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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:
Shitshowpolitics · 06/05/2026 19:03

OneShyQuail · 06/05/2026 17:27

I mean there are people on here who keep asking you what your husband has to say for himself about not shutting down the flirting......🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️

He probably apologised for how it all looked and the fact the op had to have a word with his cousin. He probably felt embarrassed and a little bit of shame for letting it happen. Ops last response is smug and she feels heard and validated by her husband. We don't matter.

Joubert1 · 06/05/2026 19:06

Your kids aren’t sharing with their first cousins on this holiday are they @Temporaryusernamename ?!

I would have struggled not to hide a look of pure revulsion if a partner told me this tbh.

Alouest · 06/05/2026 19:07

Temporaryusernamename · 06/05/2026 17:24

FFS people stop arguing whether the cousin-shagging is OK or not. Noone thinks it is. Not me. Not DH. Noone. Why does every Mumsnet thread always go off on irrelevant tangents?
I'm not going to tell you all what's happened now. So there.

Oh no! Please tell. I have not posted about cousin shagging once. In any case, I hope you're OK and the cousin is behaving herself.

Joubert1 · 06/05/2026 19:09

TheBroonOneAndTheWhiteOne · 06/05/2026 16:13

Yes, it's legal.

So what would your response be if your child and your brothers’s child sat you both down and told you they were having sex?

Say “oh it’s legal, that’s fine. Enjoy!” @TheBroonOneAndTheWhiteOne

Temporaryusernamename · 06/05/2026 19:32

Shitshowpolitics · 06/05/2026 19:03

He probably apologised for how it all looked and the fact the op had to have a word with his cousin. He probably felt embarrassed and a little bit of shame for letting it happen. Ops last response is smug and she feels heard and validated by her husband. We don't matter.

Well now you're just trying to goad me.

OP posts:
Temporaryusernamename · 06/05/2026 19:33

I'll update. I'm just on holiday, busy and surrounded by people. I'll get back to the thread, promise.

OP posts:
Shitshowpolitics · 06/05/2026 19:51

Temporaryusernamename · 06/05/2026 19:32

Well now you're just trying to goad me.

Not really. It's your husband and cousin who goaded you what have I got to do with it. I hope he gave you an apology because you shouldn't have to watch it happen.

Shitshowpolitics · 06/05/2026 19:52

Temporaryusernamename · 06/05/2026 19:33

I'll update. I'm just on holiday, busy and surrounded by people. I'll get back to the thread, promise.

You deserve better and should be around family who love you not people.

bigboykitty · 06/05/2026 19:55

OP is right. It's very fkn tedious when the same posters show up on thread after thread saying just one thing over and over again. It's pathetic. I'd name names but I'll get deleted for telling the truth.

PlacidPenelope · 06/05/2026 19:59

bigboykitty · 06/05/2026 19:55

OP is right. It's very fkn tedious when the same posters show up on thread after thread saying just one thing over and over again. It's pathetic. I'd name names but I'll get deleted for telling the truth.

It is, we've got the message loud and clear from them, continuous repetition is not required but on and on and on they go the purpose being to ruin the thread and make it all about them.

That saying about empty vessels springs to mind.

PopcornKitten · 06/05/2026 20:03

I’ve read all your updates OP and I think Well done you to standing up to the cousin who was clearly flirting with your husband. She has used him either to boost her ego or because of their shared history or whatever without any regard for you. Bravo for calling her out on her behaviour.
don’t feel bad or try to apologise to her. You have nothing to apologise for. The comments about her having a tough time do not give her a free pass to humiliate you like that. She shouldn’t be using your DH to boost her self esteem.
i would imagine your DH was struggling with boundaries here due to his personality or the awkwardness of her exposing their shared revolting past. I hope you have reminded him that he needs to enforce boundaries with her. You should be his priority.
moving forwards I wouldn’t have anything to do with her again. The holiday was a bad idea- who really wants to go away with a past shag they are ashamed of?
I think you’ve been getting a rough time from some posters but 100% don’t back down. People screw up and do stupid things and that was over two decades ago so clearly both you and her have moved on. The holiday has just brought it all back due to her behaviour.

ChiliFiend · 06/05/2026 20:25

Temporaryusernamename · 05/05/2026 19:21

Tbh, I didn't even really think about the cousin thing much after he told me 🤷
There wasn't like a "hmmmm shall I marry this man after his past?" It was just a stupid thing that happened in his youth to me. It doesn't define him in any way.
Never saw the girl. Never thought about it.

