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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To have confronted DH's cousin for flirting with him?

543 replies

Temporaryusernamename · 05/05/2026 13:56

My husband and I have been together for 18 years, married for 12. We have two children, aged 15 and 13.

Years ago, long before our relationship, when DH and his female 1st cousin were teenagers, they had a brief, secret relationship with each other.

At first, I thought they just slept together, but over the years DH confided in me that he had slept with her once while staying at her house for a week during the summer holidays when they were both 16, but that they also wanted to be together but knew they could never tell anyone.

They lived in different parts of the country and rarely ever saw each other.

My DH has told me he's actually quite angry with his parents for putting them in this position. They were teenagers, who didn't grow up together, rarely saw each other, and yet when the family would meet up once or twice a year, they would always stay over and the kids would be put in the same room, on bunk beds and camp beds, without any thought of the fact that they were developing and going through puberty, just assuming they were innocent kids. He says the curiousity and strong feelings were inevitable and his parents and other adults should have been more responsible.

Anyway, noone at all knows what happened except DH, the cousin, and me.

When they reached young adulthood, the cousin emigrated to a different country and DH and I have only seen her twice in the last 15 years.
However, we are all currently all Holiday together! MIL recently won a large amount of money and took the whole extended family, 17 of us in total, away on a huge Holiday. Cousin is here.

We have been drinking every night and cousin, who is now in her late 30s, and doesn't have a husband or kids of her own, keeps relentlessly saying flirting with DH. Telling him he looks great in shorts, whistling when he takes his top off on the beach, making silly sexual jokes, and hugging him by coming up behind him and resting her head on his shoulder. Noone else seems to notice and DH says not to worry about it as he doesn't feel anything for her and nothing is going to happen and she's just being playful.
But I've noticed she's not like it with any other males here. Just DH.

The final straw for me came last night when she sat on DH's lap while we were all sitting around drinking and put her arms around his neck, and kissed his cheek.

DH just laughed and told her to get up then got up himself and went to the bar.

Again, we had all had quite a lot to drink.

A few minutes later, I went off to the toilet and she was coming back towards me. She was quite drunk and came over with her arms out in front of her to give me a hug. I stepped away and looked her right in the face. I said "Stop flirting with my husband. Don't think I don't know your history. If you come anywhere near him again, I will tell everyone about you two." She looked utterly shocked. I walked away. She must have gone straight to bed.
Today, she's been really quiet all day. Everyone's commented on it but they've just assumed she's really hungover.

MIL and I were sitting on the beach and she commented that this trip has been good for her. She's had a hard time lately as a bloke she was going to marry cheated on her with his ex wife and then went back to her. She's really benefitting from being with family to support her as she's so alone out there.

I feel really guilty for saying that to her last night. I just got so jealous seeing her sitting in his lap, looking amazing in her tiny sundress, knowing their history and she was probably his first love, and felt so insecure. The stupid fling they had was so long ago and they were young and I know at least DH deeply regrets it and is embarrassed about it.

I'm worried I've now ruined her holiday. I didn't know she was going through that. I've been chatting to her to be friendly and get to know her but she never mentioned it

Was I unreasonable?

OP posts:
UncannyFanny · 06/05/2026 07:25

sunflowersandsunsets · 05/05/2026 18:13

Sleeping with your cousin is not a "mistake" ffs.

They were both still immature kids ffs. Or didn’t you bother to read that bit? The law might tell us 16 is the legal age for consent but that doesn’t mean we are necessarily responsible enough at that age to make wise choices regarding sex.

sunflowersandsunsets · 06/05/2026 07:28

UncannyFanny · 06/05/2026 07:25

They were both still immature kids ffs. Or didn’t you bother to read that bit? The law might tell us 16 is the legal age for consent but that doesn’t mean we are necessarily responsible enough at that age to make wise choices regarding sex.

Of course I read it - I was an immature kid once too and it never once occurred to me that it was okay to fuck my cousin 🙄

UncannyFanny · 06/05/2026 07:42

sunflowersandsunsets · 05/05/2026 18:46

Being 16 is not an excuse to fuck your cousin. Jeez. Raise your standards.

