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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Disrespected by Husband & his friend jokes about an assault that happened to me.

134 replies

PaperClips007 · 16/04/2024 15:45

Not sure if the title gives weight to the hurt I am feeling at the moment.

It's a long one but background is needed.

My husband is the type of chap who wants to be liked by everyone, loves being the centre of attention, is sometimes the village idiot not in a malicious way. He wants to be the comedian of the group and doesn't understand that his actions and his words can have real time consequences.

He's also a bit of a chameleon, by that I mean he mirrors other people.

For example, I know if he's been speaking to a certain friend as he starts speaking like this friend with a cockney accent. Another of his friends has a big booming voice, again he mimics this. Not intentionally or knowingly, maybe it's some kind of protection that if I'm like you, you will like me.

I dunno!

With that said, he's a good kind man and doesn't set out to cause upset.
He's not an alpha by any standards and hates confrontation, and this is part of the pain and upset I am feeling these last few days.

I on the other hand trade highly on showing respect to others and will not standby and listen to anyone being disrespected whether it's said in a jokey fashion or with malicious intent. I will stand up for myself and my own ground when it's called.

A few years ago, a friend of H made a comment about did I like H new beard.
I said yes, he response "you must have a shaved pussy then" laughed then grabbed me by my waist and swung me around. I went absolutely bat shit crazy, my husband said nothing!

The above caused a load of arguments, H said he won't stop being this friend.
I honestly couldn't understand why he would make excuses "Oh that's just the way he is, he's a bit smutty".
In my world there is no excuse, totally out of order, it's creepy as fuck and rapey.
I said this man is a wrongun and after a few heated arguments, H relented, had a word with this man and I was sent a long written apology that I neither read or accepted.

Turns out this man, even though married had been stalking and harassing a female neighbor, throwing bricks at her young teenage daughters window. Set fire to her garden and served 6 months inside for this behavior.

I said then, that H really needs to revalue the company he keeps, that he has a few questionable so called friends and this chap isn't the only friend whose beyond awful.

Another friend of H with his wife, went into a tirade about another mans wife calling her a Fing C, how much he hated her, it was just awful especially as this was the 1st time I had met them. I didn't want to stay any longer in their company so I made an excuse so we could leave. Then the next thing I know, we are invited to this lady's house. And here's this man, eating the food she cooked, sitting at he table she shares with her family, he and his wife even stayed the night. Like WTAF. The woman who was hosting believes this couple to be really good friends of hers.

I said to H, clearly enough for this man and his wife to hear, his past behavior is really out of order and he needs to pull him up about it. He response was to make a joke and say "that's just him, he always speaks like that". I called a cab, I was so angry. Again, another argument about how it's not cool, he's not cool and these so called friends are a reflection of him.

Pffffffffffffffffffffffff

A few weeks ago, the Saturday before mothering Sunday to be exact. H went to the football, was in the company of a few football people he previously said he didn't like and got blindly drunk.

He was disgusting, I've never seen drunk anything like this before and neither do I want to again. As I tried to get him onto the couch, he fell off, nearly smashing his head against a glass table. As I bent to help him up H grabbed my breast and bit it.

I have no words to how I felt and was deeply upset.

In the morning, he had no recollection, was incredibly remorseful when I told him what he done. He was read the riot act by me, I had hoped he understood he sexually assaulted me.
I told him once again he needs to revalue the company he is keeping as the why did he hang out with this group, he doesn't even like and why did he drink so much, he had no answers.

Anyhow, it's only now I am beginning to reconcile what he did as it still haunts me.

This last weekend, we hired a house & went away with 4 other couples.
All the boys where in the games room, and for some reason he told them all about that weekend, what a prick he had been and how he bit my breast. That his only saving grace was my Mother was coming up and that gave him some respite.

I have No idea! why he thought this was a good time to share such a story, or why he thought it was share worthy. I would have hoped that he would have been so remorseful and too embarrassed to ever say this out loud. I just don't honestly get it.

A couple of hours later we are all having a laugh, I have no idea this conversation took place. Until one of the chaps turns to my husband, laughing and say's "have another bite of the tit" and makes a biting gesture with his mouth.

I hit the roof and went mental, absolutely mental at the disrespect and another rapey comment.

My husband said nothing, not even a mate, wtf don't speak to my wife like that.
He said, it all happened so quickly he froze and didn't know what to do.
That he was shocked at how angry I had become.

Anyhow, people soon scurried off, I've hit the roof. The offender tried to apologies, and I said I don't do apologies and I don't do forgiveness for such behavior.

