Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To have confronted DH's cousin for flirting with him?

543 replies

Temporaryusernamename · 05/05/2026 13:56

My husband and I have been together for 18 years, married for 12. We have two children, aged 15 and 13.

Years ago, long before our relationship, when DH and his female 1st cousin were teenagers, they had a brief, secret relationship with each other.

At first, I thought they just slept together, but over the years DH confided in me that he had slept with her once while staying at her house for a week during the summer holidays when they were both 16, but that they also wanted to be together but knew they could never tell anyone.

They lived in different parts of the country and rarely ever saw each other.

My DH has told me he's actually quite angry with his parents for putting them in this position. They were teenagers, who didn't grow up together, rarely saw each other, and yet when the family would meet up once or twice a year, they would always stay over and the kids would be put in the same room, on bunk beds and camp beds, without any thought of the fact that they were developing and going through puberty, just assuming they were innocent kids. He says the curiousity and strong feelings were inevitable and his parents and other adults should have been more responsible.

Anyway, noone at all knows what happened except DH, the cousin, and me.

When they reached young adulthood, the cousin emigrated to a different country and DH and I have only seen her twice in the last 15 years.
However, we are all currently all Holiday together! MIL recently won a large amount of money and took the whole extended family, 17 of us in total, away on a huge Holiday. Cousin is here.

We have been drinking every night and cousin, who is now in her late 30s, and doesn't have a husband or kids of her own, keeps relentlessly saying flirting with DH. Telling him he looks great in shorts, whistling when he takes his top off on the beach, making silly sexual jokes, and hugging him by coming up behind him and resting her head on his shoulder. Noone else seems to notice and DH says not to worry about it as he doesn't feel anything for her and nothing is going to happen and she's just being playful.
But I've noticed she's not like it with any other males here. Just DH.

The final straw for me came last night when she sat on DH's lap while we were all sitting around drinking and put her arms around his neck, and kissed his cheek.

DH just laughed and told her to get up then got up himself and went to the bar.

Again, we had all had quite a lot to drink.

A few minutes later, I went off to the toilet and she was coming back towards me. She was quite drunk and came over with her arms out in front of her to give me a hug. I stepped away and looked her right in the face. I said "Stop flirting with my husband. Don't think I don't know your history. If you come anywhere near him again, I will tell everyone about you two." She looked utterly shocked. I walked away. She must have gone straight to bed.
Today, she's been really quiet all day. Everyone's commented on it but they've just assumed she's really hungover.

MIL and I were sitting on the beach and she commented that this trip has been good for her. She's had a hard time lately as a bloke she was going to marry cheated on her with his ex wife and then went back to her. She's really benefitting from being with family to support her as she's so alone out there.

I feel really guilty for saying that to her last night. I just got so jealous seeing her sitting in his lap, looking amazing in her tiny sundress, knowing their history and she was probably his first love, and felt so insecure. The stupid fling they had was so long ago and they were young and I know at least DH deeply regrets it and is embarrassed about it.

I'm worried I've now ruined her holiday. I didn't know she was going through that. I've been chatting to her to be friendly and get to know her but she never mentioned it

Was I unreasonable?

OP posts:
ThatBlackCat · 05/05/2026 15:43

ohyesido · 05/05/2026 15:39

She didn’t tell me anything.

Read the OP. It is more than clear that she didn't know until she spoke to the MIL afterwards.

Hence the reason for the thread, in the first place.

ohyesido · 05/05/2026 15:42

ThatBlackCat · 05/05/2026 15:41

Huh? That doesn't make any sense? And why are you defending a woman who cracks on other womens husbands?

Why are you siding with the husband and denigrating the woman?

ThatBlackCat · 05/05/2026 15:41

ohyesido · 05/05/2026 15:40

Pick me, Nigel

Huh? That doesn't make any sense? And why are you defending a woman who cracks on other womens husbands?

tachetastic · 05/05/2026 15:41

@Temporaryusernamename, I think telling her to stop flirting with your husband was totally reasonable.

I think telling her that if she doesn't stop you will expose her and your husband's darkest secret from their childhood and humiliate them both in front of their entire family, something they may never fully recover from and that could turn people quite nastily against your husband if his cousin might have been under the age of consent at the time, might have been going too far.

ThatBlackCat · 05/05/2026 15:40

SerafinasGoose · 05/05/2026 15:31

This misogynistic language is a dead giveaway.

