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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Newly weds, husband looking at women online AIBU to be hurt?

38 replies

MarieLondon · 31/05/2019 13:44

Long time stalker, first time poster. I beg, please be kind.

The title says it all really but to give more context, we've only been married 2 months. My husband is a wonderful man in so many ways and I feel very fortunate to have him in my life. Of course we have our problems, but they are very small and we only really bicker about trivial stuff like housework.

A couple of weeks ago I was on his computer. His computer is in the living room and I use it all the time as well, but he uses it mostly for gaming so he is on it way more than me.

I was looking through his internet history as there was a site we'd both been looking at a few days prior and I wanted to find it, but I stopped searching for that site when lots and lots of Facebook searches showed up. Though my husband has Facebook, I've never really seen him on it this much so I was wondering what had he been looking at.

I know people are going to be like ' that's his personal searches, you were looking for trouble' but honestly, anyone, including my husband, can look through my search history or phone as I have nothing to hide (it's rather boring photos of my cats, nephew and food).

So I went through the searches and it was full of beautiful girls, all very much his type (I'm his type too but you know, we've lived together for 2 years, he see's me mostly in my PJ's with my hair in a top knot nowadays, rather than being 'dolled up'). But he wasn't just looking at one or two photo of each girl, he was going through their entire back catalog it seemed and he done it with several girls, all whilst I was either asleep upstairs or out of the house.

I was f**cked off.

I was well and truly hurt. I actually was shaking and so distraught. I know it may sound OTT but he's never given me a reason to think his head would turn and for him to look at all this girls really hurt me.

I did bring it up with him that day and I'll be honest, I cried, I lost my temper and I stormed out the house. I think my exact words were 'why don't you look at more girls on facebook whilst I'm gone'. He pretended to be clueless and had 'no idea what I was talking about'.

Eventually we sorted things out, but I'll be honest, my pride was dented. I stupidly thought he only had eyes for me. Anyway, after that outburst, I kind of thought he wouldn't do it again as he had seen how badly it affected me but low and behold, weeks later I've just checked his history again and there they are. More facebook searches of lots of different girls (he's all friends with them) all looking gorgeous, showing everything off (good for them, I'm not judging them, I just know he's noticing that too) and I feel like a bloody fool.

Sorry it's so long winded but I'd love to hear from other married women. Is this normal? Or even if it's not normal, do I even have a right to be upset? He's only looking right? But deep down it's hurting me a lot. I would never want to make him feel how I feel as he's very insecure about his looks, specifically his weight and I think if he caught me looking at buff, slim men, he'd be distraught. I'm so upset and I know I should talk to him again but he's away at work for this week and now I don't feel like I trust him any more (he works away often with work). AIBU?

OP posts:
churchthecat · 31/05/2019 13:48
Cantthinkofausername1990 · 31/05/2019 13:51

You've only found out about this now but doubt its only just started now, he's probably been doing it for a long time... maybe out of boredom if it's at home when you are in bed or out.
Do you trust him?
I know my dp looks at other women/porn when he works away which I accept and am fine with, but when he's home I prefer that he doesnt and he knows this and I believe that he doesn't dobthus when he's home

NameChangeNugget · 31/05/2019 13:53

Think you’re in a Mills & Boon world OP. There’s overthinking and there’s this.

Despite being old enough to be his Mum, my google history is full of Gustaf Skarsgård

jaseyraex · 31/05/2019 13:55

I think it's the fact that he knows these women in real life, or at least enough to be Facebook friends, that is the wrong part. Looking at celebrities/porn is one thing, but looking at people you actually know is another. In my opinion at least. It's weird and its disrespectful.

ncdforthis · 31/05/2019 13:56

All jokes aside I really don't think it's very nice. It's not like they're celebrities, he seems to be trawling through women's pictures in a bit of a stalky way. I'd see it as trouble waiting to happen. It's one thing to look, to admire, to look at porn, but this sounds like someone who really has the potential to be up to no good

yy558 · 31/05/2019 13:58

I'm surprised he's using Facebook to be fair. There's lots of them on Instagram and you can just...scroll..keep scrolling. Prettiness gets boring after a while on insta.

Usually I just point out they look the same if I see the h looking on Instagram.

Singlenotsingle · 31/05/2019 14:00

What's good for the goose? Photos of Aiden Turner would do it for me! I think DH knows he's way out of his league so I wouldn't worry about it too much.

churchthecat · 31/05/2019 14:04

Ah yes, shirtless Aiden Turner in his Poldark hat.

MarieLondon · 31/05/2019 14:11

Hi everyone, thanks for your replies. I definitely agree that I don't think this has just started. I think I've just found out, which annoys me more.

If he was looking at porn or celebs I really couldn't care less. I think that's definitely quite normal.

Looking at photos of women on his friends list, all of whom are ridiculously attractive is definitely touching a nerve with me.

