high-stakes standoff gripping the middle east. today, israeli strikes killed 28 palestinians according to the gaza health ministry. as the world waits to see if truce is possible or if full-scale war is coming.

alex marquardt reports, middle east on the brink. >> reporter: day six and rocket fire between is real and the gaza strips remains real and destructive. there is talk of cease-fire but today feels a long way away. >> they are bombing everywhere. >> reporter: today at the refugee camp in northern gaza, children were sweeping up the debris from blown up buildings. this is not the kind of life he wants for his 4-year-old daughter. >> i want her to live in peace. no one, no one wants war. no one. all of us need the peace, what kind of peace we need? this is a question. >> reporter: israel is ready escalate their operation dubbed pillar of defense, if a deal cannot be reached. israeli tanks and troops massing along the border for days and the army called up 40,000 reservists. >> israel is prepared to take

whatever action is necessary to defend our people. >> reporter: today, hamas said the ball is in israel's court. "i say we are not against a truce," hahamas's top leader sa "because we did not start the war." until the carnage continues, more than 100 people killed in gaza, half zicivilians. the deadly take on the dead will day, nine killed from a single family and mother and her four children. today, the bodies of the family were taken from the morgue for burial. emotions are extremely high. the death of so many innocents infuriated gaza, for most here there is no speaking about a cease-fire. with all of the children and innocents being killed do you want hamas to keep firing at iz

raelt -- israel. >> what did they do? we ask them to retaliate for the massacres. they say human shields are used, by launching in populated areas. israel says it's taken down 350 of the rockets fired from gaza with its sophisticated iron dome missile shield. it was developed with the help of the u.s. which contributed $200 million to fund it. so far it's been very effective. israel says it's hit 90% of the missiles headed for populated areas. it's also expensive. every intercepter missile it fires off costs as much as $100,000. almost 700 rockets have landed in israel, here one hit a girls' school in a southern city. thankfully it was empty. classes had been canceled since the fighting started. the air raid sirens forcing people to stay home and take

cover in bomb shelters. civilians on both sides of the conflict are in the line of fire tonight. some of the most vulnerable, children. palestinian and israeli alike running for cover as missiles fly in but it won't be until the adults sit down and hash out a deal that they'll be safe. and as is always the question in this part of the world, if peace does come, how long will it last? for "nightline" i'm alex marquardt in the gaza strip. >> thank you for watching abc news. robin roberts and her sister sally on "gma" tomorrow morning to talk about robin's ongoing journey. "jimmy kimmel" next. up next on an all in the "jimmy kimmel live". >> strike two weeks ago, if they didn't come back they would lick