Please or to access all these features

Relationships

Mumsnet has not checked the qualifications of anyone posting here. If you need help urgently or expert advice, please see our domestic violence webguide and/or relationships webguide. Many Mumsnetters experiencing domestic abuse have found this thread helpful: Listen up, everybody

Woman’s top in partners washing and now he’s accusing ME of cheating

102 replies

Anastas1a · 07/09/2026 13:25

I genuinely don’t know what to think about this and would appreciate some opinions.
I’ve been with my DP a long time. He stayed at a friend’s for a couple of days as we needed some space we have been bickering over silly things, we sorted that issue out and yesterday he needed to catch up on some washing.
He took some washing from the basket, but also had a bag of washing in his car from when he’d been away. He washed it and put it out on the line.
Amongst his washing was a woman’s vest.
I asked him where the washing had come from and he said it was from the bag in his car from when he’d stayed away. So obviously I asked him how a woman’s top had ended up in there.
Instead of just explaining it, he immediately got really defensive and aggressive and started insinuating that I knew exactly where the top had come from.
He then started suggesting that I’d had a woman staying at the house while he’d been away and was basically accusing me of cheating on him with women / being bisexual / having lesbian relationships. This is not the first time he has accused me of this!
I was completely baffled because I have absolutely no idea where the top came from. I was asking HIM because I wanted to know.
This morning I brought it up again because I wanted him to explain what exactly he was insinuating about me, as he has never had any reason to think I’m bi sexual or unfaithful other than a few years ago when we would go out together and random woman on the odd occasion have complimented me on my looks/body, he said I should of told them to leave me alone and not entertain it, the only other incident was my friend did tap my bum years ago when she was tipsy jokingly complimenting my behind, and I addressed this with her afterwards it’s not happened since.

Last week I stayed at a friends house I never go out anymore but it was an overdue catch up we ended up sharing a taxi and I stayed over , the next day he saw my underwear in the washing basket and my discharge was more noticeable than usual and he brought it up I explained calmly that it’s due to being peri menopausal and the fact we had a slip up that week and had to take emergency contraception.

He completely lost it this morning.
Shouting, screaming, swearing, calling me degrading names, I never called him no names.
He doesn’t normally speak to me like that and I was honestly shocked.
In the end I told him to leave. I said I’m not having any man speak to me like that and kicked him out.
He’s now been texting me for hours, still insisting that I know where the top came from and bringing up my underwear again and trying to turn the whole thing around on me. It’s almost like he’s trying to convince me that I’M the one who’s done something wrong.
I accept there could be an innocent explanation for the top. That’s not even necessarily my biggest concern at this point.
It’s the reaction.
If your partner found a woman’s top in your washing, surely you’d expect them to ask where it came from? Why immediately accuse them of cheating and then become verbally abusive when they ask you about it?
Am I missing something here?
Would you be more suspicious about the top itself, or more concerned about his reaction?
What would you do?

OP posts:
ReallyIsThisStillGoingOn · 07/09/2026 13:29

He sounds guilty of cheating but that is almost irrelevant now. The extreme verbal abuse is a reason in itself to end this relationship.

Toosadtonight · 07/09/2026 13:30

Honestly at this point I wouldn’t give a fuck about the T-shirt just break up with him because he sounds dangerous when asked about anything.

sunnyfeet · 07/09/2026 13:32

ReallyIsThisStillGoingOn · 07/09/2026 13:29

He sounds guilty of cheating but that is almost irrelevant now. The extreme verbal abuse is a reason in itself to end this relationship.

Absolutely this

Error404FucksNotFound · 07/09/2026 13:32

What would I do after being subjected to that abusive behaviour?
Leave.

WinterBlues26 · 07/09/2026 13:32

Forget about the top and concentrate on getting rid of this man permanently. Look up DARVO, it's classic abusive behaviour.

Then look up JADE and stop explaining or justifying your night out.

BillieWiper · 07/09/2026 13:32

He's an absolute mug and maniac to boot. Please just stop accepting this nonsense. Block him and never speak to him again. He's vile.

Sakura7 · 07/09/2026 13:34

Why are you putting up with this? Ged rid!

Electricsausages · 07/09/2026 13:35

Get rid, not worth another conversation about the top or anything

OneDreamyAquaEagle · 07/09/2026 13:46

Classic DARVO.