No, but it is an excuse for being naive, immature and making poor choices. Not everyone was reading Bunty and playing with My Little Pony at 16 you know. 😉

UncannyFanny · 06/05/2026 07:44

sunflowersandsunsets · 06/05/2026 07:28

Of course I read it - I was an immature kid once too and it never once occurred to me that it was okay to fuck my cousin 🙄

Well that’s because you are perfect, had a perfect upbringing and never made any mistakes. Ever. Which actually sounds rather boring if you think about it. 🙄

sunflowersandsunsets · 06/05/2026 07:46

UncannyFanny · 06/05/2026 07:44

Well that’s because you are perfect, had a perfect upbringing and never made any mistakes. Ever. Which actually sounds rather boring if you think about it. 🙄

If you really think sleeping with your cousin is a “mistake” similar to drinking too much or whatever then you have some issues you may want to take care of.

Waitingforthesunnydays · 06/05/2026 07:57

Temporaryusernamename · 05/05/2026 14:12

And before anyone starts like things like children's ages are different, people don't want to be recognised. They change details.
Both stories are 100% true!!!

So perhaps that means that this woman isn’t his cousin, it’s his sister 😱

ThisTaupeZebra · 06/05/2026 08:05

Its really interesting that everybody is fussing about the potential genetic risk associated with cousins having sex.

But actually, you are all ignoring the injury that has actually happened. The OP's DH and cousin are former lovers, who can't get away from going on holiday together. And one of them has, as a million threads about men going away with former flames have predicted, behaved pretty badly.

What is gruesome in this situation is that the OP can't call it out, because then she's the pervert for 'sexualising' the relationship two close relations have. If it was any other woman she would be supported for admonishing a woman for sitting on her husband's lap. But in this situation? She's the weirdo.

The husband and cousin allowing their relationship to be consumated have created a very difficult situation for the rest of the family and future partners/OP. But because it is so taboo they won't be pulled up on it.

ConnieHeart · 06/05/2026 08:08

Temporaryusernamename · 05/05/2026 14:29

I know, it's gross.

They regret it massively though and definitely don't want anyone to know.

Doesn't sound like she regrets it! But YANBU and even with her recent break up, it doesn't give her the go ahead to flirt with your OH in front of you!

Waitingforthesunnydays · 06/05/2026 08:10

sunflowersandsunsets · 06/05/2026 07:46

If you really think sleeping with your cousin is a “mistake” similar to drinking too much or whatever then you have some issues you may want to take care of.

Yeah it is a bit gross, but really, I don’t get what’s so “wrong” about it. No one got hurt, no one was forced into it, many people all over the world marry their cousins. That doesn’t mean I think it’s ok. No one should be marrying their cousin - we don’t want to end up with a limited gene pool and kids with health conditions. However, a couple of teenagers felt a very natural attraction (as they barely saw each other growing up) to each other, weren’t necessarily mature enough to understand that they shouldn’t have acted on it, and were probably mid-puberty and horny. It’s a bit embarrassing, and if it was me I wouldn’t be admitting it to anyone, but it’s really not that much of a big deal

HisNotHes · 06/05/2026 08:14

PyongyangKipperbang · 05/05/2026 23:13

I tell you what is shocking on this thread, the casual and unacknowledged racism.

[Awaits the "No it isnt because....."]

So if I find two white British cousins sleeping together to be gross, is that racism? Because I do find it gross - same as I would for any race, nationality, skin colour, culture.

Waitingforthesunnydays · 06/05/2026 08:20

@PyongyangKipperbang i don’t get why thinking cousins sleeping together is gross is racist??

Walkyrie · 06/05/2026 08:21

This reply has been deleted

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sunflowersandsunsets · 06/05/2026 08:43

Waitingforthesunnydays · 06/05/2026 08:10

Yeah it is a bit gross, but really, I don’t get what’s so “wrong” about it. No one got hurt, no one was forced into it, many people all over the world marry their cousins. That doesn’t mean I think it’s ok. No one should be marrying their cousin - we don’t want to end up with a limited gene pool and kids with health conditions. However, a couple of teenagers felt a very natural attraction (as they barely saw each other growing up) to each other, weren’t necessarily mature enough to understand that they shouldn’t have acted on it, and were probably mid-puberty and horny. It’s a bit embarrassing, and if it was me I wouldn’t be admitting it to anyone, but it’s really not that much of a big deal

It’s wrong because they’re closely related and had sex. I’m not sure why that seems to need spelling out to so many of you.

Aluna · 06/05/2026 08:52

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It isn’t counted as incest anywhere.

