lead a double life

Idioms  

1. Live as if one were two persons, usually one good and one bad. For example, They learned that his frequent travels were actually fictitious, and he was leading a double life, with a second home on the other side of town. This phrase is frequently used for a married person who establishes a second household with a lover. [Late 1800s] Also see Jekyll and Hyde.

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Example Sentences

It is challenging to wrap my head around your husband’s choice to basically lead a double life for these last eight years.

From Washington Post

Fejes said she knows of gay people who do not come out in Kecskemet but rather lead a double life, spending time in Budapest where anonymity is easier.

From Reuters

“There was a tradition of keeping quiet in France that protected presidents’ private lives, which is how Mitterrand was able to lead a double life, but that is not possible today.

From The Guardian

"We have to lead a double life. We hide our faces every day in order not to cause aggression among people in the streets," adds Beka.

From BBC

But in court papers filed last week, prosecutors said Alexander’s outward appearance as a working family man allowed him to hide in plain sight: “For the last 11 years, the defendant was able to lead a double life made even more heinous by his ability to hide his crimes from his family.”

From Washington Post