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Newsweek
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Newsweek
Shock as Bridesmaid Realizes What Friend Wants Her to Wear on Wedding Day
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The internet has rallied behind a bridesmaid who confronted her friend over being made to feel like a "body positivity prop" in a wedding where she is noticeably larger than the rest of the bridal party. The 29-year-old Reddit user, posting under u/SoliraTwilight, shared her story on the subreddit Am I The A******, where her post quickly went viral, earning 10,000 upvotes. She explained that she was set to be a bridesmaid for her 30-year-old friend's wedding in October, but began feeling more like a set piece than a valued friend. "We've been close since college but lately it feels like I'm just... aesthetic filler to her," she wrote. The issue came to a head when the bride chose a tight-fitting dress style for all bridesmaids without consulting them. "She picked her bridal party dresses without asking for input and they're tight. Like SKIMS-meets-sausage-casing tight. I'm a size 16. The other girls are size 2–6. I asked if there were other options and she laughed and said, 'Nooo I love how it looks with all different body types, like it's giving real women'," she explained. Shocked, the Redditor asked her friend directly whether she was being included as a token of size diversity. According to her, the bride went quiet before replying, "You're so confident, though! That's why I wanted you in it!"—a remark the bridesmaid interpreted as code for "you make me look better." "I told her I'm not comfortable being someone's walking body positivity prop, and maybe she should get one of her influencer friends instead," she continued. "She cried, told me I was ruining her vision, and now the group chat is weirdly quiet." Her boyfriend suggested she "just suck it up for the day," but the Redditor explained she's tired of pretending things don't bother her when they clearly do. "AITA for saying I don't want to be part of her Pinterest fantasy?" she asked fellow Redditors. A stock photo showing bridesmaids toasting with champagne on a bachelorette party. A stock photo showing bridesmaids toasting with champagne on a bachelorette party. Serhii Sobolevskyi/iStock / Getty Images Plus Expert Insight Licensed Mental Health Counselor Veronica Lichtenstein weighed in on the situation with Newsweek, validating the bridesmaid's feelings. She noted that the friend's comment about "real women" was "tone-deaf and dismissive," and that the Redditor was "right to call out the possibility of being used as a 'diversity prop.'" "Body positivity shouldn't be performative, and it's gross to treat a friend like a Pinterest statement piece," Lichtenstein said. "You're not a mannequin; you're a person with comfort and dignity. Good on you for speaking up." However, Lichtenstein also pointed out that if this dress plan had been in place for a long time, the timing of the bridesmaid's objection could be seen as problematic. "Weddings are stressful, and while her vision isn't more important than your autonomy, springing this late does feel like pulling the rug out." Her advice included seeking compromises, like a wrap or tailored adjustment, revisiting the conversation calmly, and reevaluating the friendship for patterns of being treated as an accessory. "Never suck it up to spare someone's feelings at the expense of your own. But timing and delivery matter—especially for close friends," she said. Daren Banarsë, Senior Psychotherapist at IN Therapy, also offered his verdict to Newsweek, adding that this situation highlights how the aesthetics of wedding culture can "create a psychological blind spot." "The bride's comment about loving 'how it looks with all different body types' suggests she genuinely believed she was being inclusive—but inclusion that serves your aesthetic rather than honouring the person isn't inclusion at all. It's commodification," he said. Banarsë emphasized the emotional weight of the bridesmaid's direct confrontation, noting her refusal to be "praised for her 'confidence' while being reduced to her body size was psychologically essential." Too often, he explained, larger people are expected to tolerate treatment that would be unacceptable if aimed at others. "Her boundary-setting was a form of self-preservation and shouldn't be mistaken for friendship drama." Banarsë also explored the bride's tearful reaction, calling it a defensive response that signals discomfort with recognizing unintentional harm. Whether the friendship survives, he said, now depends on whether the bride can do the deeper self-reflection needed to truly make amends. Reddit Reacts Redditors overwhelmingly backed the bridesmaid. One user wrote: "NTA. It wasn't, 'But I want you by my side,' it was, 'You're ruining my vision.' I'm sorry. For you learning this about her. For learning this about your bf." Many took aim at the bride's priorities. "If the bride's 'vision' is using people as props to fulfill it, she might as well hire models," one commenter argued. "If you're choosing people for how they look rather than how much they mean to you, then hire models." Others challenged the broader cultural framing of weddings: "Or how the day is alllll about the bride. It's about the couple sharing their commitment with all those they love. Taking into account those loved ones' feelings and comfort is simple decency." A few users offered more nuanced takes, suggesting the issue may have been more about thoughtlessness than intentional harm: "I don't agree that the 'vision' comment means she only picked the OP because of her looks... It was more that she hadn't factored HOW her bridesmaids would FEEL about the dress at all—which is still not a great thing, but speaks more of being inconsiderate than only choosing OP for her curves." Newsweek reached out to u/SoliraTwilight for comment via Reddit. We could not verify the details of the case. Newsweek's "What Should I Do?" offers expert advice to readers. If you have a personal dilemma, let us know via life@ We can ask experts for advice on relationships, family, friends, money and work and your story could be featured on WSID at Newsweek.
