Religious spouse exiles husband's family after tasteless cheating prank. AITA? + UPDATE
"Wife kicked my cousins and their friends out after they 'pranked' her. AITA for not stopping her?"
Yesterday my cousins showed up on my home with their friends unannounced, my 3 cousins and their 7 friends said that we all should spend 1st together, we all cooked together got drunk and had more fun than ever before.
I should've expected that they would April's fool prank my wife but I was being dumb, while I was drinking with other men my wife suddenly showed up in front of me and grabbed me and asked me if I'm cheating on her, I was shocked and I told her that I never cheated and I would never cheat on her.
My wife asked me for my phone and she locked herself in our bedroom and spent almost half an hour going through my phone and when she came out she said she'll smack me if she ever finds out that I'm cheating on her and she'll show no mercy.
Turns out the women pranked her and told her that I'm cheating on her as a 'prank'. My wife is pretty religious and getting married to her is in itself an achievement for me.
All of my cousins and their friends explained to her that it was just a prank and I'm not cheating on her but my wife was angry at them and told them to get out of our house and she doesn't want to listen to their explanation anymore.
After they all left my wife told me that if I ever cheat on her she'll make sure I'll regret it, she said she didn't get married to me only to find me in bed with another woman, I told her that I'll never cheat on her and they were pranking you.
She said she doesn't like it and doesn't want them anywhere near us, I told her that i know and they won't prank you like this ever again and she already has access to my phone and knows my passwords so she should calm down and not let the alcohol take control of her.
But my cousins are telling me now that I shouldn't have let my wife kick them out and I should've instead explained to her that it was just a prank, I told them that it was a rotten prank and what exactly where they expecting?
I told them that they are no longer allowed in my house at least for sometime, they are saying that we both are crazy and I am my wife's slave. Not really sure what they were expecting, they expect my wife to laugh? Who pranks like this even? I think there are harmless pranks and this one is stupid, AITA?
Here is what readers had to say in response to the OP’s post:
10 people show up to your house uninvited and unannounced to eat your food, drink your alcohol and for the oh-so-funny prank of making their host think that her entire marriage is a lie? Your cousins and their friends are rude people.
Yeah, ten people randomly show up on a Tuesday? How odd. And you just let them eat and get drunk? Whole story sounds crazy.
NTA that prank could have ended your marriage. I would never speak to your cousins ever again. That was not a harmless prank.
Three days later, the OP returned with an update.
I tried everything I could to convince my wife to forgive my cousins and forget about it but my wife didn't listen to me and still periodically checks my phone and keeps tabs on me and I think that she thinks that I'm cheating even tho I told her that I would never cheat on her and even my cousins are trying to tell her that it was a prank.
A terrible one but still a prank, I told my to calm down and to not mind what my cousins said and their prank but my wife got angry and she said she didn't marry me only to find me with other women.
My wife is super religious, marrying her is in itself an achievement for me and she fought hard just to marry me and I think I understand why she's so angry. I asked her what she wants me to do to calm her down, she said she doesn't like my cousins and she wants them all as far away as possible from us.
I asked her if there's anything I can do to make peace between them all, she said in their religion they aren't allowed to to even talk about cheating and she's angry because my cousins are idiots and she will kill me by her own hands if I ever cheat on her after she went through so much just to marry me.
My wife told me that she does trust me but she's hurt by the 'prank' and she will handle it herself and I should stay away from my cousins and this overall situation in general.
My wife is so pissed and I thought it would just be okay but my wife doesn't want me to interfere if it was something else my wife would listen to me no doubt but my cousins and their friends hit the nest and even if I tried to help them my wife won't let me.
Here is what readers had to say in response to the OP’s post:
Dude, seriously, you are still the AH. Side with your wife. Cut contact with them until they make a serious apology. Your aren't helping your wife's insecurity or your case by taking their side and having a flippant attitude.
You are still TA.
YTA. You have your answer. Stand by your wife or stand with your cousins. They caused this major screw up. There is no burying the hatchet unless your wife wants to do that. Maybe this is a good time to reflect on your cousins behavior and how close they are to messing up your marriage and now being under your wife's microscope because of their prank. It should royally piss you off.
YTA. If my cousins had the audacity to tell my boyfriend I was cheating on him, they would be in physical danger. I don't GAF if we're related, no one interferes in my relationship and walks away. Man up and cut those monsters out of your life.
Dude. Stop. Your cousins tanked the relationship between your wife and them. It's done. They. Tired. To. Ruin. Your. Marriage. Stop asking your wife to "calm down". Let her feel her feelings and for the love of God... stay away from your trash cousins. They're bad people and will absolutely be the reason she leaves you if you don't wise up.