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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

DP’s messages in group chat - do I confront him?

636 replies

PollyJH · 04/04/2025 16:46

Feeling a bit upset/unsure what to do currently. I have a close friend who is going through a rough time with her partner (pretty much on brink of splitting up). He, my DP and a couple of other friends’ partners have become matey over the years and are in a group chat together.

Here’s the issue. My friend has had recent suspicions that her partner is ‘playing away’, and at the suggestion of another friend, went through his phone. He was on a work call whilst it was charging in another room, so no risk of him walking in.

She didn’t find any evidence of him messaging other women, but did go through recent messages in the group chat I mentioned above.

She took photos of different exchanges and sent them to me. These involve my DP using some really inappropriate terms when discussing other women, including members of our wider friend group - two in particular that are single. We met up as a group last weekend which is likely why it was a recent discussion.

One of the two, he said he ‘wouldn’t ride her into battle’ and the other one, he said (quoted exactly) ‘she must be a shit shag because I’ve never known anyone with a body like that to be single for that long’ followed by laughing emoji’s.

I’ve literally found this out this afternoon and DP is not back from work yet. Do I say anything? It will possibly give away that my friend has been snooping on her partner and I don’t want to cause any issues for her. But at the same time,
i’m really upset about how my DP described my two friends.

OP posts:
Moonnstars · 04/04/2025 16:49

I don't think anything good ever comes from snooping. Yes it's not appropriate, especially because it's people you know however do you ever discuss relationships/men with your friends?

gamerchick · 04/04/2025 16:49

I don't think I could stop myself confronting him. Your friend sent you those for a reason. What a horrible specimen.

PollyJH · 04/04/2025 16:52

Moonnstars · 04/04/2025 16:49

I don't think anything good ever comes from snooping. Yes it's not appropriate, especially because it's people you know however do you ever discuss relationships/men with your friends?

Not in those sort of terms, I’ve never singled out my DP’s single mates and been rude about them.

OP posts:
cadburyegg · 04/04/2025 16:57

I would confront him.

Some women wouldn’t care, but you obviously do.

FWIW that would give me the major ick that I’m not sure I’d be able to come back from. It’s grim.

Didimum · 04/04/2025 16:57

How long have you been together? Mortgage? Kids? Some things might be better off unheard, all things considered. But the cat's out the bag now and I personally don't think I could ever feel the same way about my partner after discovering something like this. Is he the kind of guy to 'talk shit' like this with you too? Or does he otherwise pretend he is decent and respectful?

RatandToad · 04/04/2025 16:57

No good ever comes from snooping.
Would you be able to legitimately borrow his phone and see his messages?

That, or just end it, assuming it is a deal breaker for you to discover he is a misogynist, even if you can't present him with evidence or explanation without outing your friend.

HuffleMyPuffle · 04/04/2025 16:59

No

Leave it

Your friend was wrong to go snooping in that chat and she's causing drama by telling you

Don't police his actions with his mates.

You'll come across as controlling

WhereIsMyJumper · 04/04/2025 17:05

Ugh. Why are men such cunts.

PollyJH · 04/04/2025 17:08

Didimum · 04/04/2025 16:57

How long have you been together? Mortgage? Kids? Some things might be better off unheard, all things considered. But the cat's out the bag now and I personally don't think I could ever feel the same way about my partner after discovering something like this. Is he the kind of guy to 'talk shit' like this with you too? Or does he otherwise pretend he is decent and respectful?

4 years, engaged and hoping to have kids in the future (post wedding).

He has never made comments of this nature around me before.

OP posts:
PollyJH · 04/04/2025 17:09

HuffleMyPuffle · 04/04/2025 16:59

No

Leave it

Your friend was wrong to go snooping in that chat and she's causing drama by telling you

Don't police his actions with his mates.

You'll come across as controlling

This is my fear, and would put my friend right in it with her partner too.

I wish she’d never sent me them to be honest

OP posts:
ZippyPeer · 04/04/2025 17:13

It's giving you some interesting insight into how your partner views women...it would definitely change how I saw my partner tbh.

Any other signs of misogyny or is it just a weakness for trying to impress The Lads (which is still toxic imo)?

Bumblebeestiltskin · 04/04/2025 17:14

I'm really shocked by the people saying leave it - I couldn't be in a relationship with someone who talks about women in such a disgusting way.

IGuessIllbetheFirst · 04/04/2025 17:14

Well you know now how he talks about women and that he doesn’t really respect women. One day he could talk about you like that. How do you feel about that?

PollyJH · 04/04/2025 17:17

I find it disgusting but just don’t think I can bring it up without causing a lot of trouble 😐

OP posts:
ExtraOnions · 04/04/2025 17:17

I have some Private chats with my Best Mates on WhatsApp, that can be saucy. Maybe they go too far … but it’s all meaningless, just a bit of fun.

Snooping .. then dragging you into her marital woes, is much worse.

Cnidarian · 04/04/2025 17:18

Men just hate us don't they. Even the ones that comes across as nice guys when they think no one's looking this is how they speak. And it's us that at crazy amd paranoid when we point it out.

soarklyknobs · 04/04/2025 17:20

Doesn’t it give you the ICK to know that this is how he views women?

Are you sure you want to marry him?

WhereIsMyJumper · 04/04/2025 17:22

Cnidarian · 04/04/2025 17:18

Men just hate us don't they. Even the ones that comes across as nice guys when they think no one's looking this is how they speak. And it's us that at crazy amd paranoid when we point it out.

Completely agree. They are personally offended by us not being attractive enough, or being too attractive, or being married or being single.
It’s like they think we exist only for their entertainment.

gannett · 04/04/2025 17:24

Your friend shouldn't have snooped - it would be a red line for me and I think it's even worse behaviour than the crude sex talk.

But you absolutely can't drop her in it by bringing up the messages with your partner. You know what the consequences will be and it'd be tremendously disloyal of you.

You have the information you need, anyway. I'm not sure what you'd hope to gain by talking to your partner about the messages. For him to grovel enough that you'd forgive him? (Meaningless - he wouldn't apologise without evidence.) If it's a dealbreaker you get to leave him, and you don't have to tell him specifically why.

sommerjade · 04/04/2025 17:25

op what do you mean by ‘causing trouble’ are you scared to upset your partner

CharlotteBakewell · 04/04/2025 17:29

She shouldn’t have sent you those messages if she thought you might confront your DH. She’s brought you into her troubles now! What did she expect from sending them to you?

I wouldn’t be able to keep that from my DH tbh.

stayathomegardener · 04/04/2025 17:30

Your friend shouldn’t have sent you those messages if she didn’t want it brought up.

PollyJH · 04/04/2025 17:32

I think she regretted sending them because not long after she told me ‘obviously don’t say anything to DP’

OP posts:
WhereIsMyJumper · 04/04/2025 17:33

PollyJH · 04/04/2025 17:32

I think she regretted sending them because not long after she told me ‘obviously don’t say anything to DP’

She absolutely cannot share something like that with you and then tell you not to tell him

PollyJH · 04/04/2025 17:34

WhereIsMyJumper · 04/04/2025 17:33

She absolutely cannot share something like that with you and then tell you not to tell him

She’s a bit all over the place at the moment, isn’t acting overly rational!

OP posts:
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