@NameChangeNugget - Maybe it's how we discuss things with one another, but we're quite open about everything really, so this has come as a shock. I don't think I'm being naive about this, I think it's mostly because it's women he knows, see's, works with, used to hang out with. It's not some random celeb he can't get with or some random bit of porn, these are women he knows.

OP posts:
cakecakecheese · 31/05/2019 14:15

The thing is he's not looking at whoever the female equivalent of Aiden Turner is, he's trawling through profiles of attractive women he knows. Again there's nothing wrong with having a look at a friend's FB page but it sounds like there's quite a lot of searches and it does seem a bit off.

ConkerGame · 31/05/2019 14:19

I think it’s incredibly disrespectful and a bit creepy tbh! Especially after he saw how upset you were last time.

Wait till he gets home then sit down and talk it through with him. Let him know you consider this to be cheating and make it clear you will not be giving him another chance.

Lifeisabeach09 · 31/05/2019 14:24

You have a few options, OP.
Accept it and do nothing, accept it and do the same, or end of the relationship if it's making you feel insecure and unhappy. He will be unlikely to change.
TBH, I really wouldn't give a shit about his insecurity any longer and I'd be willing to play him at his own game. Any hot men on your Facebook?!

Lifeisabeach09 · 31/05/2019 14:26

Assuming you don't have kids (or want them!), I wouldn't with this man. Men like this get worse massively after kids are born.

MarieLondon · 31/05/2019 14:28

@Lifeisabeach09 - You're my hero. Honestly, I've contemplated leaving my phone open on hot guys instagram but I think I'm going to have to speak to him about this as its definitely got to me.

Thanks for your advice everyone. I'm glad I'm not be completely unreasonable with this.

OP posts:
Shelvesoutofbooks · 31/05/2019 14:35

Was there porn in his search history? If not he might be wanking over them 🤷🏻‍♀️

SuePerbly · 31/05/2019 14:36

This would really upset me. We all know that humans look at other attractive humans. That's normal. And I could cope with porn or whatever, but knocking one out over people he knows? Yuck. It's creepy and stalker and shows a massive lack of respect to both you and the women he is friends with.

I also think it isn't a great sign that he has continued to look after knowing it upsets you. That shows a major lack of respect for your feelings and smacks of addiction to looking at other women online.

My ex was addicted to looking at online porn. I never cared about porn but always told him not to lie to me about it. He lied, lied some more then lied again. It ruined our marriage. Not the porn - the lies and lack of respect for the truth. I could never respect him again. We even had counselling due to his tendency to gaslight and lie. He stopped for a while. Then started right back up again.

I don't care what he does now, as I ditched him.

Mrsboombastic99 · 31/05/2019 14:44

I would be upset by this too OP. You said that he denied any knowledge of this last time, but that you sorted things out later on. What reason if any did he give you for the Facebook searches? The fact that he has continued to do it when he saw how upset you were is a shitty thing to do tbh. If this continues would it be a deal breaker for you? x

OldUnit · 31/05/2019 14:45

It doesn't really matter what we think OP.

YOU get to decide how this makes you feel. And those feelings are legitimate.

Nanny0gg · 31/05/2019 14:46

It's a bit different as he actually knows these women

Bear in mind he'll probably hide it now...

Eliza9919 · 31/05/2019 14:47

Did you check his messages? He could be sexting as well as wanking over their pics.

Whatareyoutalkingabout · 31/05/2019 14:52

Maybe he's just curious about what they're up to? I frequently look at people's pictures who I used to know out of nosiness. Nothing behind it.

Cantthinkofausername1990 · 31/05/2019 15:03

Sorry op, when you said Facebook I thought it was still celebs he was looking up, not actual people he knows Confused, that's a whole different story altogether.
I wouldn't be happy about this and would be suspicious he could be messaging them..
And I would be worried that if he'll look at this at your joint computer in your home, what's on his phone when he's working away from home

FriarTuck · 31/05/2019 15:04

Is he actually friends with them in real life or just FB friends? There's a huge difference. FB-friending some complete stranger to ogle them? Sad but relatively harmless. FB-friending a real friend and ogling them? Different.

KellyW88 · 31/05/2019 15:05

When I read your title I was all ready to say don’t worry about it (thinking it would be like my DH who has a few celeb crushes and will look for pictures of them - it still irks me from a female perspective that as soon as he sees a celeb who is attractive he will soon search to see if they’ve ever been topless in anything!) but then I read the full post and saw your DH is looking at women he works with and I agree with other PP, this is quite bizarre and would bother me greatly too.

When you feel calm enough maybe discuss it with him if you can, without overt judgment if possible (in my experience if a man or indeed a woman feels judgment from their partner their defences go straight up and that leads to arguments) to explain why it hurts you that he does this. If he is too bullheaded to see reason - only you can decide how to move forward. Good luck OP x

FriarTuck · 31/05/2019 15:05

Okay, missed a whole relevant post Blush