A Reddit user asked people who had willingly engaged in incest to share their stories in an anonymous form and stories came flooding in.
People were quick to share their unique experiences and if their lives had changed because of them. Some people looked back on their past fondly while others admitted to the years of healing they needed to get over their stories.
She Only Has Three Sets of Great-Grandparents
“My wife's family has multigenerational incest, to the point that she only has three sets of great grandparents.
There are no signs of problems in their generation, and they all married way outside the family tree.”
Story credit: Reddit / @throwafession
The Netherlands Has a Saying…
“In the Netherlands we have a saying that goes: 'neef en nicht het neukt allicht'. It means something like: 'cousins, [they love each other]'. Back to the matter at hand: might be an unpopular opinion but it seems as though what you guys have is totally legit. It isn't culture-wise but if this isn't love, I don't know what is.”
Story credit: Reddit / @decievd
We Grew Out of It
“My cousin and I kissed and had very obvious crushes on each other when we were little (like, 6 or 7). Eventually we grew out of it, but we were always close. We were even roommates in college. But that didn't end super well and right now, we're kind of resentful of each other.”
Story credit: Reddit / @ACE-Shellshocked
They Were Obsessed With Each Other
“I'm pretty sure my sister and dad had an incestuous relationship. They were obsessed with each other, she was like his house pet. She never had a relationship or a job, she just lived in the condo he bought her and got fat. She died two years ago and he still keeps her place the same as it was.”
Story credit: Reddit / @my_family_secrets
The Cause of Two Divorces
“My cousin and I have been in an ongoing relationship for over 20 years now. Her father and my Mom are brother and sister. This all started when we were 12 years old. We lived a few miles apart growing up, so we knew each other since we were babies. We began fooling around at about 12 years old.
We both recently came out to our spouses and told them both about our relationship with each other. Both of our spouses were very upset, and we totally understood. My cousin’s husband left and my wife and I are heading on that path. My cousin and I look like we are going to be with each other. I honestly feel bad for what happened to our married relationship, but I think that it is for the better. My cousin and I are madly in love, and our passion for each other is still like day one.”
Story credit: Reddit / @CuzWBenefits
The Taboo Factor
“My cousin and I, she's a 22 y/o girl, I'm a 26 y/o guy, started texting (she's had a crush on me since we were tiny, I didn't think she was attractive until she was around 18, but she clearly has liked me for as long as we've been alive). The texting quickly escalated to flirting. When we met face to face the next time at a family thing, she was with her boyfriend but totally ignored him and was all over me, it was a little awkward because we were clearly digging each other but it seemed like her boyfriend could tell. I’ll admit that the whole "taboo factor" has definitely made us more into it.”
Story credit: Reddit / @D_bake
She Knew The Whole Time
“Okay so 2 years ago-ish, my best friend hooked me up with her friend who was in a lot of my classes so I knew her a bit well since I basically knew everyone. We all were planning a double date basically, and that was in like 2 weeks.
The three of us hung out numerous times and she'd always try to hold my hand or come onto me. I always jerked away because it always felt weird and I had no idea why, I just figured its because Im awkward and never really been in a relationship.
This kept going and I just decided to end it because I wasn't comfortable.
A week later she's taking pictures of my other cousin on my dad's side who I don't know that well because he kind of abandoned my mom and I and is in and out of jail all the time.
Turns out, she knew the whole time we were cousins and thought I knew too. I guess my weird instincts were right. Welcome to Indiana.”
Story credit: Reddit / @drwdom
We Met On Tinder
“I met this guy on Tinder, we started dating, had sex a couple times. I was on Facebook and my actual first cousin who I know well had uploaded a picture with two of our other cousins and Tinder guy with the caption "cousins <3".
I freaked out at this point and called my mom to ask her if she knows who is in the picture with my cousins. Turns out he is my mom's half brother's son. My mom and her half-siblings don't get along and even though I knew they existed I never knew who they were.”