No admonitions for the husband - the man actually married to the OP and who owes her his loyalty - for engaging with her inappropriate behaviour? Or does the fault as ever only rest with women?

'D'H's conduct might also lead OP to question what kind of man actually shags his cousin in the first place. Anyone can look past a bit of youthful folly. Had nothing else happened, then despite the inappropriateness of the family connection I might have thought no more of it. It's what he does within the marriage, and the fact that this situation has rearisen in such an ugly, inappropriate way that would make me think again about what kind of man I'd actually married.

In that context, the cousin's behaviour is immaterial.

Edited

But he didn't engage with her behaviour!

ohyesido · 05/05/2026 15:40

ThatBlackCat · 05/05/2026 15:39

Being 'vulnerable' is not an excuse to flirt with someone's husband. What else would you excuse?

In fact, considering that the cousin was cheated on, you'd think she'd know better and know how it feels, which makes what she did with OP's husband much worse.

Pick me, Nigel

sunflowersandsunsets · 05/05/2026 15:40

Gonnagetgoingreturnsagain · 05/05/2026 15:35

Why is that so bad? It’s allowed. It happened years ago too.

Lots of things are allowed, doesn't mean they're acceptable. If a man I was seeing told me he'd slept with his cousin multiple times, my vagina would clamp shut and lock itself forever.

ThatBlackCat · 05/05/2026 15:39

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

Being 'vulnerable' is not an excuse to flirt with someone's husband. What else would you excuse?

In fact, considering that the cousin was cheated on, you'd think she'd know better and know how it feels, which makes what she did with OP's husband much worse.

ohyesido · 05/05/2026 15:39

Wauwinet · 05/05/2026 15:35

OP already told you that she didn’t know that until after she’d told the cousin off.

She didn’t tell me anything.

Wauwinet · 05/05/2026 15:35

ohyesido · 05/05/2026 15:29

I don’t take any pleasure from kicking people when they’re down

OP already told you that she didn’t know that until after she’d told the cousin off.

Gonnagetgoingreturnsagain · 05/05/2026 15:35

sunflowersandsunsets · 05/05/2026 15:27

How are you happily married to someone who's fucked his own cousin?

Why is that so bad? It’s allowed. It happened years ago too.

SerafinasGoose · 05/05/2026 15:32

user1471465748 · 05/05/2026 15:27

Oh give over. OP simply told her to stop her inappropriate behaviour! If anything, the cousin was the horrible one openly flirting with and being physical with OP's partner in front of her. That is 'quite horrible'.

I don't believe OP necessarily did anything wrong here either.

But this isn't the main source of her current problem. Her husband is.

SerafinasGoose · 05/05/2026 15:31

MyDeftDuck · 05/05/2026 15:05

YANBU…..she behaved like a total cow! Stop feeling guilty and enjoy the holiday…….if total cow wants to sulk then that’s on her. She behaved like a slapper, not you!

This misogynistic language is a dead giveaway.

No admonitions for the husband - the man actually married to the OP and who owes her his loyalty - for engaging with her inappropriate behaviour? Or does the fault as ever only rest with women?

'D'H's conduct might also lead OP to question what kind of man actually shags his cousin in the first place. Anyone can look past a bit of youthful folly. Had nothing else happened, then despite the inappropriateness of the family connection I might have thought no more of it. It's what he does within the marriage, and the fact that this situation has rearisen in such an ugly, inappropriate way that would make me think again about what kind of man I'd actually married.

In that context, the cousin's behaviour is immaterial.

ohyesido · 05/05/2026 15:29

user1471465748 · 05/05/2026 15:27

Oh give over. OP simply told her to stop her inappropriate behaviour! If anything, the cousin was the horrible one openly flirting with and being physical with OP's partner in front of her. That is 'quite horrible'.

I don’t take any pleasure from kicking people when they’re down

MeridianB · 05/05/2026 15:28

AmberSpy · 05/05/2026 14:01

She was inappropriate but your husband shouldn't have entertained it in the way he did. He needs to take her aside and tell her firmly and clearly that he's married and not in any way sexually or romantically interested in her. (She should know all that obviously but sounds like she needs to hear it bluntly from him). If she continues to cross boundaries your husband needs to cut contact with her.

Basically what I'm trying to say is that they are both at fault.

This - she needs to stop. He needs to stop/correct her every single time and tell her to stop.

Don't feel guilty. She sounds like an idiot. Her breakup is not an excuse to seek attention from someone else's husband.

She's only behaving this way as no one knows the back story and mistakes her flirting for cute cousin affection. But it's horribly disrespectful to you and you were right to tell her directly.

sunflowersandsunsets · 05/05/2026 15:27

How are you happily married to someone who's fucked his own cousin?

user1471465748 · 05/05/2026 15:27

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

Oh give over. OP simply told her to stop her inappropriate behaviour! If anything, the cousin was the horrible one openly flirting with and being physical with OP's partner in front of her. That is 'quite horrible'.

Sassylovesbooks · 05/05/2026 15:26

Your husband's cousin might very well have been going through a tough time, but that doesn't excuse her behaviour. She was openly flirting with your husband/sitting on his lap/kissing his cheek. Even if we put aside the fact alcohol was involved, it was inappropriate behaviour towards a married man, regardless if he's her cousin or not.

Perhaps she's quiet because she knows that she overstepped? I don't think you have anything to feel guilty about. You called her out on her behaviour.

I do agree with others, your husband should have shut his cousin's flirty behaviour down. It might be that he felt embarrassed and didn't know how to extract himself without drawing attention. What he could have done, is taken his cousin to one side and spoke to her about her behaviour. Going forward, he needs to put very firm boundaries in place.

Like others have said, I'm not sure why your husband is blaming his parents. No one forced him to have sex with his cousin. His parents and extended family wouldn't have even considered the possibility that the two of them would have sex! It's not usual between cousins. He needs to accept the part he played in the situation and take responsibility for it, rather than blaming his parents.

ConstanzeMozart · 05/05/2026 15:25

She behaved badly. Her other life problems don't matter.
Your Dh should have stood up to her properly though.

FeliciaFancybottom · 05/05/2026 15:24

He says the curiousity and strong feelings were inevitable and his parents and other adults should have been more responsible

Erm...nope, it wasn't inevitable that they would have sex. Tell him to own his part in it and stop blaming other people.

Temporaryusernamename · 05/05/2026 15:20

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

Like I said, I didn't know she was going through that until MIL told me today.
That's why I feel so bad

OP posts:
Beachtastic · 05/05/2026 15:18

I think what you did was OK in the heat of the moment, OP. But you also say this:

I feel really guilty for saying that to her last night. I just got so jealous seeing her sitting in his lap, looking amazing in her tiny sundress, knowing their history and she was probably his first love, and felt so insecure. The stupid fling they had was so long ago and they were young and I know at least DH deeply regrets it and is embarrassed about it.
I'm worried I've now ruined her holiday. I didn't know she was going through that.

You could always have that conversation with her in a quiet moment?

OneShyQuail · 05/05/2026 15:17

And your husband blaming his parents for shagging his cousin?! Jesuzzzzzz 😱

outerspacepotato · 05/05/2026 15:17

Temporaryusernamename · 05/05/2026 14:58

I don't know why. DH and I are great. We have never one, in all these years, had any issues with jealousy. No suspicions or suspicious behaviour. He never comments on other women or flirts even a little bit. I've always felt he's totally loyal to me and I to him.

Most of me thinks he simply doesn't take her seriously. Thinks she's just drunk and silly.

But a tiny niggling doubt is making me wonder if maybe he is into her and is enjoying it, knowing people will never suspect.
She's absolutely gorgeous, and wild and fun and seemingly carefree and wears bikinis and tiny shorts and tight little dresses and there's me, a dumpy mum of two.

But then I think surely if he is into her he wouldn't be so obvious on front of me, knowing I know the history? So maybe he just thinks it's nothing.

So there's this back and forth in my mind, mixed with alcohol and heat which she (probably deservedly) got the brunt of.

I need to talk to DH don't I?

Yes, you need to have a talk with him.

If he didn't shut down such sexually inappropriate behaviour, he got something from it. Maybe it's just the ego strokes, but he really should have stopped that dead in its tracks. Mad disrespect to you from the both of them. That they banged as teens makes it even more disrespectful. She's in for a rerun and he didn't shut her down and you need to address that with him.

He played the victim instead of taking responsibility for banging his cousin on vacation. This is another version of that. Oh, poor him, Cousin came on to him, what could he do?

If they're so intent on keeping the fact they had sex as teens secret, why are they playing with fire in front of you, his wife, and their family? Ask him that.

arethereanyleftatall · 05/05/2026 15:16

Your husband blaming his parents because he shagged his own cousin at 16 is absolutely ridiculous.

Swipe left for the next trending thread