The following morning, I got up to leave it was early, H wanted to leave with me and told me to keep quite as others where asleep.
Who the fuck, says that to someone whose raging, so I made it my business very loudly and very clearly to let everyone whose to freighted to come out of their rooms known exactly what I was feeling and thinking. That's he's a prick, he's mates a prick, that he assaulted me that night, that's if he's going to talk about then he should use the correct words, that I did not consent for him to tell his mates, he's friend thought if was acceptable to make a rapey joke about it. That I deserve better.

Fast forward to today, H is feeling incredibly sorry for himself, sleeping in the spare room, wall of silence etc. I've told him how I feel, that's he's not the man I thought he was and if he really cared as much as he says he does. He would never have shown such disrespect or let his friend speak about me and in front of me in such a way.

Whilst my anger is now sub-siding from what it was and sadness is now sweeping in. I don't think I can get past this.

He's sworn he will get it sorted, speak to his friend and will make it up, win my trust back, blah blah blah. But I just don't think this is possible as I'm not sure how he can correct his actions and believe his words said must of been in a tone that allowed his friend to think his comment was permissible.

I will add we are both in our early 50's, so no excuse for being a young man who doesn't know better. This is both our second marriages, we've been together for 9 years, my first husband was abusive in both words and fists, the stress of this marriage left me in hospital with a serious illness.

Maybe because of my past I'm more sensitive as well as more aware of the actions of some men and therfor more on my guard.

But I just don't see how how I can navigate the above. Prior to this, we had been in a really good place, our relationships was very loving and couldn't have been better.

He swears he didn't tell the story to make a joke out of it, that he didn't think it would cause me so much upset.

There is obviously a pattern here, and AIBU for not personally not wanting to wait around for a next time?

Thanks for readying, I know it's a bit long winded x

OP posts:
MsLuxLisbon · 16/04/2024 16:31

Farahfawsett · 16/04/2024 16:00

Why do you keep blaming your H's friends for being a "bad influence" when he violently sexually assaulted you in your own home, when none of his friends were there to "impress" with his actions and then he bragged about it to another group of men?

Your H is the problem here, not the company he keeps.

Why are you staying with him? He seems to be getting worse.

But the biggest question is, why are you blaming other people for things a grown man (your H) has chosen to do?

I agree, although men like that are ALL the problem. But I get that you meant that they aren't to blame for the OP's husband's behaviour, and on that I'm with you 1000%.

OneTC · 16/04/2024 16:36

You've caught yourself a fucking scumbag here, get rid

EveryKneeShallBow · 16/04/2024 16:37

JamesPringle · 16/04/2024 16:18

This isn't happening because of his friends, it isn't because he's desperate to be liked and is afraid of confrontation. He isn't standing up for you because that is who he is. An absolute, complete bastard who has manipulated you into thinking he's not really a prick, it's just his mates...

I'd consider reporting him for assault, and there is no way, NO WAY, I'd spend another day with such a bellend.

This. OP, you deserve so much better. Please get yourself out of this mess.

StellaLaBella · 16/04/2024 16:54

Your DH sounds like such a weak, embarrassing excuse for a man, the constant excuses for the horrific men he apes (instant ick) would have sounded the death knell for our relationship long before he assaulted me. Really hope he doesn't have any DDs.

My "alpha" DH would rather never have another male friend for the rest of his life than listen to other men who speak like that, let alone know they're actively disrespecting women. He works in a famously misogynistic industry, many of his female colleagues came to our wedding and have remained good friends. Because he won't stand for that shit even when he was very junior. It's one of his most attractive qualities to me. Several of them have told me over the years how much they appreciated his support and refusal to allow them to be mistreated, especially when they were first starting out.

You need to start reframing what happened when he bit you as sexual assault, understand this relationship is not what you thought it was. Be proud for standing up for yourself in the moment OP, but now you need to stand up for yourself for your future life. You deserve so much better BrewFlowers

letsgoskiing · 16/04/2024 16:56

You need to leave. Now.

StellaLaBella · 16/04/2024 16:57

Sorry, I do see you have framed it as sexual assault, what I meant was, frame it the same way as you would if a stranger or aquaintance did it and act accordingly. If you don't want to report it, I understand, but at the very least, use it as the impetus to remove him for your life, no questions asked, no arguments needed. The fact that he used it for the basis of a 'funny story' and he is not so crippled with shame that he felt he COULD, is all you need to know

GreatGateauxsby · 16/04/2024 17:03

BabySnarkDoDoo · 16/04/2024 15:48

This is a genuine LTB situation. The reason he doesn't want to stop being friends with horrible and abusive people is because he is one himself. I'm sorry for the way he's treated you, you deserve much better.

