With
8.1 billion people on the planet, finding a genetically unrelated partner
should be straightforward. However, over 250,000 Americans married to cousins
choose to keep it within the family.
One
woman discovered, five months into her relationship, that her partner appeared
in her father's family photos.
For
more about this woman's surprising discovery, keep reading!
A
heartbreaking story surfaced on Reddit from a woman in her mid-20s. She shared
how her excitement about meeting a new man on a dating app turned into sheer
horror.
Jonathan
Raa / NurPhoto / Getty
A
woman named Gelicca shared her story: “I met a guy on Hinge with the softest
hazel eyes and thought he was the one.” After exchanging a few messages, they
decided to go on a date and soon became a couple.
After
five months, they decided to meet each other’s families to take their
relationship to the next level.
Since
their families lived on opposite sides of the country, the introductions
required careful planning and coordination.
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She
shares, “We hadn’t had a chance to meet each other’s parents because we had
moved away from home.” Instead of the usual arrangement where each would meet
the other’s parents separately, they decided to have dinner with both sets of
parents together.
She
was anxious about the meeting because she didn't know that their parents were
already acquainted.
During
the family gathering, her father's face turned pale when he introduced himself
to her boyfriend’s mother. He realized she was his cousin, the daughter of his
uncle. She also took a moment to recognize him.
Their
parents hadn’t seen each other for nearly thirty years. It was clear from their
reactions that something was wrong, and they soon revealed to the couple that
they were related.
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It
was a surprising twist of fate that she and her ex-boyfriend ended up in the
same city after moving from different states.
Cousin
marriages, known as consanguinity, account for 10% of relationships globally.
This practice is particularly prevalent among about 20% of the global
population, primarily in the Middle East, West Asia, and North Africa.
In
the U.S., however, this is less common and is only legally permitted in 20
states and the District of Columbia.
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The
young couple, deeply in love, decided to end their relationship to avoid
scrutiny and do what they felt was right.
"Even
though we loved each other, we knew it wasn't the right thing to continue. It
was one of the hardest breakups I've ever been through, but our families needed
us to make that choice. I quietly removed everything from social media and told
my friends it just didn't work out," she explains.
“Learning
about this heinous act”
The
woman, using a new Reddit account to avoid embarrassment, shares her shock at
the situation. "You hear countless stories of people unknowingly getting
involved with relatives and finding out in the most awkward ways, and mine was
no different."
Support
poured in from the online community. One commenter said, "I'm sorry, that
sounds really tough. Much respect for handling it discreetly." Another
added, "It's always hardest to break up for reasons beyond incompatibility
or personal issues."
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Others
chimed in with remarks reflecting different cultural perspectives. "In my
country, parents would be thrilled by this discovery," one user commented.
"My
aunt and uncle are also first cousins. Though it's an unusual situation that
some family members gossip about, they have a happy family with a healthy
child," another user shared.
Acknowledging
the complexity, the user added, "It's a difficult situation regardless of
whether you decide to continue the relationship or end it," making it
clear that their family isn't "sweethomealabama style."
Some
online users chose to find humor in the awkward family dinner scenario.
"Everyone
ordered meatloaf, and it tasted just like Grandma used to make," one
person quipped. Another joked, "Maybe they were at Olive Garden, where
everyone is family."
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