Latest news with #stepmother
Yahoo
5 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Widow Demands Her Kids Get a Share of Late Husband's Ashes Despite His Dying Wish Stating Otherwise
Her father wanted her to have half his ashes, while the other half would go to his wife Despite legal protection of his wishes, her stepmother keeps harassing her to divide her portion She's accused of punishing her half-siblings, but says she's just honoring her dad — and protecting her peaceA woman turns to the Reddit community for support after a deeply personal family dispute over her late father's ashes leaves her feeling conflicted and alone. In her post, she shares that her dad's passing has reopened old wounds, especially regarding her relationship with his second wife and their children. 'My dad died recently and he appointed his brother, my uncle, to ensure his final wishes were respected,' she writes. She explains that her father was married twice: first to her mother, who passed away when she was 3, and then to his second wife, whom he married when she was 15. The relationship with her stepmother was never easy, and the arrival of her half-siblings did little to bridge the gap. 'Dad and I had a solid relationship but she and I did not and I really never had one with the other kids either,' the woman reveals. Her father's final wishes were clear and carefully planned. 'His wishes were for half his ashes to go to his wife so she could start a grave for them and the other half was for me so he could also be with mom,' she explains, adding, 'My mom was cremated too and I have her ashes as well.' This arrangement, however, did not sit well with her father's widow, who tried to claim all the ashes for herself. 'But my dad had planned everything and had legally ensured his wishes were followed with the help of my uncle,' she notes, grateful for the foresight that protected her father's intentions. After the funeral, she made the difficult decision to cut off contact with her stepmother in an attempt to seek peace and closure for herself. Regardless, her stepmom has contacted her "at least 11 times," saying that she "needs to share my half of the ashes with my half-siblings because they have none and we each have half." She tried to block her stepmother, but the messages kept coming from new numbers, making it impossible to escape the pressure. 'I am trying to get my number changed but I use this phone for work too so I need a process of approval to do it,' she explains. Her aunt, her father's sister, also got involved in the conflict, suggesting that they "combine dad's ashes and split them four ways so everyone gets the same amount." When the poster said no, her aunt said that she "shouldn't take my hatred of wife number two out on the kids." Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. The aunt also voiced her disapproval over the poster's decision to cut ties with her stepmom and half-siblings. However, the poster has done her best to make it clear that her boundaries are about self-preservation, not spite. Now she's wondering if her refusal to share her half of her father's ashes makes her the villain in this painful family saga. However, most commenters suggested that her stepmom simply shares her portion of the ashes with their children, noting that it's not the poster's "responsibility." "You share my thoughts," the poster replied. "It makes more sense that way seeing as they're her kids and she wants them to have their own share." In response to another user, the woman further explains that her late dad "wanted to honor both [his] wives," which was why "he chose to have his ashes with both." Read the original article on People
Yahoo
08-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Dear Abby: My 2-year-old disrupted her grandmother's funeral service and my family is furious
DEAR ABBY: My husband's stepmother passed recently after a long illness, and her children specifically wanted our family, including our 2-year-old, to be at her service. When we arrived at the church, I tried to sit in the back pew so I could take her out when she was antsy, but they put us in front with the rest of the family. Predictably, we lasted there for only about 30 minutes before my daughter started being disruptive. I took her out to the vestibule where she had a tantrum, so I then took her down into the basement playroom. Immediately after the funeral, my in-laws came after me and berated me for 'ruining' the video they had professionally produced of the service. They said that not only can you see us exiting the sanctuary, but you can hear my daughter making noise outside, which messed up the recording for everyone. There are many parts of this I don't understand, like why there is a recording, but I'm not sure what to do next. I have apologized for not insisting we sit in the back. Other than not attending at all, I think I did what I could to reduce our impact. If it matters, my older kids sat nicely through the whole 90-minute service. Advice? — DISRUPTER IN IDAHO DEAR DISRUPTER: It is not unusual for there to be sound and video recording at funerals. Some are streamed on the internet for folks who can't be there in person. The problem with 20/20 hindsight is that it isn't foresight. Yes, you should have spoken up and reminded your in-laws about how short a 2-year-old's attention span is, and yes, they should have taken that into consideration before berating you. Even so, when viewed from a different perspective, the sound of a young child at that sad time, although distracting, may have been a reminder that life renews itself even in the presence of death. DEAR ABBY: I'm 42 and in the midst of a separation. My husband of 19 years decided he didn't want to be married anymore. We have three children, one of whom is disabled. My husband made us sell the house we lived in, and since then, I have purchased a new one. I'm having a very hard time moving on. Since our separation, he constantly goes on trips, and I'm feeling extremely abandoned. I don't know how I'm supposed to move on. I'm so tired all the time. Please help. — FROZEN IN COLORADO DEAR FROZEN: You have my sympathy. Your husband is flying around free as a bird, and you have been left with a huge responsibility. Your tiredness is likely a symptom of depression. Fortunately, there is help for it in the form of talk therapy as well as medication. Please discuss this with your doctor. Once you are feeling more like yourself, discuss this whole scenario with an attorney who specializes in family law and can guide you further. You are still a young woman, and your life is not over. Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren, also known as Jeanne Phillips, and was founded by her mother, Pauline Phillips. Contact Dear Abby at or P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069.