And quite honestly, if I thought that people wouldn't have questioned why she was there on the Holiday, I wouldn't have mentioned she's a cousin, because it's not really what I wanted opinions on.

That's not to say I approve of the cousin fucking. I don't. Neither does he. But it's not the defining moment of his entire personality and life.

For what it's worth, I think I would take the same approach as you. It's not that big a deal in the big scheme of things.

The problem is not that he shagged his cousin when they were both 16. It's that she's now flirting with him - on what planet did she think sitting on his lap was appropriate?! That's inappropriate regardless of whether there was a sexual history between them. She deserves to be called out, and so does he for not making it really clear that it's not welcome.

August1980 · 06/05/2026 20:54

Please OP explain it to me like a 3 year old - I can’t work out who shagged your teenage husband? Your sister, his sister or his cousin?

Franpie · 06/05/2026 21:03

August1980 · 06/05/2026 20:54

Please OP explain it to me like a 3 year old - I can’t work out who shagged your teenage husband? Your sister, his sister or his cousin?

It’s not difficult, just read the bloody thread. Or at least all the OP’s posts.

August1980 · 06/05/2026 21:16

Franpie · 06/05/2026 21:03

It’s not difficult, just read the bloody thread. Or at least all the OP’s posts.

I am probably not seeing all but a lot of it is deleted. I can see the comments on the deleted posts but that is getting even more confusing.

any op hope you got sorted. It is an awkward situation for all three of you (whichever 3 you are in this saga)

matresense · 06/05/2026 21:20

Sorry your thread got derailed OP. I hope that things have settled down and everyone is behaving!

PopcornKitten · 06/05/2026 21:29

OPs teenage DH has sex with his also teenage cousin. This cousin is now on holiday with them and flirting with OPs DH.

TheBroonOneAndTheWhiteOne · 06/05/2026 21:35

Joubert1 · 06/05/2026 19:09

So what would your response be if your child and your brothers’s child sat you both down and told you they were having sex?

Say “oh it’s legal, that’s fine. Enjoy!” @TheBroonOneAndTheWhiteOne

Yes. It wouldn't bother me.

Joubert1 · 06/05/2026 21:38

You will hopefully never know that for sure

AllTheChaos · 06/05/2026 21:46

I mean, yes it was bloody poor decision making from a couple of heterosexual then 16 years, hormones no doubt on overdrive, who were put to sleep alone together in the same room for family holidays several times a year. So it sounds like it wasn’t just their decision making that was questionable. On top of which, did none of the posters freaking out about it make poor decisions relating to sex at that age? Or at least would have made poor decisions given the chance? I know I probably would have!

Laura95167 · 06/05/2026 22:05

Its a wild tale. And i think DH blaming his parents is kinda accountability dodging. First while 1st cousin relationships arent illegal in the UK they are kinda taboo.

It wouldnt occur to me to think kids in the family would have sex as teens.

But I completely agree, that now as adults when hes there with you its horrifically inappropriate and you were reasonable to ask her to back off. She should be embarrassed, everyone else would be horrified

NotAnotherScarf · 06/05/2026 22:43

Shitshowpolitics · 06/05/2026 15:06

I don't know if you remember this article about one in 14 children dying because their parents are closely related article. Just because it's legal doesn't mean it's morally or medically right. The research and studies is out there and people can either educate themselves or ignore it.

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2026/feb/12/one-in-14-children-who-die-in-england-have-closely-related-parents-study-finds

Agree especially when the parents of the people marrying are also cousins.

DetectiveDouche · 06/05/2026 23:20

I have scanned the thread and (sorry to avoid the point OP) haven't seen anyone address the fact that it is not only legal in the UK to shag one's first cousin, they can also marry and procreate with one. No I wouldn't be up for it personally.. but nonetheless it does make all the hysterical pearl clutching slightly ridiculous. Gotta love mumsnet 🤣

Uniqueheartbee · 06/05/2026 23:23

I think you were totally reasonable what you said to her.

She on the other hand was totally unreasonable behaving like that.

Please give us an update as and when!

DustlandFairytales · 07/05/2026 00:00

DetectiveDouche · 06/05/2026 23:20

I have scanned the thread and (sorry to avoid the point OP) haven't seen anyone address the fact that it is not only legal in the UK to shag one's first cousin, they can also marry and procreate with one. No I wouldn't be up for it personally.. but nonetheless it does make all the hysterical pearl clutching slightly ridiculous. Gotta love mumsnet 🤣

I feel the opposite of you. I do not know a single person irl who would think it's ok but apparently they're all on mumsnet.

(Sorry op for contributing to the de-rail. Fwiw I hope you're all right.)

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