As I’ve said, the actress Greta Scacchi married her cousin, why aren’t you foaming about that?

sunflowersandsunsets · 06/05/2026 09:04

Aluna · 06/05/2026 08:52

It isn’t counted as incest anywhere.

As I’ve said, the actress Greta Scacchi married her cousin, why aren’t you foaming about that?

Yes, it is. First cousin marriage is banned in several places. And presumable people aren’t “foaming” about whoever Greta Scacchi is because this thread isn’t about her 🙄

Aluna · 06/05/2026 09:07

sunflowersandsunsets · 06/05/2026 08:43

It’s wrong because they’re closely related and had sex. I’m not sure why that seems to need spelling out to so many of you.

It seems to need to be spelt out, however, that it’s neither immoral or illegal. Thus this performative hysteria and handwringing is OTT.

Cousins are generally advised to have a blood test due to the increased risk of recessive genetic disorders like cystic fibrosis but the risk is actually small 4-6% (compared to 3% in non-related parents), and other groups also face increased risk such as older parents, or individuals who carry particular genes.

sunflowersandsunsets · 06/05/2026 09:09

Aluna · 06/05/2026 09:07

It seems to need to be spelt out, however, that it’s neither immoral or illegal. Thus this performative hysteria and handwringing is OTT.

Cousins are generally advised to have a blood test due to the increased risk of recessive genetic disorders like cystic fibrosis but the risk is actually small 4-6% (compared to 3% in non-related parents), and other groups also face increased risk such as older parents, or individuals who carry particular genes.

Edited

It is illegal in many places - just because the UK is a bit backwards in that respect doesn’t mean we all have to accept it as okay 👍

MyCottageGarden · 06/05/2026 09:15

That’s revolting 🤢 I would’ve left my ‘D’H if he confessed to having slept with his cousin

Aluna · 06/05/2026 09:15

sunflowersandsunsets · 06/05/2026 09:09

It is illegal in many places - just because the UK is a bit backwards in that respect doesn’t mean we all have to accept it as okay 👍

It’s prohibited due to the increased genetic risks not because it’s actually “incest”. 10% of marriages globally are between 1st or 2nd cousins. The only place it’s actually a criminal offence is in a handful of states in the US.

sunflowersandsunsets · 06/05/2026 09:19

Aluna · 06/05/2026 09:15

It’s prohibited due to the increased genetic risks not because it’s actually “incest”. 10% of marriages globally are between 1st or 2nd cousins. The only place it’s actually a criminal offence is in a handful of states in the US.

If you want to carry on arguing in favour of cousins being allowed to fuck and marry you crack on 🤮

Aluna · 06/05/2026 09:23

sunflowersandsunsets · 06/05/2026 09:19

If you want to carry on arguing in favour of cousins being allowed to fuck and marry you crack on 🤮

I’m not actually arguing in favour of it, just pointing out the facts, and arguing against immature histrionics.

sunflowersandsunsets · 06/05/2026 09:26

Aluna · 06/05/2026 09:23

I’m not actually arguing in favour of it, just pointing out the facts, and arguing against immature histrionics.

👍

Branleuse · 06/05/2026 09:28

I think you shut down her flirting, but your husband should have shut it down before you had to!
You haven't ruined her holiday. Tbh, sounds like she's really affected your holiday so if you've affected hers, then so what?

I'd be telling the husband that you didn't appreciate their weird incestuous flirting display but that you have told her to pack it in, but it shouldn't have been up to you to do that, it should have been him. It grossed you out.

I think feelings between cousins aren't that uncommon, but most people just put it out of their heads as inappropriate.

Its not something I've experienced, but i know two people close to me that almost went there with a cousin but didn't.

I don't think that your husband's cousin having a difficult time, means she gets to get male validation from your husband

Cardinalita90 · 06/05/2026 09:45

You did the right thing, now hold your ground. Do not apologise or dilute it in any way.

I'd be tempted not to speak to DH about it until you're home as there's a chance he'll apologise to her on your behalf for the sake of family harmony.

honeyrider · 06/05/2026 10:01

Cardinalita90 · 06/05/2026 09:45

You did the right thing, now hold your ground. Do not apologise or dilute it in any way.

I'd be tempted not to speak to DH about it until you're home as there's a chance he'll apologise to her on your behalf for the sake of family harmony.

I agree with this, she was inappropriate and you called her out on it. Well done for nipping it in the bud.

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