Daily Mail
22-05-2025
- Daily Mail
Asylum seeker allowed to stay in Britain because his 'abusive stepmother would punish him for running away'
An African asylum seeker has been allowed to stay in Britain to escape the clutches of his wicked stepmother. A judge ruled the man did not have to leave the UK as he would likely be severely punished by his relative for 'escaping' his home country of Guinea. An immigration tribunal heard the unnamed migrant was 'physically abused' and forced to work long hours by his father's first wife after his biological parents both died in a car crash. The Guinean, now in his early 20s, managed to secretly save money to send his younger brother away and was eventually able to flee to the UK with the help of a family friend. The tribunal heard that if he were to return to the West African country, he would be punished by his stepmother for 'disobeying' her and violating social norms. Now, the asylum seeker - who was granted anonymity - has won a human rights claim to remain in the UK. The Upper Tribunal of the Immigration and Asylum Chamber heard the young man's father was 'relatively wealthy', owned a large estate, and had two wives. In 2016, when the asylum seeker was just 14, both of his parents were killed in a car accident. His younger sister was sent away to live with their grandmother while the man and his younger brother were 'required' to remain in the family compound with his father's first wife. The tribunal said: 'She, and those around her, physically abused the boys, forcing them to work long hours and punishing them if they refused to do so.' It was heard that this type of situation is 'not unusual' in Guinea, and that children of other wives are often 'vulnerable' to 'exploitation and abuse' when they are without the protection of blood relatives. The man - who made his asylum claim in 2019 - managed to 'secretly' save enough money to 'send his little brother away', it was heard. Then, some time later, a friend of his late father - who was then living in Germany - arranged for a passport and visa for the young man and paid for his travel to the UK. Expert evidence provided to the tribunal said that if the man were to be returned to Guinea, he would be 'subject to stigmatisation by society due to him violating the social norms of his tribe'. This related to him 'disobeying and escaping' his father's first wife. The tribunal heard there would be an 'expectation' that his stepmother should 'severely physically punish him to reinstate the social balance'. And, if he sought to avoid the family, he would likely find himself 'destitute' and 'extremely vulnerable' to traffickers, his stepmother, and her family. The First-tier Tribunal accepted this account and he was allowed to remain in the UK, on both protection and human rights grounds. The asylum seeker was found to be 'a vulnerable witness' who 'cannot be held responsible for the actions of the family friend who fraudulently obtained a passport and visa on his behalf'. The Home Office attempted to appeal the decision by the First-tier Tribunal, arguing they had failed to find the man would be 'treated differently'. And, they said they failed to provide adequate reasons as to why the man's fear of his stepmother amounted to an 'innate characteristic that singles him out for different treatment by the rest of society'. But, the appeal was dismissed in its entirety by the Upper Tribunal, which upheld the earlier decision.
