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AIBU?

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AIBU to think telling your partner something I told you in confidence makes you a bad friend?

566 replies

Ifiwere · 27/08/2026 17:28

So I've got a friend I've been close with for years, genuinely one of my best friends. I told her something a while back, nothing huge in the scheme of things but it was clearly personal (not going to say exactly what but it very clearly wasn’t someone I’d want just anyone knowing, and also I kindof think exactly what it was is besides the point ) but to be clear it wasn’t just chit chat , it was the kind of thing you say because you trust the person you're saying it to.
Anyway turns out she told her husband. Found out sort of by accident, he said something that made it obvious he knew, and when I mentioned it to her she wasn't really that sorry about it. Her whole reasoning was that I should have just assumed she'd tell him because they're married, like that's just what happens once you're with someone, everything gets shared automatically.
Honestly I was kind of stunned by that response. If I tell you something, that's between us, being in a relationship doesn't mean your husband is secretly in on every conversation we have unless I say otherwise. Maybe, maybe, I could get it if she was really worried about me and needed to talk it through with someone for my sake, like an "I don't know what to do, I'm actually concerned" situation. Even then I'm not sure I'd be totally fine with it if I'm honest, but at least there'd be some logic to it. This wasn't that though, it really was just a "well obviously I tell him everything" kind of answer, asking like I’m being unreasonable and overreacting to feel hurt about this!
To me that just says she doesn't actually value what I share with her, or the trust bit of being friends, if it's just going home with her every time regardless. Am I being unreasonable thinking this is actually a pretty big deal? Do people genuinely think this is fine? Would you say you're a good friend if you did this?

OP posts:
TiggersTheOnlyOne · 31/08/2026 22:19

It’s well and good sharing everything until it goes wrong. A friend was like that with her husband. Told him everything because “he’s never tell or let on” and he didn’t until they got divorced and it got messy and to hurt her he told people all the secrets she’d told him that belonged to other people.

Thecatspantaloons · 31/08/2026 22:38

TiggersTheOnlyOne · 31/08/2026 22:19

It’s well and good sharing everything until it goes wrong. A friend was like that with her husband. Told him everything because “he’s never tell or let on” and he didn’t until they got divorced and it got messy and to hurt her he told people all the secrets she’d told him that belonged to other people.

This is an excellent point - I can imagine the type of idiots that some of my friends are with who would totally do this.

Icecreammonster · 01/09/2026 06:51

I am astounded at the vote here. Why on earth would anyone assume that it’s ok to divulge a friend’s secrets to their DH because ‘they are married’, it’s astonishingly old fashioned, and disloyal, and gives Bridget Jones ‘smug married’ vibes. And considering the amount of threads on shitty husbands, very naïve too!

Packofsix · 01/09/2026 07:13

I tell my husband everything. Difference is you would never know, as he would never in a million years let on that he knew

Bluedenimdoglover · 01/09/2026 07:26

Soitshoteh · 31/08/2026 06:08

That's totally fine if that's genuinely you, but it's not some virtue or a sign you're above needing that, which is what your tone's implying, like sharing with a close friend is somehow the lesser, needier option. There's nothing wrong with wanting to share things with someone you trust, that's not a flaw.
And genuinely, it is sad, not in a "pathetic" way, but in a real way, if someone's never had that or doesn't feel it's even possible for them, to not have that kind of closeness, or the option of sharing things safely with a friend. Having a close friendship where you can be open and trust someone isn't oversharing that should be reserved for a therapist, it's actually a pretty normal, healthy thing for people to have, that's not just me saying so, it's fairly well established that having people you can properly confide in is good for you.

Edited

Well, now you've psychoanalysed me as "sad" for not having a friend to confidence in, let me disabuse you of that idea. I have several close friends who have confided very personal things in me and there it stays. I just don't feel the need to ever do this. You don't know me, so just draw a line here and leave it there.

Notonthestairs · 01/09/2026 08:46

Packofsix · 01/09/2026 07:13

I tell my husband everything. Difference is you would never know, as he would never in a million years let on that he knew

Not quite the flex you think it is.

Presumably you tell all your friends this?

They know before they tell you anything about the money problems/health issues/relationship concerns that you can’t keep it quiet?