Newsweek
30-04-2025
- Health
- Newsweek
Woman Slammed for What She Said to Neighbor About Weight Loss
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A spouse has been backed by internet users after calling out their partner for making unsolicited comments about a neighbor's noticeable weight loss. Under the username u/Emotional-Clerk8028, the original poster said that their 45-year-old neighbor had recently lost a visible amount of weight. However, the post read that the neighbor hadn't been seen exercising, which led their partner to assume she must be using a weight-loss drug. After seeing the neighbor, the partner commented: "You better not lose too much weight, too fast." "But I know what my wife is doing," the poster wrote in the Am I The A****** (AITAH) subreddit. "She wants her to tell that she's been taking prescription meds. My wife also thinks her statement comes off as a compliment." In private, the poster told their partner: "Mind your own business, she's a grown woman, she knows what she's doing. She does not look unhealthy, she's just thin." The post received over 11,000 upvotes from users who agreed with their stance. The poster said the comment sparked an argument, and their partner became angry. They repeated their concern, saying: "Mind her own business." The poster added: "Maybe she wants privacy, don't make her self-conscious." Concluding the post, they asked: "Am I the a****** for considering my neighbor's privacy over my wife's inquisitiveness?" Expert Insight Dr. Lara Zibarras, known as the Food Freedom Psychologist, said she supports the poster's approach. "You have absolutely no idea what's behind the weight loss," she told Newsweek. "Yes, it could be intentional, based on a new regimen or weight-loss injections, but what if it's to do with illness, stress, grief or an eating disorder?" Zibarras added. With the rise of weight-loss injections such as Ozempic, Zibarras noted a growing pressure to be thin—often judged by how people achieve it. She added that respect and privacy should come first, even in private conversations. "There's also a new kind of judgment emerging: people may be praised for losing weight, but then criticized for how they did it. It creates this impossible standard where people are expected to be thin, but only through the 'right' methods," Zibarras added. "If you wouldn't want someone making those kinds of comments about you, then don't make them about someone else," she concluded. Stock image: A man sits on a couch fed up with his partner. Stock image: A man sits on a couch fed up with his partner. PeopleImages/iStock / Getty Images Plus Reddit Reacts Many Reddit users shared their own painful experiences with unsolicited comments about weight. "Do you have any idea how many times I have seen a friend of mine with massive health issues have to explain I am not doing it on purpose," one commenter shared. Another wrote: "Yup, I had unintentional weight loss. It was really irritating to hear people say how 'good' I looked. Thankfully not cancer—just GI issues and lifestyle changes. Also wasn't even overweight to begin with." A third added: "I was complimented on weight loss. It was from being hospitalized and throwing up multiple times a day for over a week, almost 2. I lost over 20lbs pretty quick. I was like uhh? Here I was thinking my eyes looked dark and sunken, looked pale and not well, and all the focus was on my weight. It was weird." Newsweek reached out to u/Emotional-Clerk8028 for comment via Reddit. We could not verify the details of the case. Newsweek's "What Should I Do?" offers expert advice to readers. If you have a personal dilemma, let us know via life@ We can ask experts for advice on relationships, family, friends, money and work, and your story could be featured on "WSID" at Newsweek.