Telegraph
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
Migrant can stay in UK to escape his wicked stepmother
A Guinean asylum seeker has been allowed to remain in the UK after escaping his wicked stepmother. A judge has ruled that the man, now in his early 20s, would be likely to be punished by his wicked stepmother if he were to return after fleeing the country to escape her. An immigration tribunal heard the unnamed man was 'physically abused' and forced to work long hours by his father's first wife after his biological parents both died in a car accident. The asylum seeker managed to secretly save money to send his younger brother away and was eventually able to flee to the UK with the help of a family friend. 'Would be punished for disobedience' The tribunal heard that if he were to return to the West African country, he would be punished by his stepmother for 'disobeying' her and violating social norms. The asylum seeker – who was granted anonymity – has won a human rights claim to remain in the UK. The case, disclosed in court papers, is the latest example uncovered by The Telegraph where illegal migrants or convicted foreign criminals have been able to remain in the UK or halt their deportations on human rights grounds. Yvette Cooper, the Home Secretary, has announced plans to curb judges' powers to block deportations with new legally-enforced 'common sense' rules to clarify how judges interpret the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) and strengthen the public interest test. 'Physically abused' The Upper Tribunal of the Immigration and Asylum Chamber heard the young man's father was 'relatively wealthy', owned a large estate, and had two wives. In 2016, when he was just 14, both of his parents were killed in a car accident. His younger sister was sent away to live with a grandparent while he and his younger brother were 'required' to remain in the family compound with his father's first wife. The tribunal said: 'She, and those around her, physically abused the boys, forcing them to work long hours and punishing them if they refused to do so.' It was heard that this type of situation is 'not unusual' in Guinea, and that children of other wives are often 'vulnerable' to 'exploitation and abuse' when they are without the protection of blood relatives. The man – who made his asylum claim in 2019 – managed to 'secretly' save enough money to 'send his little brother away', it was heard. Then, some time later, a friend of his late father – who was then living in Germany – arranged for a passport and visa for the young man and paid for his travel to the UK. Expert evidence provided to the tribunal said that if the man were to be returned to Guinea, he would be 'subject to stigmatisation by society due to him violating the social norms of his tribe'. This related to him 'disobeying and escaping' his father's first wife. The tribunal heard there would be an 'expectation' that his stepmother should 'severely physically punish him to reinstate the social balance'. The First-tier Tribunal accepted this account and he was allowed to remain in the UK, on both protection and human rights grounds. 'Vulnerable' The asylum seeker was found to be 'a vulnerable witness' who 'cannot be held responsible for the actions of the family friend who fraudulently obtained a passport and visa on his behalf'. The Home Office attempted to appeal the decision by the First-tier Tribunal, arguing that they had failed to find that the man would be 'treated differently'. It said they failed to provide adequate reasons as to why the man's fear of his stepmother amounted to an 'innate characteristic that singles him out for different treatment by the rest of society'. However, the appeal was dismissed in its entirety by the Upper Tribunal, which upheld the earlier decision.
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Heather Rae El Moussa Has an Update on Whether She'll Have More Kids
HGTV star Heather Rae El Moussa is giving an update about possibly expanding her family. While speaking to E! News during a May 10 interview, Heather referenced that she's publicly stated that she and her husband, Tarek El Moussa, don't agree about having more children. The couple, who wed in 2021, have a 2-year-old son, Tristan. Tarek and his ex-wife, Christina Haack, also have two older children, Taylor and Brayden. "We're in the see what happens phase. I have been vocal, probably more than my husband would like, that I would love to have another baby," said Heather to the publication. Heather also said being a stepmother to Taylor and Brayden made her want to have her own child. "I was lucky enough to be become a stepmom to Taylor and Brayden six years ago. And I fell in love with them. And then that made me want to have my own," said Heather during the interview. She also said her enjoyment of being a mother and stepmother has made her want to have more children. "Having Tristan made me realize, like, 'I love being a mom. I love being a stepmom. It brings so much joy to my life that, why not want more?'" said Heather. Heather opened up about not being aligned with her husband about giving Tristan a younger sibling during a March 2025 episode of the 'Scrubbing In with Becca Tilley & Tanya Rad' podcast, as reported by People magazine. '[My son] is the light of my life. It makes me so happy. I'm like, 'How could I not want more?' But my husband is very much done. So we're very different in what we want in our future. So that's hard,' said Heather to People. She also said she would like to have another child as soon as possible because she is "turning 38 this year." "So for me, it's kind of like now or never in a way. Not because you can't have babies older, but I don't want to be 40 having babies still 'cause it's a lot. It takes up a lot of your time, a lot of your life, and the kids are my priority over myself. So I want to do it, get my body back. And it took a long time. It's hard," said Heather on the podcast episode. She also said she and Tarek have spoken about the issue in couples therapy. Tarek explained why he wasn't too keen about having more children during an April 2025 interview on Page Six's Virtual RealiTEA podcast. He said he is focused on his career and does not want to divert attention away from Taylor, Brayden, and Tristan. He also said he is "99 percent" sure he will not have more children. "But, you know, I do have a wife. So we'll see what happens," said Tarek during the April 2025 interview.
