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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Is this a normal adult sibling relationship?

117 replies

treasurechest92 · 02/01/2026 08:45

I have siblings and we are close but not to this extent. There's a long list of things that have been bothering me, and I don't know if I'm overthinking. Friends have given mixed opinions. A bit of background and a few examples....

Dh has one sibling, they are both late thirties. I like his sister, she is a nice woman.

When I first met dh, he told me he would never move in with me as I live too far away from his sister (20 min drive).
On a weekend away once his sister was sent to hospital with appendicitis and he was planning to leave our weekend away to go to the hospital, despite her having her parents and husband with her.

His mum regularly told me that 'sisters child' is dh's soulmate.

During an argument about something entirely unrelated, he randomly told me he would rather spend time with 'sisters child' than anyone else as they are easy company (aged 7).

He once told me his ideal woman is 'homely, girl next door vibes, just like sisters name' which is the complete opposite of me, I am a heavily tattooed and not conventionally good looking woman.

On two seperate occasions where I've invited sister and kids to join in activities with us and our kids, she's been unable to attend so asked to rearrange time or day, I've been unable to due to work, so instead of sticking to original plans with me, he's rearranged and done the activities with her and I've been left out despite it being my original plan, and despite me asking him not to as I really wanted to see the kids doing it.

A conversation where sister was showing me a scar on her stomach and how much she hated it, to try and make her feel better I said my stomach is covered in stretchmarks, dh pipes up with 'scars are cool as fuck, stretchmarks are ugly'.

Once we were staying in a log cabin in the middle of nowhere, and sat outside at night and a man was watching us from across the trees and it made me really uncomfortable, I asked dh to go and say something and he refused. At a later date when discussing it, he said 'of course if sister was there I would have gone and had a word with the bloke as she would have been scared'.

The next two have both happened this week, which is why I'm writing this now.

On Christmas day night, kids were in bed and we were getting intimate on the sofa, initiated by him, both partially undressed and clearly wantong to have sex, I asked if he'd like to move to the bedroom and he said 'no, I'm going to phone sisters name'.

His sister showed up to an event wearing something I loved, I told her I love it and that I had actually been considering buying it but hadn't (as dh had said it was tacky, I didnt tell her this part). After the party, dh was gushing about how great she looked and I reminded him he had said it was tacky when I wanted to buy it and he replied 'tacky on you but sisters name can pull everything off'.

I have tried talking to him about the last two but he said theres nothing to talk about and put his headphones in.

I hate myself for thinking badly of their relationship but there are loads more examples than what I've written here. Twice this week I've seen her come up to him, lean against him and rest her head on his shoulder and it honestly made me feel a bit sick.

OP posts:
SP2024 · 02/01/2026 17:29

Very strange. Are they twins?
Also regardless of the sister and his relationship with her he sounds like an arse and treats you terribly. What does he say when you raise that with him? What does the sister say when he puts us down in front of her?

Unforgettablefire · 02/01/2026 17:24

My skin was crawling reading this OP. I think you already know what’s going on here or you wouldn’t be asking, yes it’s creepy af, and you’re not BU thinking it. It’s literally skin crawling.

TwoTuesday · 02/01/2026 17:18

He sounds like a nasty man who treats you poorly, is not concerned for your safety and insults your appearance. Do you call him out on it at all?
The sister obsession is weird too, definitely not normal.
I'd be worried the "nephew" is actually his kid as well 🤮

JontyGentooey · 02/01/2026 17:13

Wtf have I just read?

Is the sister exceptionally beautiful, clever or talented? If so, he might be less obsessed with her than it seems and it's more a case that he uses her as a benchmark to bully and belittle you because he's an abusive fucker.

Neither is ok though, he sounds repulsive and the way he speaks to you would be a total deal-breaker for me.

ManyPigeons · 02/01/2026 17:12

I wanted to say they were just close but no… he sounds like he fancies his sister tbh. Or has a weird level of admiration for her.

Hes also rude and nasty to you.

Aimtodobetter · 02/01/2026 17:12

I mean most incidents in isolation would be fine but cumulatively it’s not great. However, I wonder if this is more about the fact that he sees you as strong and independent and not in need of his protection, whilst he’s stuck infantilising his sister because of what happened when she was younger. Doesn’t mean you have to put up with it but maybe working out what is causing it would help you address it with him. Honestly, his sister might even be able to help you if she is solid.

Purplewarrior · 02/01/2026 17:09

🤮🤮🤮

shhblackbag · 02/01/2026 17:07

She did have something traumatic happen to her as a teenager which may explain the overprotectiveness, however I have also had a very similar experience which he refuses to acknowledge

He isn't only creepy, he's cruel. Get rid of him.

Runningoutofpatiencefucksandmoney · 02/01/2026 17:06

I used to be in a relationship with a man just like this. Really obsessive over his DS and her child. I honestly thought something had gone on between them when they were younger, their relationship was that incestuous. Turns out my gut instinct was right and he had SA'd her when she was younger. Unfortunately she was so enmeshed in their relationship that she thought "it was normal sibling behaviour". Trust your gut op

falalalalaaaah · 02/01/2026 17:06

Even without the sister stuff, which I agree is weird.
He treats you like crap by the sound of things.

cramptramp · 02/01/2026 17:03

He likes his sister better than you. Weird. Very weird. Get rid. You deserve better.

shhblackbag · 02/01/2026 17:00

He was on the sofa, sexually worked up, and then he wants to call his sister? That's unreasonable at a minimum, and I wouldn't want to touch him again.

Yikes.

Dinosweetpea · 02/01/2026 16:55

This is absolutely not normal in ANY way at all. I would also be divorcing your horrible husband.

latetothefisting · 02/01/2026 16:50

as everyone else has said WEIRD, very much ABnormal sibling (and uncle-nephew) relationships but even without that, if, all the examples you gave related to different people (e.g. he told a friend she looked nice in an outfit he told you would be trashy on you, and said he would go to confront the person staring if it had been his mum who was scared), he still sounds horrible.

Daytimetellyqueen · 02/01/2026 16:36

Why on earth did you marry him?!! Weird as fuck!

Empress13 · 02/01/2026 16:11

Weird as fuck !

Itiswhysofew · 02/01/2026 16:08

Even if there's nothing dodgy going on, it does seem like a very unusual relationship and I'd definitely be uncomfortable with it. Also, making insulting comparisons is very unkind.

I'd not be happy with someone like that.

SnoopyPajamas · 02/01/2026 15:57

Yes, the sister stuff is weird, but that's not really the point here, OP. The emotional incest is a sideshow. This man treats you like shit. He compares you unfavorably to other people, lets you know upfront you're not a priority in his life, and belittles you at every opportunity.

It's time to move on.

Instructions · 02/01/2026 15:41

Not normal.

And even without the oddness, he sounds really horrible.

MCF86 · 02/01/2026 15:40

Even aside from him having a (very much not normal) obsession with his sister, he's not very nice to you is he?

Daaaaahling · 02/01/2026 15:35

I think you're framing this wrong.

Wanting to live near his sister, thinking she looks great, thinking her scars are cool, wanting to protect her, loving his niece, wanting to do cool family stuff with his sister - this is fine, lovely even.

It's the horrible contemptuous way he speaks to and treats you that is the problem.

The contrast just highlights it. If he treated and spoke to you well, his sister wouldn't be a problem. Or if he didn't have a sister at all, the horrible way he treats and speaks to you would absolutely still be a huge problem. He probably compares you all the time because he senses it really upsets you and makes you feel insecure. Because he's a horrible nasty partner.

grinchmcgrinchface · 02/01/2026 15:28

treasurechest92 · 02/01/2026 11:46

His sister is younger by 2 years. She did have something traumatic happen to her as a teenager which may explain the overprotectiveness, however I have also had a very similar experience which he refuses to acknowledge .

She is relatively normal, she thinks he's a great bloke and a good uncle but she definitely acknowledges his flaws and doesn't gush over him, she would happily sit and listen to me moan about him without jumping to his defence.

I would tell her how creepy he is about her, then I would pack my bags and leave him. There’s overprotectiveness and theres wanting to shag his own sister. He’s sick in the head op.

Jackiepumpkinhead · 02/01/2026 15:10

Starbright12 · 02/01/2026 14:52

Pointing out facts?

I will monitor all your posts to ensure you are not being horrible to anyone. I can’t abide bullies.

Vroomfondleswaistcoat · 02/01/2026 15:04

I'd guess he's saying it's normal because for him it is normal. Have any of his friends ever pulled him up on this, OP? And did you read him the riot act for stopping 'nearly sex' over Christmas to ring his sister? Because I would have given him both barrels and asked him just why his sister was uppermost in his mind when he had a nearly naked and willing wife right there?

But people always think their behaviour is 'normal' because it's the only behaviour they know and it often takes their close friends intervening to tell them it really isn't because any partner interference is seen as 'jealousy'.

AndSoitComesAroundAgain · 02/01/2026 14:57

Tell him to go marry his sister than. It sounds creepy, and a really unhealthy dynamic op. Have you tried having a conversation with dh? It is seriously weird. Sorry you're dealing with this. Oh, and I agree with pps on that regardless of sister, he is putting you down, and trying to destroy your confidence.