The news likes to talk about the affair angle because it gets the most clicks, not because "Jensen had sex with someone other than his wife" is the most concerning problem in the story. It'll still rile up some, but it's not the main "why" he was ousted/stepped down.

It's also not an either or. I.e. obviously this only came to light because he's a high value target (from various angles). But obviously it's not right to violate export controls or create conflicts of interest either.

Elon has flown a bit close to the sun a few times but he's a combination of transparent enough about his lunacy that surprise can't be the main angle and manages to keep enough distance between major events.

Nobody thinks Grimes is a Canadian agent trying to steal crucial infrastructure for Big Maple Syrup