Edited

Yep.

his friends are the symptom, he is the disease.

Your marriage sounds DOA…

itsmylife7 · 16/04/2024 17:08

Show me your friends and I'll tell you what type of person you are .

RollOnSpringDays · 16/04/2024 17:25

Absolutely unforgivable deeds - you absolutely need to end this marriage.

DeathNote11 · 16/04/2024 17:28

So sorry OP. What an awful situation. What are his family like? Do they respect each other or compete with each other? Do family gatherings always revolve around alcohol consumption? I've seen your H's kind of behaviour multiple times in adults who were raised with an alcoholic in the home, hence my asking. Extreme survival skills learned in childhood are toxic to adult relationships, he needs therapy. But please remember that his issues aren't your responsibility to fix.

Heartoverhead1 · 16/04/2024 17:30

The reason he won't say anything to his mate is because they're cut from the same cloth.

WeeOrcadian · 16/04/2024 17:36

He's a cunt

This is definitely LTB territory

But please stop using the word 'rapey', it's fucking hideous and, IMO, undermines the rest of your post

SilkySuky · 16/04/2024 17:38

That's one of the worst things I've read in a while.
I hope you're absorbing what everyone is telling you here, OP.
Get out of this marriage, very quickly.

You don't mention that any of the other people there did anything to back you up, I would get rid of the lot of them.

Either they are spineless or are actually complicit in abusing you as enablers of the prick friend and your husband.

Purplevioletsherbert · 16/04/2024 17:40

I don’t have any advice but fucking well done OP for standing up for yourself and your boundaries throughout.

WaveyGodshawk · 16/04/2024 17:41

He is a nasty, weak, woman hater just like his mates.
You deserve better.
Ive been there. Your bar was so low after coming out of an abusive marriage and he seemed calm and lovely. But he's not, he's just a different type of abuser.
I'm sorry that you're going through this Flowers

Spirallingdownwards · 16/04/2024 17:45

At first I thought you were going to say he was young - like in his 20s - but then I thought no, my sons are in their twenties and no way would they behave like that.

It is made worse that he is a man in his 50s and I would get him to leave.

ALunchbox · 16/04/2024 17:50

I already had enough of your husband by the second paragraph.

Hippomumma2 · 16/04/2024 17:56

I’d end things. There is too much drama with your dh, he is not ok.

Odiebay · 16/04/2024 18:03

You know they say you are the company you keep. Your husband is not the odd one out in his group of weird creepy rapey mates. He is one of them.

You need to leave. He is disgusting.

It takes men stood in a group of men making rapey jokes to call it out. It starts with men correcting their behaviour. Point is you are just seen as a body and inferior to your husband and his twaty mates. That's why he told them about what he did to you. They found it funny. He thought the story made him look good.

You need to leave. You are worth so much more.

I can tell you now my husband would have no problem dropping a "mate" like that. His old mate of 3 years once told me when we were alone"I'd do you even if I had to hold you down". Suffice to say when I told my husband that I have never seen that man again. He was disgusted.

AyrshireTryer · 16/04/2024 18:06

It took you a while to write what you did.
It took me a while to read it.
Read what you wrote.
Read it again and then make a plan.

AlwaysGinPlease · 16/04/2024 18:11

You really need to leave him to be happy. He's a revolting, abusive wanker and you deserve better . Look after yourself .

Amara123 · 16/04/2024 18:13

I love that you unleashed hell each time, warrior!

Now time to finish the business and kick your violent amoeba of a husband out the door.

Just think, a life with no more dinner parties, nights out like this!

2024istheyearforme · 16/04/2024 18:16

Sorry to say but it sounds like this is exactly who he is and he's just another fake around you too, he's masking his true thoughts around everyone. He will never change

allthemiddlechildrenoftheworld · 16/04/2024 18:18

@PaperClips007 that is horrendous!!! sadly, i think most men of the football loving variety are like this because they think it makes them all look manly and macho but it actually makes them look like drunken imbeciles!! I am shocked at someone of his age behaving in this manner!! I wont say LTB but I will say to seriously consider the relationship and your safety within it with his friends because I dont think I would feel safe with his friends being like they are!!

PrincessFionaCharming · 16/04/2024 18:18

You sound like an incredibly strong person. Not afraid at all to stand up, be heard, make a scene. Keep that strength and anger. Pack a bag and leave this utter reprobate. You can do so much better than this desperate loser.