Newsweek
29-04-2025
- General
- Newsweek
Millennial Dad's Reason for Keeping Child From Grandparents Shocks Internet
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A millennial father has stirred intense debate online after revealing that he and his wife are keeping their baby son away from his grandmother—because she fed him custard and "broke boundaries." The Reddit user, u/Mysterious-File9406, shared his story on the popular subreddit "Am I The A******, where it quickly racked up over 5,700 upvotes and more than 4,000 comments. The post detailed a family reunion that took a sharp turn when the dad's 68-year-old mother fed their baby custard using a spoon, an act that went directly against the couple's parenting rules. "When caught with the custard, my wife immediately took our son and left the room upset without saying a word," the dad wrote. "I stayed behind and asked my mom why she didn't ask first, and she said, 'Because I knew you'd say no.' I was livid—this showed she knowingly overrode our parenting decisions. Later she tried to brush it off as sarcasm. My mom's sister, who witnessed it, validated my wife's reaction." The couple had two parenting rules in place: no sugar before the child turns 1; and no spoon-feeding, as they are following Baby-Led Weaning. According to Huckleberry Care, BLW is an approach to introducing solids that encourages babies to feed themselves from the start with finger foods, promoting independence and fine motor development. The following day, the couple sat down with the grandparents to discuss what happened. The poster said that, although his mother initially apologized, she soon began changing her story, claiming it was a fork, not a spoon, and that the baby had "reached for it." Tensions escalated. The dad defended his wife's reaction, noting: "Neither of us remember screaming but we aren't going to gaslight her." They cut short their visit and reduced communication. The poster's wife, who had been sending daily updates and photos of their son, stopped entirely. He now sends occasional updates himself. The couple attempted reconciliation through a structured exercise involving discussion of grandparent expectations. While the grandparents agreed and were invited to the child's first birthday, contingent on participation, things fell apart again. The mother refused to appear on camera during the scheduled video call, stating, "I called every shot so far," and would only listen off-camera. This led the poster's wife to feel slighted and revoke their birthday invitation. Further comments from the poster's mother included what he described as a "veiled threat" and shifting explanations. Ultimately, the couple requested that the dad's parents begin therapy before they resume visits. The parents' response repeated concerns about "screaming" and questioned if "this will work out"—though they still requested photos "every once in a while." Stock image: A dad holds his baby at a table with a laptop and looks fed up. Stock image: A dad holds his baby at a table with a laptop and looks fed up. Prostock-Studio/iStock / Getty Images Plus "Since then, I've kept casual conversation open but deflect photo and visit requests until they start therapy," the poster concluded. He then posed two questions to the subreddit: "AITA for holding this boundary until therapy happens?" and, "Is my wife TAH for 'yelling' or revoking the daily photos in response?" The poster noted that, prior to the incident, the grandparents had been present at the birth and had two "good visits" where boundaries were respected, making the custard incident especially jarring. Expert Insight Melanie Preston is a licensed mental-health therapist and relationship architect at Matter of Focus Counseling. She told Newsweek that parenting conflicts like this often stem from deeper emotional roots. "Feeding is one of the oldest love languages in families," Preston said. "When new parents set limits, it can feel like a personal rejection to the older generations, even though it's simply a change, not a critique. Food and 'baby's feeding time' isn't just about nutrition; it's about nostalgia, culture, and power." Preston added that, while postpartum boundaries may upset others, maintaining them is critical for new parents' mental health. "Protecting your peace postpartum is survival, not selfishness. Choose boundaries that preserve your trust, your baby's safety, and your own emotional recovery, even if it ruffles feathers. Conflict doesn't mean you're failing as a family. It means you're building a new ecosystem, and that's messy work," Preston said. As for requesting therapy before resuming contact, she noted: "Sometimes, asking for therapy is an olive branch. Other times, it's a line in the sand." Frank Thewes, therapist and owner of Path Forward Therapy LLC, offered a more critical take with Newsweek. "OP [the original poster] and his wife seem to be channeling anxiety into hyper-controlling behaviors around their child," Thewes said. "While parents absolutely have a right to set boundaries and expectations around their own child, OP and his partner seem to have taken boundaries and turned them into regulations." Thewes questioned the tone and rigidity of some of the couple's demands, such as the "no photo requests before 10 a.m." rule, describing it as seeming "extreme." "Absent a great deal of context, the poster and his partner appear hyper-controlling and unreasonable to me. But it is within their right to set rules around their infant, even if those rules are controlling and excessive," Thewes said. Reddit Reacts Reddit users had mixed reactions, with some supporting the couple's stance while others questioned their rigidity. "Initially I totally understand you guys being upset. However, the behavior around that video call sounds insane," wrote one commenter. "If you want this to be the end of your relationship with your parents you can continue with the mindset you currently have … but if you'd actually like to mend this bridge I'd consider acting like people on both sides are humans that deserve some grace." Another added: "It's totally annoying that your parents aren't respecting boundaries … But you can't use your child as a manipulation tool." A third user zeroed in on the peculiar detail: "Why is 'no photo requests before 10 a.m.' a boundary???? I need the rationale behind that one. OP sounds exhausting." And another summed up the mood shift among many readers: "Yeah, I started out on OP's side, but then things got out of hand. They keep raising the bar higher. It's excessive." Newsweek reached out to u/Mysterious-File9406, for comment via Reddit. We could not verify the details of the case. Newsweek's "What Should I Do?" offers expert advice to readers. If you have a personal dilemma, let us know via life@ We can ask experts for advice on relationships, family, friends, money and work, and your story could be featured on WSID at Newsweek.