TheGreatDownandOut · 01/09/2026 08:57

Notonthestairs · 01/09/2026 08:46

Not quite the flex you think it is.

Presumably you tell all your friends this?

They know before they tell you anything about the money problems/health issues/relationship concerns that you can’t keep it quiet?

I totally agree with you. I wonder if the ‘I tell my husband everything’ crowd do it because they have nothing better to talk about and so have to resort to gossiping about their friends.

People should be made aware before they share anything personal that it’ll be shared with someone else. At least give them the option, I don’t tell my friend anything that I wouldn’t want her to repeat to her partner as I know what a gossip she is. It means we aren’t as close as we used to be as I can’t confide in her anymore.

ETA- the irony being that when I was married, aforementioned friend was cheating on her partner which, luckily for her, I kept to myself. My DH at the time was friends with her partner!

CurlewKate · 01/09/2026 09:01

Packofsix · 01/09/2026 07:13

I tell my husband everything. Difference is you would never know, as he would never in a million years let on that he knew

You’re still betraying a confidence. It’s not whether he would tell anyone or not-it’s the fact that YOU did.

ScottishHaggis85 · 01/09/2026 09:17

Icecreammonster · 01/09/2026 06:51

I am astounded at the vote here. Why on earth would anyone assume that it’s ok to divulge a friend’s secrets to their DH because ‘they are married’, it’s astonishingly old fashioned, and disloyal, and gives Bridget Jones ‘smug married’ vibes. And considering the amount of threads on shitty husbands, very naïve too!

👏

phoenixrosehere · 01/09/2026 10:41

TiggersTheOnlyOne · 31/08/2026 22:19

It’s well and good sharing everything until it goes wrong. A friend was like that with her husband. Told him everything because “he’s never tell or let on” and he didn’t until they got divorced and it got messy and to hurt her he told people all the secrets she’d told him that belonged to other people.

Yes. They don’t seem to think about that part. It doesn’t even have to take a divorce. All it takes is one bad argument and one goes out and accidentally spills something to a mutual friend or acquaintance and then it spirals from there, sooner or later.

Soitshoteh · 01/09/2026 11:40

Bluedenimdoglover · 01/09/2026 07:26

Well, now you've psychoanalysed me as "sad" for not having a friend to confidence in, let me disabuse you of that idea. I have several close friends who have confided very personal things in me and there it stays. I just don't feel the need to ever do this. You don't know me, so just draw a line here and leave it there.

you've misread what I wrote. I wasn't psychoanalysing you or calling you sad, I made a point of explicitly saying that wasn't what I meant. I've got nothing to say about someone whose personal preference just leans towards being more reserved, honestly, I'm fairly private myself in a lot of ways.
What I was actually responding to was the "if you want something kept secret, keep it to yourself" line, and I was saying that it's sad, as in a genuine shame, a loss, when someone doesn't have the option of confiding in a friend at all, not that being private by choice is sad. Those are two completely different things.

Soitshoteh · 01/09/2026 11:45

CurlewKate · 01/09/2026 09:01

You’re still betraying a confidence. It’s not whether he would tell anyone or not-it’s the fact that YOU did.

YES !! So many women are defending betraying their friends confidence as being okay because they’ll never find out - as if that makes it right !

Bigreddog25 · 01/09/2026 12:01

CRbear · 27/08/2026 17:31

Husbands and wives shouldn’t have secrets. Depends what it is as to whether it’s weird it came up with, or she brought it up with him, or not.

Shouldn't have personal secrets maybe. But they should be capable of keeping other people secrets.

shhhh2025 · 02/09/2026 20:24

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Endorewitch · 22/09/2026 01:18

Stormyrose · 27/08/2026 17:34

Really, you rush back to tell your husband everything your friends say even in confidence, I find that bizzare.

Totally agree. Trust between husbands and wivers does not mean discussing problems shared in confidence. Actually I think it bizarre that married people share everything. IMO you need to keep your own identies.

LBFseBrom · 22/09/2026 04:11

Endorewitch · 22/09/2026 01:18

Totally agree. Trust between husbands and wivers does not mean discussing problems shared in confidence. Actually I think it bizarre that married people share everything. IMO you need to keep your own identies.

Absolutely.

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