Story credit: Reddit / @thrwact
It Was Love At First Sight
“From the moment we met, my half sister and I were absolutely in love at first sight. We had a long, wonderful, secret relationship with each other for about 10 years. But, taboo is a powerful force, and nearly getting caught forced us apart.
She's with someone and has been for a long time now. I've been married for about that long too. Many people comment on how much my wife and her boyfriend resemble my sister and me, respectively.
I still think about it sometimes. I miss her terribly.”
Story credit: Reddit / @factsmakeyoumad
I Really Don’t Regret Any Of It
“Well it happened not too long ago, it started at the beginning of the year actually. She's only a year older than me (20) and she was visiting from the Netherlands. I had only met her once before and that was many years ago. I actually didn't even know she was my cousin until we met again this year. But she was staying over my house for about 2 months and one night me her and my brother and his girlfriend all go out to this bar. Me and my cousin got really drunk and ended up getting back home at like 2am. We had a guest room which is where she was sleeping and I had followed her downstairs for reasons that I don't remember. But the way it started was very innocent. Just touching and staring. But then she gave me a kiss on the lips and it started to escalate more and more from there until we finally just had sex. It was a lot of fun and I really don't regret any of it.”
Story credit: Reddit / @TheGodsKing
The Fun Story I Tell Around Drinks
“[A] while ago, I was dating someone. As much as she wanted it, I was hesitant about taking that extra step (for reasons that will become apparent in the next story). Later, I'm talking to her mom who I thought was a family friend. Turns out, she (the mom) is my third cousin and I was pajama pants away from giving it to my niece. So that's the fun story I tell around drinks.”
Story credit: Reddit / @throwaway256761
It Totally Wrecked My Childhood
“Well it started when we were 4. We're cousins btw It started because my grandma had left the tv on and we saw some adult situations which made us curious. Well shortly after that started my dad caught us and though we were young enough to not know what we did was wrong, we realized we got in enough trouble to realize we clearly did something wrong. Sometime later I ended up in therapy and am much better now but it totally wrecked my childhood and every family gathering.”
Story credit: Reddit / @CatPatronus
Very Few People Know About It
“I'm in a long-term relationship with my biological half-sister on my mother's side. I'm a male.
We didn't grow up together; we actually didn't meet until we were both almost thirty. Never knew each other at all until that point.
I had been trying to get in touch with her on and off for a decade or more, in a desire to meet the long-lost sibling and try to connect as family. I finally succeeded via online social networks and a bit of social engineering. We talked, purely online, on-and-off for about six months with some mostly-unacknowledged sexual tension making us both very uncomfortable. When we did finally acknowledge it, it came together very quickly and very powerfully. At the time, we were both in serious relationships; I was in a non-monogamous relationship and she was actually engaged and fully monogamous. My S/O knew all the details was 100% okay with it; her fiancé obviously had no idea. We agreed to meet up; we had a week of incredible sex and an insanely intense emotional connection equaled by no other relationship in my life, romantic or otherwise. It was a heady week.
Not long after that, we both ended our contemporary relationships (surprisingly mostly-amicably on her end; blood and fire on my end. No, I will not be telling that story.), I moved to be with her and we've going good ever since.
This is a true story, and I've attempted not to editorialize. This relationship is absolutely illegal where we live, and a VERY select few people know about it.”
Story credit: Reddit / @cestceptioncest
I Think I Came Out Fairly Normal
“Well... my father is my mother's first cousin (my two grandfathers are brothers). I think I came out fairly normal. A bit socially awkward and with some weird tendencies but nothing medicine and a shrink can't fix. So I guess it's a win in the end.”
Story credit: Reddit / [deleted]
I’m Happy For Them
“My cousin is married to her other cousin. They both had children from previous relationships and actually had one together. I never knew he was my cousins cousin until this year actually. I was pretty shocked. I remember going to their wedding when I was 15. I was told that they did know they were cousins but they didn't grow up together. He lived in England she in N.I. She had a child with an abusive man previously. She is really happy now with him (her cousin) and I’m happy for them.”
