It looks difficult for Cruz to sue since the NE didn't claim Cruz has had affairs, nor did NE claim to have any evidence of affairs. (This point seems to be overlooked). The NE reported that there are rumors and claims by others that Cruz has had affairs.
Cruz was allegedly seen having lunch twice a week with a woman of questionable reputation, shall we say. OK, where's the evidence of that? There is none that I've seen. And what would that prove if true? Nothing untoward. It would prove he had lunch with someone on a regular basis.
If this woman is real, and they were seen so often, why no photos showing them together? What's her name, and has she been convicted of prostitution? Maybe Cruz was counseling her to give up her life of prostitution. I know, that sounds funny, but there's as much evidence to support that as there is to support a sexual affair.
The idea of 5 affairs is really hard to believe. Multiple women are extremely difficult to keep up with when one is single and I have some experience in that matter from my younger days. This is a man constantly in public and very busy. How would he make time for that much dallying? So, what we have is gossip. That may be enough to sink him, but that's really all there is so far, gossip that may or may not be true. For me this all means: wait for real evidence.
I think he could have just answered the question of have you ever cheated on your wife, of which he being a lawyer would not answer and then parses words.