Daily Mail
25-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Husband blasted over cruel 'prank' he played on his wife - which cost them £8,000 and constantly arguing
A woman has revealed how a very expensive prank her husband played on her has left her wondering whether she can ever forgive him. The 29-year-old, believed to be from the US, took to Reddit to explain the conundrum after her husband's cruel trick left the couple £8,000 poorer. Writing on the Am I The A****** (AITAH) forum, the anonymous poster branded the expensive joke the 'dumbest thing that's ever happened to me in my entire life.' She explained that she and her husband had been taking a romantic boat ride together, when all of a sudden, he issued a startling confession. 'This past Sunday, my husband and I were on our boat together. We were just relaxing and talking and having a good morning,' she wrote. 'All of a sudden, my husband gets really serious and tells me 'baby, I'm so sorry but I have to tell you something. I'm so sorry, please forgive me, I had an affair".' Gobsmacked by the revelation, the woman couldn't help herself in reacting with 'blind rage'. In the heat of the moment, she ripped both of her wedding rings off and furiously tossed them into the ocean. 'I was blinded by rage and hurt and I'm not a confrontational person at all so all I did was stand up, take my rings off, and throw them into the ocean,' she confessed. In retrospect, she admitted she wasn't even sure why she had reacted in such a way - but that it had been the 'first thing I thought of doing'. She noted that although her husband likes to think of himself as 'a comedian', he had never made jokes about their relationship. 'He says dumb s*** all the time but he's never joked about our marriage or relationship or cheating, ever. 'The way he said it, I fully believed him,' she fumed. Her husband couldn't believe what she had done and immediately began screaming that the admission of adultery wasn't true. 'He immediately started to yell at me that it was a joke, a prank, he wasn't serious and I was an idiot.' Realising what she had done, the woman began to cry, devastated to discover she had thrown her 'sentimental' rings into the sea for no reason. 'My jaw dropped then too. I yelled at him too and called him the same. I cried too, realising I just threw my lovely and sentimental rings into the ocean,' she explained. She said the two had been left 'arguing for days' after the incident, with each believing the other to be at fault. The Reddit user said she had 'no idea who's right' and begged Reddit users to share their thoughts on the situation. 'He says I'm the a******, I say he's the a******,' she wrote. 'Yes admittedly I threw about £10,000 worth of rings into the ocean and we will never find them again - but he looked me in my eyes and told me he had an affair. I am upset about my rings.' Although she had apologised for the outburst and for throwing the rings in the sea, she insisted she didn't 'feel like the a******'. Offering their thoughts on the situation, several took to the comments to defend the woman's actions, with one calling the situation 'traumatic'. One wrote: 'If someone lies to you about your child being killed in a car accident, then tells you later that it's just a joke, that doesn't change the traumatic experience you just had of believing your child is dead. Making someone experience trauma isn't a prank, it's engaging in cruelty for your own amusement.' Another even suggested she divorce her husband for the cruelty. 'Someone who breaks your heart as a "prank" isn't someone I'd wanna be married to if I were you. You're so young don't be stuck with this jerk for the next 50 years,' they wrote. A third added: 'There are a hell of a lot of people whose ego won't allow them to admit being wrong. These people are incapable of apologising, it's a hit to their pride,' adding that they were 'concerned' for the long term wellbeing of the poster. Others even went as far as to call the behaviour 'abuse' and told her to be wary of staying married to her husband. However, one viewer suggested the affair may have been real. 'Maybe he actually had an affair and just backpedaled when he saw how mad she got,' they said.