Cotopaxi · 07/09/2026 13:49

WinterBlues26 · 07/09/2026 13:32

Forget about the top and concentrate on getting rid of this man permanently. Look up DARVO, it's classic abusive behaviour.

Then look up JADE and stop explaining or justifying your night out.

Classic DARVO isn't it?

ISpeakJive · 07/09/2026 13:52

At this point, him cheating or you cheating is irrelevant. The relationship sounds like it’s run its course.

Gonk123 · 07/09/2026 13:56

Who looks at their partners dirty underwear seriously!

mindutopia · 07/09/2026 13:59

I mean the top is weird, yes, but as you have both stated at friends’ houses in the past couple weeks, it seems completely obvious that it’s likely one of you scooped it up off the floor there. Even if the friend he stayed with was a guy, it’s very likely that he has had a woman staying in his spare room before. If that happened in our house, Dh would be as weirded out as I was whose clothes one of us accidentally stole.

The obvious issue is that no one shouts louder than someone with a guilty conscience. He’s twitchy about all of this for a reason. 🙄

UltimateSloth · 07/09/2026 13:59

He's cheated and has a guilty conscience, so he's reflecting it back onto you.

allthingsinmoderation · 07/09/2026 14:06

The verbal and emotional abuse aside,the checking and commenting on the discharge in your knickers is sufficient to end this toxic relationship.
What should you do? RUN.....

AbsintheMakesTheHeartGrowFonder · 07/09/2026 14:08

If a man was accusing me of having affairs with my friends, screaming at me and inspecting my underwear for signs that I might have been aroused without his permission, I wouldn't actually give a flying fuck whether he was cheating on me or not: I'd be dumping him because he was an abusive, controlling cunt.

Hellohelga · 07/09/2026 14:12

Is this post for real? Of course divorce him. Do you even need to ask. He’s abusive and a cheat.

Anastas1a · 07/09/2026 14:12

mindutopia · 07/09/2026 13:59

I mean the top is weird, yes, but as you have both stated at friends’ houses in the past couple weeks, it seems completely obvious that it’s likely one of you scooped it up off the floor there. Even if the friend he stayed with was a guy, it’s very likely that he has had a woman staying in his spare room before. If that happened in our house, Dh would be as weirded out as I was whose clothes one of us accidentally stole.

The obvious issue is that no one shouts louder than someone with a guilty conscience. He’s twitchy about all of this for a reason. 🙄

I did not have a bag when I stayed out, and left in the same clothes I wore the day before , I did think there could of been an innocent explanation from him but he completely overreacted

OP posts:
Anastas1a · 07/09/2026 14:13

Hellohelga · 07/09/2026 14:12

Is this post for real? Of course divorce him. Do you even need to ask. He’s abusive and a cheat.

Very real unfortunately and we are mid 40’s!!!

OP posts:
cuppachaha · 07/09/2026 14:14

So sorry. Sounds like you caught him.

OldrNWisr · 07/09/2026 14:15

That’s the most extreme case of DARVO I’ve ever seen. I strongly suspect he has cheated, but even if he hasn’t he’s sounds like a grade A arsehole. Block him immediately.

Daisywhatsyouranswer · 07/09/2026 14:15

I’m sorry but I’d not be with anyone who examined my knickers. How no part of you can see how that’s a marriage ender I don’t know.

thisismeithinkorisit · 07/09/2026 14:15

my love, who gives a fuck any more? he's verbally aggressive, he sounds like he is borderline physically a threat, he's inspecting your dirty underwear for proof you're fucking your female friend, and either he's too stupid to hide his gf's t-shirt or he did it on purpose to blame you.

honestly, just stop.

you deserve better.

you owe him nothing.

he's gone, be glad.

move on and focus on a life where no one is screaming at you about the imaginary crap in their head.

Weekmindedfool · 07/09/2026 14:17

Do you really have to ask for opinions?

Anastas1a · 07/09/2026 14:21

Daisywhatsyouranswer · 07/09/2026 14:15

I’m sorry but I’d not be with anyone who examined my knickers. How no part of you can see how that’s a marriage ender I don’t know.

It’s made me feel really embarrassed he said that they are “activity knickers” and I must of been aroused

OP posts: