A woman says her husband has been making body-shaming 'observations' about her appearance ever since she gave birth to their son some months ago, ultimately resulting in her calling him out over Christmas dinner. According to this new mum, her husband has been 'making indirect comments' about her body, which she describes as 'basically passive stuff' she had initially tried to ignore right up until 'it extended to friends and family'.
For example, he's previously made remarks such as 'oh that top used to look good on you but not anymore though' and 'Wow, didn't know your waist could get this wide!' She says this has been going on for 'months and months and months', with things finally coming to a head during Christmas dinner at his family home.
Taking to Reddit, where she goes by the username u/SallysSalon111, the new mother recalled: "My sister-in-law complimented my floral maxi dress and my husband said 'I agree it looks nice on you, although I have to admit that your waist could get smaller than this!'
"Awkward silence took over. I was absolutely fuming and this was my last straw. So I got up from my chair in the middle of dinner and shouted at the top of my lungs, 'SHUT THE F*** UP ABOUT MY BODDDYYY!!!!"
She continued: "He was absolutely speechless as his family stared while some others tried to get me to calm down but the situation got tenser and dinner ended up being cut short.
"My husband stormed off to his friend's place to spend the night upon leaving a very nasty text saying I embarrassed him and made a scene over an 'observation' he made. He called me childish and told me to get therapy for my insecurities instead of verbally abusing him and scaring his family."
Reaching out to fellow Reddit users for advice, the unnamed woman admitted she felt as though she'd 'ruined Christmas'. Many were quick to reassure her however that she'd done nothing wrong whatsoever while strongly urging her to reconsider her marriage to her 'gaslighting' husband.
One person warned: "Divorce him. He's gaslighting you. His observations, as he calls them, are all direct insults. He is actively body-shaming you. Likely on purpose and fully aware of what he's doing.
"He wants you back as you were before and fails to realise that bodies change. He is abusing you mentally, and verbally. You simply reached the breaking point and let it out. Don't start bottling up again. Rebuke him every time he says something, in front of everyone until he either learns or leaves. Or in other words, he's shown his true colours."
Another commented: "Think about this, how will you feel when he starts sharing his toxic and misogynistic views with your daughter, telling her she's too fat and the boys won't like her? Do you think his attitude is simply going to go away? They won't, his dislike of the body that carried and gave birth to his child is very telling as to what kind of man he is, which is not f****** much of one."
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