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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

DH friends want to discuss me, I want to be there, AIBU (TW)

739 replies

Anon8761 · 13/07/2026 23:25

NC.

This may be outting but I don't really care at this stage. It's also late so forgive any typos and I'm sorry if I forget anything and end up drip feeding.

TW: Mentions past sexual assault.

Me and DH married 5 years together 9.
DH has a friend group who meet weekly for food or a particular hobby they all enjoy. DH met most of these friends in school, they've been friends 30 years.

I was out one evening at a social event. I saw one of these friends sat on his own. We were at a bar type place. I text DH and asked if I should invite him to join me and friends. DH said of course, he even said he was happy friend (B) was there as if I became anxious or anything, he'd have my back. Sort of 'B is one of my people.. he'll look after you!' mentality.

I have PTSD. I was spiked and raped at 17 by 2 men. So social situations in bars can be difficult at times.
I'm 33 now, but still struggle quite a bit with flashbacks and things. I've worked immensely hard with EMDR therapy to try and overcome my difficulties. So, with that in mind DH was happy B was there.

I invited B over and almost immediately he said he was surprised to see me there 'because of what happened to me (the rapes)'
I was shocked. I didn't even know he knew.

He then proceeded to tell me the whole 'inner circle knew'. That DH had told them all.
Worse still, he carried on discussing my trauma at the table, at the bar, he wouldn't stop digging.

He even asked if DH satisfied me in bed.
He asked if I enjoyed sex more before my trauma or after. (He was unaware the age I was raped. But regardless. It made me VERY uncomfortable).

The list goes on... And on..
He said 'sorry if this is making you uncomfortable' mid way through but then continued?? So I don't think he was actually sorry.

This was ALL within ear shot of my friends, whom don't know my trauma, because it's private. Ultimately he made my whole evening about the worst time of my life, ever. He made me feel it defined me again, when I've worked tirelessly.. to be me and recover.

I end up leaving the social. A few friends text me to see if I am ok after as said I looked uncomfortable.
I told DH.

DH was angry. Has told his other friends. DH wants to never see B again.
However, other friends in this stupid inner circle now want some sort of meeting with them and DH and B.
To discuss this.. issue. To 'work through it' because it will make life difficult with their meet ups.

DH said to one friend, 'but what if it was your wife? And I'd said this, you wouldn't want a discussion would you?' And he agreed but still is pushing this, 'discussion' 'incase the friendship is salvageable'.

DH still wants to cut B off, but is willing to discuss because his friends keep asking him to.
But I'm so hurt, B attended our wedding etc.. he was supposed to look out for me that night, but instead made me feel unsafe and uncomfortable.

And quite frankly, why are these men planning on sitting around to discuss this? I feel vulnerable enough now. I feel upset enough.

So, I said to DH, if they plan on discussing this, I want to be there. DH said 'but I do have your back on this.' but I've asked DH to instead invite them to our house and I will send DC to my mums, because.. I don't know, I want minimum an apology before I ask B to leave.

DH said his friends are likely worried I will make them uncomfortable. But AIBU? I don't like the idea of them sitting and discussing it, especially B.

Sorry I'm a bit heartbroken.
Thanks.

OP posts:
MsIceSandwich · Yesterday 18:23

SpidersAreShitheads · Yesterday 14:27

As you’re quoting me, I’ll respond.

It’s not a “low bar”. It might be where you draw your red line and that’s fine, but to suggest other women are making inferior judgements is pretty rude, tbh.

Humans are imperfect. If someone makes a poor decision but genuinely believed they were doing the right thing, I would be inclined to give them another chance.

As I said above, intent matters. As does the overall picture.

If this was the final straw in a marriage where a man was consistently disregarding my wishes or being unsupportive, then he’d be gone.

But if he was generally kind, loving, and supportive but thought that he was protecting me by making sure everyone around me knew so they could look out for me, then yes, I’d forgive him. I’d be bloody angry but a mistake made in good faith in a marriage where I was otherwise respected and loved, is retrievable.

We don’t have to agree on this.

If he'd told one person then I might agree with you but he's telling anyone who'll listen, that's really not a mistake made in good faith its a recurrent choice and that makes him an arsehole.

godmum56 · Yesterday 18:27

The OP has made a new thread

ThreadGuardDog · Yesterday 18:28

SpidersAreShitheads · Yesterday 14:27

As you’re quoting me, I’ll respond.

It’s not a “low bar”. It might be where you draw your red line and that’s fine, but to suggest other women are making inferior judgements is pretty rude, tbh.

Humans are imperfect. If someone makes a poor decision but genuinely believed they were doing the right thing, I would be inclined to give them another chance.

