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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Sons GF- AGHHHHHHH

417 replies

OneCheeryGoldMoose · 16/12/2025 10:58

My son has an overseas GF (long haul flight) who he met online (they haven't met IRL yet). They facetime etc, always on the phone. My son is 18 and works full time lives at home with us.

He wants to go and visit her in the New Year.

Trouble is she is insane (I'm sorry but she is) and he won't see it. He has a great relationship with me and his dad and tells us everything.

Everytime he see's friends (even if they are at ours- my sons a gamer lad- not a go out clubbing pub lad) she doesn't speak to him for three days as she tells him he's been cheating on her. His best mate came over at the weekend with his gf and she informed him he'd clearly only bought him over for a threesome......

I asked him if he had hoovered his room whilst he was on call the other day- she then told him he allowed me to have too much control over his life. He came on holiday with us and his two sisters a month ago and she was screeching at him down the phone that he should hide in the airport toilet away from us and not get on the plane because his sisters would speak to girls whilst on holiday which would mean he would also speak to them.

I have chats with all three of my kids at the end of the week like a catch up, check in on life and any issues/advice they want, just like a little mental health check from my side- he told her he was just talking to me for ten minutes and she replied back saying I'm a strange mother and obviously a narcissist that wants to control his life, that would be the only reason I speak to them all so much.

I don't know what to do. He has his own money to go and we will advise but not stop him if he's that adamant about going. But I am terrified she's dangerous and he's in an abusive relationship.
She recently sent him a document about trigger words to avoid when he comes as it will set her off- including speaking about me and his dad, any ex relationships, his sisters and his friends. He burst into tears and spoke to me and his dad. We explained it's not normal but he's in the mindset of when she's nice it's amazing.

His dad is on the verge of hiding his passport ffs. We have said he is the prime position to just block her as we aren't even in the same country but he can't/ won't do it.

OP posts:
FlockOfSausages · 16/12/2025 12:26

This thread is about an immature attention seeking son and an anxious overly involved mother. It’s an excellent example of how drama and theatrics get rewarded with attention.

Around 1 in 3 adults in the USA own a gun. There are more guns than people. The brother owning a gun is just information. He hasn’t been threatened in any way and I would question why he tells his anxious mother every single detail of these conversations.

Sunfloweranddaisy · 16/12/2025 12:27

Not sure if this has been mentioned by others as only read your replies @OneCheeryGoldMoose but I would be very careful she don’t ’accidentally’ get pregnant if he visits.

I hope for your sake he doesn’t go - and yes I would probably hide his passport if I was in your position.

PsychoSyd · 16/12/2025 12:29

@OneCheeryGoldMooseplease be aware that hiding his passport is no deterrent. He could easily report it lost & get a new one.

MistressoftheDarkSide · 16/12/2025 12:29

FlockOfSausages · 16/12/2025 12:26

This thread is about an immature attention seeking son and an anxious overly involved mother. It’s an excellent example of how drama and theatrics get rewarded with attention.

Around 1 in 3 adults in the USA own a gun. There are more guns than people. The brother owning a gun is just information. He hasn’t been threatened in any way and I would question why he tells his anxious mother every single detail of these conversations.

This response is about rank misogyny, lack of insight, naivety and willful ignorance.

Funkytuna · 16/12/2025 12:31

FlockOfSausages · 16/12/2025 12:26

This thread is about an immature attention seeking son and an anxious overly involved mother. It’s an excellent example of how drama and theatrics get rewarded with attention.

Around 1 in 3 adults in the USA own a gun. There are more guns than people. The brother owning a gun is just information. He hasn’t been threatened in any way and I would question why he tells his anxious mother every single detail of these conversations.

How incredibly naive are you. These situations can and do result in people being killed, often. Hopefully you never find out the hard way.

OneCheeryGoldMoose · 16/12/2025 12:31

MistressoftheDarkSide · 16/12/2025 12:29

This response is about rank misogyny, lack of insight, naivety and willful ignorance.

She's also posted three times on this same thread to try and illicit a response, so I am choosing to ignore.

OP posts:
MintDog · 16/12/2025 12:32

Oh Christ. Get rid of his passport and have a bloody stern conversation with him. Honestly, I'd tell him if he's intent on going to see her he can move out. He can live on his own, pay his own bills, he obviously thinks he's a grown up, he can go and be one. Absolutely not a cat in hell's chance I'd be being nice about this. Never mind the safety aspect, for all he knows, she might smell weird and there's zero chemistry in real life! IF she was super nice, I'd still be wary, but she sounds like an absolute fruitcase. She's not suddenly going to be less dangerous in real life. YOU remove his passport or else you'll find he's stuck out there because she's taken it.
How is is speaking to her? Remove her details from his phone and block her!

Cordeliasdemonbabies · 16/12/2025 12:32

ESTA stuff is best bet if he hasn't done it yet. Mention going to see a gf and looking to stay and it will likely get rejected.

Burnnoticed · 16/12/2025 12:33

FlockOfSausages · 16/12/2025 12:26

This thread is about an immature attention seeking son and an anxious overly involved mother. It’s an excellent example of how drama and theatrics get rewarded with attention.

Around 1 in 3 adults in the USA own a gun. There are more guns than people. The brother owning a gun is just information. He hasn’t been threatened in any way and I would question why he tells his anxious mother every single detail of these conversations.

She said "remember my brother has a gun".
That's not just "information"!

TinyCottageGirl · 16/12/2025 12:33

Funkytuna · 16/12/2025 11:06

Definitely hide his passport. Just because he’s 18 now doesn’t mean his life is worth less than it was a year ago and it’s now magically worth risking it just because he’s an adult technically.

I would sit him down and make him watch a documentary on Jodi Arias and/or similar. He needs his eyes opening that this stuff actually does happen with people like this.

Yes unfortunately a boy I was at school with was killed by a man he met 'online' who killed him. Before this, you'd never think it would happen but there are a lot of weird people around. Breck Bednar was his name, worth showing him the documentary.

Cottagegardendiary · 16/12/2025 12:33

OneCheeryGoldMoose · 16/12/2025 10:58

My son has an overseas GF (long haul flight) who he met online (they haven't met IRL yet). They facetime etc, always on the phone. My son is 18 and works full time lives at home with us.

He wants to go and visit her in the New Year.

Trouble is she is insane (I'm sorry but she is) and he won't see it. He has a great relationship with me and his dad and tells us everything.

Everytime he see's friends (even if they are at ours- my sons a gamer lad- not a go out clubbing pub lad) she doesn't speak to him for three days as she tells him he's been cheating on her. His best mate came over at the weekend with his gf and she informed him he'd clearly only bought him over for a threesome......

I asked him if he had hoovered his room whilst he was on call the other day- she then told him he allowed me to have too much control over his life. He came on holiday with us and his two sisters a month ago and she was screeching at him down the phone that he should hide in the airport toilet away from us and not get on the plane because his sisters would speak to girls whilst on holiday which would mean he would also speak to them.

I have chats with all three of my kids at the end of the week like a catch up, check in on life and any issues/advice they want, just like a little mental health check from my side- he told her he was just talking to me for ten minutes and she replied back saying I'm a strange mother and obviously a narcissist that wants to control his life, that would be the only reason I speak to them all so much.

I don't know what to do. He has his own money to go and we will advise but not stop him if he's that adamant about going. But I am terrified she's dangerous and he's in an abusive relationship.
She recently sent him a document about trigger words to avoid when he comes as it will set her off- including speaking about me and his dad, any ex relationships, his sisters and his friends. He burst into tears and spoke to me and his dad. We explained it's not normal but he's in the mindset of when she's nice it's amazing.

His dad is on the verge of hiding his passport ffs. We have said he is the prime position to just block her as we aren't even in the same country but he can't/ won't do it.

Insist you will go with him if he's stupid enough to want to meet this lunatic as clearly he is not responsible enough.

cheesymashfortea · 16/12/2025 12:34

Sounds really worrying OP and he is still so young, I wouldn’t want to let him to go either. Its been a few years since I watched it, but there is a documentary on iplayer about a young man who was abused by his gf and it goes into how her behaviour escalated. Perhaps watching this or something similar would help him to put her behaviour into perspective?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/p0700912/abused-by-my-girlfriend

Abused By My Girlfriend

The remarkable story of Alex Skeel, a 23-year-old man from Bedford who survived an abusive relationship with his girlfriend Jordan Worth.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/p0700912/abused-by-my-girlfriend

OneCheeryGoldMoose · 16/12/2025 12:34

Burnnoticed · 16/12/2025 12:33

She said "remember my brother has a gun".
That's not just "information"!

Just ignore her. She's posted three separate times trying to get a reaction. I'm trying to have a serious discussion concerning my sons welfare- they obviously have too much free time.

OP posts:
Burnnoticed · 16/12/2025 12:35

TinyCottageGirl · 16/12/2025 12:33

Yes unfortunately a boy I was at school with was killed by a man he met 'online' who killed him. Before this, you'd never think it would happen but there are a lot of weird people around. Breck Bednar was his name, worth showing him the documentary.

I have watched this documentary and will never forget this poor boy. I talked to my son about it at the time. Must have had such an impact on his whole community too 💐

LeavesTrees · 16/12/2025 12:35

My worry would be if she is happy for him to see she has these bunny boiler (not sure how to phrase that appropriately) tendencies from a distance when she should be in the “trying to impress” early stages, what on earth will she be like in person or when he is in too deep? Most people present the best version of themselves in the early stages, if this is the best version of herself I can’t imagine what she is like below the surface.

I wouldn’t want him to go. He could end up being married by an Elvis impersonator and never return. A shotgun wedding with a real shotgun. It’s very risky.

maltravers · 16/12/2025 12:37

Could she be blackmailing him (if he agrees she’s crazy but won’t get rid)? The distance has partially protected him from her behaviour - how will it be in person having this controlling person ranting at you?

MistressoftheDarkSide · 16/12/2025 12:40

I think the first line of defence is to maintain the physical distance between them by fair means or foul as necessary. And in the meantime keep the steady drip of rationality going, in as balanced a way as possible, so keeping the lines of communication open.

I might even engineer some wifi issues at the times he's at home and most likely to be in communication with her. If she reacts badly when he cones back online, and sends abusive messages then you have growing evidence of her abuse, and he might also get sick of it.

TinyCottageGirl · 16/12/2025 12:40

OneCheeryGoldMoose · 16/12/2025 11:42

He's struck gold here by qualifying in a dying trade that was calling out for people. He's on nearly 2k a month at 18. We have made it exceptionally clear he won't be on the same money in any other job at his age.

It's a decent salary especially for his age, but thats not going to fund a deposit, mortgage, wife and kids! Explain how much all of this costs and he might have second thoughts...
I really feel for him as sounds like he has been groomed. But no way would my parents let me travel to America to meet an 'online' friend when I was 18.

Thisistyresome · 16/12/2025 12:42

LostittoBostik · 16/12/2025 11:55

This is much more sensible than hiring a PI or alerting the FBI - which will end your relationship with your son for the rest of your life.

You don't tell your son if you hire a PI! A report can throw up details and where to find them. We won't understand all information sources in the US.

If she has 3 kids that she failed to mention and that is in the public domain then you can use that information to wake the son up.

You do this stuff subtly. You have to be very clumsy to have the son burn the relationship with his parents.

TinyCottageGirl · 16/12/2025 12:43

Burnnoticed · 16/12/2025 12:35

I have watched this documentary and will never forget this poor boy. I talked to my son about it at the time. Must have had such an impact on his whole community too 💐

It was a massive wake up call to the school and local area - lots of kids were just starting out gaming then and it made the parents do their research. It was a terrible loss as he was a genuinely lovely boy and makes you realise these things can happen to anyone.

Apocketfilledwithposies · 16/12/2025 12:43

maltravers · 16/12/2025 12:37

Could she be blackmailing him (if he agrees she’s crazy but won’t get rid)? The distance has partially protected him from her behaviour - how will it be in person having this controlling person ranting at you?

This is also an angle to consider op and to discuss with him. Lots of people trustingly send images online and then find themselves blackmailed with them. It's definitely a topic to broach with him incase it's a worry of his about ending things with her.

Mangelwurzelfortea · 16/12/2025 12:44

It sounds like a scam. Also, maybe I'm old-fashioned, but I don't believe you can be in a 'relationship' with someone you've never actually met.

Sunshineandoranges · 16/12/2025 12:44

kirinm · 16/12/2025 11:08

Is this person definitely real as in they are who they say they are? I’m not sure how you deal with it OP but I think I’d be tempted to hide the passport too.

Have you explained how this behaviour is not rational or normal?

Has he dne a recerse image google search to check sheis who she says sheis. He sounds vulnerable

tara66 · 16/12/2025 12:47

OP son surely needs a reality check. He is living in a potentially dangerous dream world re. this girl. He has not set any boundaries re. how she needs to behave with a minimum of respect to you etc. She thinks she can totally control someone she has never met. He is also quite immature inspite of good job. It would be a mistake for him to go to USA. You need to stop him although perhaps when/if he actually does meet her he'll suddenly ''see the truth'' - but that may make a bad situation even worse. Sorry I don't know how to stop him (maybe he'll get the flu'?)

Incelebration · 16/12/2025 12:47

She sounds certifiable.

Also you can't be the girlfriend/boyfriend of someone you've never met.