Story credit: Reddit / @Alexandriaiona
Next Family Reunion Will Be Awkward
“My family lives far apart so we have a family reunion every 3 years. My family isn't the most athletic, attractive or socially skilled family but very intelligent people. Me(17) and my cousin(16) don't really fit into our family's stereotype and we're the youngest so we'd always hangout at these family reunions. Last reunion down in Florida everyone went up from the beach and it was just me and her left. We skinny dipped and ended up making out. Not sure how it's gonna be next family reunion.”
Story credit: Reddit / @NinjaWithACokE
I Never Once Thought it Was Odd
“Two of my mum's cousins were together for the best part of a decade (didn't marry), they had kids/grandkids from previous marriages and they were a totally normal couple who regularly babysat their grandkids etc. I never once thought it was odd and neither did my parents.”
Story credit: Reddit / @cowboyslayer
Nothing Ever Happened Again
“My cousin and I in our early/mid teens got drunk one night and we kissed. I groped her chest over here clothing. That is as far as it went. Next day we sobered up and we apologized profusely to each other. Nothing ever happened again.”
Story credit: Reddit / @mrsheikh
I Didn’t Know She Was My Cousin
“First cousin. But I didn't know she was my cousin. Messaged me over Facebook. I didn't know. I thought she was a friend of a family member. We chatted a bit. She started to flirt (different state). Ended up having phone sex. Then I started to realize she is my cousin. But after everything we did I didn't really care. I was due for a vacation and I ended up flying out to her. Had a hotel for a couple weeks. We went out to dinner and yes sex happened. I never felt bad about it. Just a cousin.”
Story credit: Reddit / @HoTs_HoTs
Am I The Only One?
“So I'm the only one with normal family boundaries?”
Story credit: Reddit / @scaredofstorms
My Grandma Pushed Me Onto Her
“My grandma kept pushing me on my 2nd cousin at a family reunion a few years back. She introduced us multiple times, made us slow dance together, make sure we were partners in every event. Grandma kept saying things like "are you two just so cute together", "dont go sneaking off, you two ;)", ect. Yes, she was very attractive. In fact she was a cheerleader for the Houston Rockets. That fact is, even if we weren't related she was still WAY out of my league.
Grandmas old, and was very worried that I was gay after my last girlfriend and I broke up.”
Story credit: Reddit / [deleted]
We’re Keeping It a Secret
“In a current relationship with my cousin. We live together with my grandmother (his aunt).
We're keeping it a secret, and are pretty sure our family would disown us if they found out.
I'm not 100% sure how it even started really, we just had chemistry. He's 27, and I'm 19. I made the first move, and he didn't resist for long lol. We've been together about 6 months, and things are going really well. He brightens my day, I adore him completely. It's definitely worth any and all risk.”
Story credit: Reddit
My Parents Are First Cousins
“My parents are actually first cousins - it's not more risky than having children over 35 or being a smoker at all (not even during pregnancy). They hung out when they were little, then my dad's family moved around a bunch and they didn't "meet" again until they were in their 20s at a family reunion (I know). They were the only people who weren't drunk (so many alcoholics), so they started talking. I know it's weird but I feel like it's not as weird as people think it is? They did a lot of research and went to doctors before getting engaged or anything and found out it's really not a big deal unless you come from a really long line of marrying cousins and siblings.”
Story credit: Reddit / @Lmtay
Uncle Married a Cousin
“On one side of my family I know my uncle is married to a cousin of his, idk to what extent (like first or second cousin), but I know my cousin (their son) had a lot of health issues. Stunted growth, lots of hormone therapy and growth injections, and he's still skinny and short. But, he was a nice kid and I think still a nice guy.”
Story credit: Reddit / @roborabbit_mama
Not Going to Effect Me Now
“I kissed my cousin once.
I don't know her name, don't know what she looks like today, don't even know if she's my cousin to be honest.
Didn't affect me then, it's not going to affect me now lol.”
Story credit: Reddit / @flamingtongue