As I said above, intent matters. As does the overall picture.

If this was the final straw in a marriage where a man was consistently disregarding my wishes or being unsupportive, then he’d be gone.

But if he was generally kind, loving, and supportive but thought that he was protecting me by making sure everyone around me knew so they could look out for me, then yes, I’d forgive him. I’d be bloody angry but a mistake made in good faith in a marriage where I was otherwise respected and loved, is retrievable.

We don’t have to agree on this.

Sorry. It’s a very low bar. On the floor in fact. The right response to the comments would have been to ask his friends to leave. Instead he chose to share OP’s trauma without her consent. His motives for that are clear. Throwing his ’friends’ out would have affected and possibly ended those friendships. Exposing his wife’s trauma to all and sundry was a way around that. If that wasn’t uppermost in his mind, I’d like to know what was, given that this trauma wasn’t his to share. At all.

ThreadGuardDog · Yesterday 18:29

MsIceSandwich · Yesterday 18:23

If he'd told one person then I might agree with you but he's telling anyone who'll listen, that's really not a mistake made in good faith its a recurrent choice and that makes him an arsehole.

Absolutely this.

ThreadGuardDog · Yesterday 18:29

godmum56 · Yesterday 18:27

The OP has made a new thread

Can you link please @godmum ?

Bigcat25 · Yesterday 18:34

I'm very sorry for what you're going through op. I don't like his logic for telling his boss, mil, etc. emergencies don't have advanced warning. His boss doesn't need years of notice that he might have to leave one day. He could also communicate this without going into specifics, ie, saying that you've had a traumatic event for example.

Gymnopedie · Yesterday 19:35

Unfortunately, I discovered DH has told his boss about the assault and chronic pain conditions so he could get off early should I 'need' him. It was 'for my benefit'. I've no idea what else he's been saying.

Sorry OP but I think your 'D'H is shit. And what he's got is a bad case of main character syndrome. Even though it's not his trauma, when he tells people he's still going to get a lot of 'gosh', 'wow', 'how awful'. And then he'll get the questions (because a lot of people are like that) 'Did she know the person?', 'how old was she?', 'did she report it to the police?' etc. And all the time their eyes, ears and attention are on him.

He doesn't have your back, however much he tries to spin it that way. He's only looking out for himself and how your trauma can benefit him.

I'd be seriously thinking about whether you want to continue in a relationship where your husband sees your history as a way to gain cultural capital.

Charttopper · Yesterday 20:03

Sorry I haven't read all replies but just wanted to jump on and say he's been using your trauma to seek attention. Look at "Husband", isn't he a hero for looking after his wife, poor Husband and all he must be going through etc. He enjoys the shock factor and their reactions. That's not to say he's deliberately trying to hurt you....he hasn't told you because he knows he's doing it for selfish reasons, it's for his gratification but he's separated it from your actual trauma by not telling you.

Horses7 · Yesterday 20:34

You are actually wonderful - you’ve dealt with so much in your life so far.
Your husband has let you down badly - I wonder if men really have a clue about rape and how devastating and life changing it must be.
You’re right B sounds weird and definitely was asking you very intimate questions - which sounds like he was finding your answers a turn on.
Please don’t let all this affect your life going forward, although it must feel impossible at the moment, it will get better. You will get through this because you’ve got through worse before this happened.
I hope you get the help and advice you need.
Sending best wishes to you.

socialdilemmawhattodo · Yesterday 21:03

I have seen that you have started a new thread and I will go and read that later. I am so sorry for you - you must feel multiply betrayed. You are an incredibly brave woman - you have taken so many steps to ensure that what happened to you at such a young age doesn't define your life. You are amazing. And yet your supporter, the one who has shared your life, just seems to have betrayed you. I do agree with other posters above - this feels like he is inserting himself to become the centre of the "drama". How dare he? And all of that discussion without ever a word to you. Wow. Personally I would totally struggle to get past that, that he so casually shared such personal and intimate information. Is he normally so loose-lipped about confidential work matters, family history, friends marriage issues? Only you will know.

hypnovic · Yesterday 22:41

I'm so so sorry this happened to you and the DH betrayed you like this.

With so many men in disgusting group chats and on vile websites I wouldn't trust a single one of them.

Can you get some therapy to process this ? Xxx

TessSaysYes · Yesterday 23:57

I feel livid for you.
What a freak B is, but also I detect intense malice in what he did to you that evening. Could he be expressing hatred/jealousy of your DH by proxy.
Your DH needs to seriously bin the lot of them.
Oh, and you DH has really let you down discussing your private stuff with mates...what a fool 😳 Does he have not judgement? 😳

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