Here's the great thing about being a reporter on the Bernie Madoff beat: You can just make shit up.

Not that we're saying Rush & Molloy invented accusations of Madoff cheating on his wife with "at least one" other woman. They've got two sources, and that practically makes a story ROCK SOLID. But even if R&M are wrong, or their sources are big fat liars, it doesn't matter: Madoff has opened himself up to any and all accusations of cheating, whether financial or extramarital, and he's got just about zero defense when it comes to accusing anyone of libel.

The alleged affair took place nearly a decade ago with "an executive assistant at a major media corporation." It's going to make for great fare in divorce court, when Ruth tries to hang on the millions in Florida real estate and whatever isn't frozen and confiscated from their bank accounts.

Meanwhile, Team Ruth is doing a terrible job of refuting the claims, perhaps purposefully. There's the obligatory rebutta from "one friend of Ruth's" who says of the affair allegation, "I’m told that’s not accurate." Haha. You're "told" that's not accurate? That's the farthest thing from an actual refutation as you can get.

When it comes to making charges of any type of wrongdoing against Madoff from this point forward, it's pretty much free game. Madoff won't have the extensive resources he used to enjoy, nor the will to enter the public fray, to battle back against all the crazies who come out to accuse him of basically being a monster. And the news media will be heralded for delivering even more drudged up secrets about Madoff being an asshole, so there's little incentive there for anyone to shoot down even the most horrible claims.

In fact, we heard there's a Madoff sex tape floating around! J/King! Maybe!