With 8.1 billion people on Earth, you’d think finding a mate who isn’t a relative would be easy. However, over 250,000 Americans married to cousins prefer to keep things in the family.
One woman found out after five months of dating that the man she thought was “the one” was actually in her father’s family photos.
Want to know more about the woman who dated her relative? Keep reading!
A woman in her mid-20s shared her shocking story on Reddit. She explained how her initial joy about meeting a new man on a dating app turned into a nightmare.
The woman, who goes by the name Gelicca, said, “I was talking to this guy on Hinge who had the softest hazel eyes, and at the time, I thought he was the one. We decided to go on a date after exchanging a few messages, and before long, we were a couple.”
After spending five months together, the couple decided it was time to meet each other’s families to take their relationship to the next level.
Since their families lived on different sides of the country, this big introduction required a lot of planning.
“We hadn’t had time to meet each other’s parents because we had moved away from home,” she wrote. “We decided to have dinner with both of our parents instead of doing the traditional, where I’ll bring you over to meet my parents and you’ll go over to meet yours.”
She was nervous about her parents meeting her new boyfriend, not realizing they were already acquainted.
During the family get-together, her father’s face turned completely white when he introduced himself to her boyfriend’s mother, who was his cousin. “It took her a second to realize as well,” the woman remarked.
Their parents had not seen each other in almost thirty years. “Our parents told us we were related and that we could tell something was wrong by the way they looked at each other.”
It was a shocking coincidence that she and her boyfriend ended up in the same city after leaving their separate states.
Consanguinity, or cousin marriage, makes up 10% of all relationships worldwide. It’s a deeply rooted social trend among one-fifth of the world population, mostly in the Middle East, West Asia, and North Africa. However, in the US, it’s only legal in 20 states and the District of Columbia.
Despite being deeply in love, the young couple decided to end their relationship to avoid scrutiny and do the right thing.
“Despite our love for one another, we concluded it wasn’t the right thing to do. Although it was one of the most difficult breakups I have ever experienced, our family needed us to make that decision. I quietly deleted everything from social media and informed my friends that it didn’t work out,” Gelicca wrote.
The woman, who created a new Reddit account to avoid embarrassment, expressed her horror at the situation. “People unknowingly hooking up with relatives and learning about this atrocity in the most awkward ways is a story you hear millions of times, and mine was no exception.”
Internet users showed their support in the comments section.
“I’m sorry; that seems like a difficult situation. Extreme admiration for ending things discreetly,” one user commented. Another said, “Causes other than incompatibility or personal issues are the hardest to break up over.”
Others made culturally disparaging remarks. “I come from a country where parents would be delighted at this revelation,” one person wrote.
“Yes, my aunt and uncle are my first cousins. They may have a strange circumstance and other family members may talk about it behind closed doors, but they are a happy family with a healthy child,” another user shared. He added, “That being said, it’s a messy situation in the family regardless of whether you choose to pursue it or break it off.”
Some online followers chose to laugh at the awkward family dinner instead.
“Everyone ordered meatloaf. One Redditor remarked, “And everyone agreed that it tasted just like Grandma used to make it.” Another joked, “Perhaps they were dining at Olive Garden, where everyone is family.”
How do you feel about this story? Let us know in the comments below and share it so we can hear from others as well!
