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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

AIBU to refuse asking my celebrity friend’s husband for business help?

246 replies

Soontobesingles · 26/03/2026 19:01

I have recently (in last three years) become friendly with a celebrity - her husband is also a celebrity and much much more famous than she is. I’ve met him three times in passing (he was polite but not really interested in me, which is fine).

My husband has never met this woman or her husband, though he knows I know her and have met him. When I say ‘friendly’, she and I have a common interest and meet a few times a year for social occasions, to go to events to do with our interest and we stay in touch by text and social media. She is hardly my best mate and I am very careful not to overstep because I am sure she has a lot of piss takers in her life. She is very nice and I like her company. Our shared interest is also very niche (think Japanese performance art) so it’s nice to have someone to share that with. We don’t discuss personal stuff really beyond the odd story about our kids. Anyway, recently my husband has got it into his head that her husband can do him a favour. Basically he wants her husband to reach out to his contacts that might facilitate a lucrative business deal for my husband. He has asked me to meet up with her to suggest this and arrange a meeting with the four of us. I have said absolutely no way, it’s cringey, embarrassing and would end my friendship. Her husband is obviously not going to set up a business deal for his wife’s weird art friend’s husband. It’s user territory and I don’t want to do it. Anyway my husband won’t let it go and has been going on for weeks. He is currently sulking and refusing to eat dinner with me because ‘I’m putting this woman’s feelings before my family security’ (he thinks he could earn big from the deal). His last thing was that I just want to be a celebrity hanger on and am letting the marriage down. I think I am being normal and he is unhinged, but need an outside perspective. AIBU?

OP posts:
Createausername1970 · 26/03/2026 19:02

Do not do this.

TheBabyFatmoss · 26/03/2026 19:04

You are definitely not being unreasonable. Your husband is being a idiot and a sulking man baby, even if you pushed for this the likelihood is her husband wouldn’t be interested and your friendship would be over

NewGoldFox · 26/03/2026 19:04

Hubby needs to make his own contacts down the golf course.

Bournetilly · 26/03/2026 19:05

YANBU, this is an awful idea!

saraclara · 26/03/2026 19:06

Oh how cringey. How on earth could he think this a rational and socially acceptable road to go down?

Tigger18 · 26/03/2026 19:08

Oh good lord no trust your instincts on this, there's no better or more final way to end the friendship.

Fimofriend · 26/03/2026 19:09

Seems like your husband has been watching The Apprentice. Please do not let him persuade you.

Soontobesingles · 26/03/2026 19:10

saraclara · 26/03/2026 19:06

Oh how cringey. How on earth could he think this a rational and socially acceptable road to go down?

I know. He does get fixated on things and come up with schemes, but it normally blows over or doesn’t really affect me. I’m starting to worry he is getting delusional because it feels so obviously unreasonable - but he is so adamant it’s not!

OP posts:
senua · 26/03/2026 19:11

he thinks he could earn big from the deal
If the plan is that great then it won't hinge on one person (the celebrity DH).

SalmonOnFinnCrisp · 26/03/2026 19:12

He is out of his mind....

Depending on how adamant he is I'd be suspicious there's something wrong woth his business (debt, lost clients ...something)

Poetnojo · 26/03/2026 19:13

He is being VV unreasonable, what on earth makes him think this celebrity is going to agree to a meeting with him or helping him out in any way? Totally bonkers.

Soontobesingles · 26/03/2026 19:13

senua · 26/03/2026 19:11

he thinks he could earn big from the deal
If the plan is that great then it won't hinge on one person (the celebrity DH).

The issue is my DH would have literally no other way to access the contacts her DH could facilitate. It’s like my husband suddenly thinks he potentially has access to the ear of government because her DH does.

OP posts:
Soontobesingles · 26/03/2026 19:13

SalmonOnFinnCrisp · 26/03/2026 19:12

He is out of his mind....

Depending on how adamant he is I'd be suspicious there's something wrong woth his business (debt, lost clients ...something)

Oh god. This is possible.

OP posts:
Redboard · 26/03/2026 19:14

A mum at school is married to a celebrity and people ask her or him for things all the time! It looks like a real pain in the ass Eg People have asked him at the gates to retweet their business later

toomuchfaff · 26/03/2026 19:18

absolutely no way, it’s cringey, embarrassing and would end my friendship.

Your husband is being unreasonable. Let him sulk, let him moan, let him have toddler tantrums. Don't sway on this.

GertrudePerkinsPaperyThing · 26/03/2026 19:18

How awful.

It is guaranteed her husband won’t want to help, and that it will end the friendship.

Your husband ought to know this, and ought never to have asked.

I don’t think I could stay married to someone who even asked this!

Soontobesingles · 26/03/2026 19:20

GertrudePerkinsPaperyThing · 26/03/2026 19:18

How awful.

It is guaranteed her husband won’t want to help, and that it will end the friendship.

Your husband ought to know this, and ought never to have asked.

I don’t think I could stay married to someone who even asked this!

It’s giving me the ick big time. His perspective is ‘why wouldn’t he want to help it will be nothing to him and a nice thing for his wife’s friend.’ My perspective is, people don’t want to do business favours for strangers for lots of reasons I think are too obvious to have to point out.

OP posts:
Bristolandlazy · 26/03/2026 19:20

Oh god no, how embarrassing that would be. One hundred percent no no no no and no

365RubyRed · 26/03/2026 19:20

Tell him to make his own celebrity buddies.

TwinklyRoseTurtle · 26/03/2026 19:22

Personally I’d lie to him, say you asked and she refused and now you don’t see her as much. Not nice to lie but I feel you have no other choice except if you divorce him 😂

Ladypartsproblem · 26/03/2026 19:25

Do not do this! It’s an awful idea. Your husband is being a CF and it will ruin your friendship.

Instructions · 26/03/2026 19:27

Does he really think your friend's husband would? He surely can't believe that. It's just not realistic to think what he wants would happen.

Octavia64 · 26/03/2026 19:27

No no no.

PolkaDotPorridge · 26/03/2026 19:28

That will be the end of the friendship

BansheeOfTheSouth · 26/03/2026 19:28

TwinklyRoseTurtle · 26/03/2026 19:22

Personally I’d lie to him, say you asked and she refused and now you don’t see her as much. Not nice to lie but I feel you have no other choice except if you divorce him 😂

Normally think honesty is vital in a relationship but in this case @Soontobesingles - Lie your heart out and make sure your lovely "weird art friend" never encounters your husband in case he has the absolute gall to demand her husband helps him.

Does he not for one second think the celebrity husband might be the type to punish people who try to use him for personal gain and warn his contacts to never do business with your husband? Seed to plant.