Bored Panda works better on our iPhone app
Continue in app Continue in browser

The Bored Panda iOS app is live! Fight boredom with iPhones and iPads here.

Woman Rediscovers Herself After Husband Proposes Open Marriage, Refuses To Close It
Man sitting on couch looking thoughtful, representing emotions in open marriage and self-rediscovery topics.

UNBELIEVABLE: Husband regrets opening marriage wife conflicted - Caught on Camera

31

ADVERTISEMENT

It’s a tale as old as time. Guy thinks grass is greener on the other side, but discovers it’s just a bunch of barren land. By the time he returns home, his lawn has been watered by someone else. Maybe he’s allowed back in, maybe he’s not.

In the case of the following story, a man convinced his wife to open their decades-long marriage. She agreed and actually started enjoying her newfound freedom, only for him to backtrack and ask for them to be monogamous again. At the time, the woman said she was conflicted and turned to the internet for advice. She surprised many people by providing an unexpected update three years later.

RELATED:

    He convinced her to open up their marriage, and quickly regretted it when it didn’t work in his favor

    Image credits:  Freepik (not the actual photo)

    Now he wants her all to himself again, but she’s quite happy with the way things are

    ADVERTISEMENT

    Image credits: cottonbro studio / Pexels (not the actual photo)

    ADVERTISEMENT
    ADVERTISEMENT

    Image credits:

    People had mixed reactions, but many agreed that the husband didn’t think things through

    ADVERTISEMENT
    ADVERTISEMENT
    ADVERTISEMENT
    ADVERTISEMENT
    ADVERTISEMENT
    ADVERTISEMENT
    ADVERTISEMENT
    ADVERTISEMENT
    ADVERTISEMENT
    ADVERTISEMENT

    She returned with an unexpected update 3 years later…

    Image credits: Freepik (not the actual photo)

    ADVERTISEMENT
    ADVERTISEMENT

    Image credits:

    Image credits: Alex Green / Pexels (not the actual photo)

    A third of Americans polled said open marriages are acceptable, but don’t expect your partner to jump at the idea. Here’s why…

    Made popular in the 70s, open marriages aren’t as taboo as they once were. But that’s not to say everyone is on board.

    In fact, a 2023 survey conducted by Pew Research Center found that half of the more than 5,000 Americans polled believe that open marriages are somewhat or completely unacceptable. “This includes 37% who say these marriages are completely unacceptable and 13% who say they’re somewhat unacceptable,” explains Pew’s site.

    ADVERTISEMENT

    In case the term is foreign to you, an open marriage is one where both spouses agree that they can date or be intimate with other people.

    A third of respondents said open marriages are somewhat or completely acceptable, while the remaining 16% were indifferent. Interestingly, men are more likely than women to say open marriages are at least somewhat acceptable.

    ADVERTISEMENT

    People’s views on the topic also seem to differ depending on their race and ethnicity, age, marital status, and sexual orientation. Young adults are the most likely to say open marriages are acceptable, while older adults are the most likely to say they’re unacceptable.

    “Married adults (57%) and those who are divorced, separated, or widowed (61%) are more likely than those who are living with a partner (27%) or have never been married (35%) to say open marriages are unacceptable,” reports the Pew Research Center. “In fact, those who are living with a partner are the most likely to say these kinds of marriages are acceptable (56%).”

    Just because people are more open to the idea of an open marriage nowadays, don’t expect your partner to jump with joy if you suggest one.

    “The desire to be in an open relationship is not always met with consensus between couples. While there are those whose partners may tolerate or completely agree with the idea, wanting to be in an open relationship can be a major dealbreaker to the majority,” warns CompareCamp, a software comparison site that delved into the findings of a separate survey on open marriages.

    ADVERTISEMENT

    That poll found that 67% of female participants said they’d leave their partners if they asked for an open relationship. While only 46% of male respondents would consider their partner’s request to be in an open relationship as a relationship dealbreaker.

    “Walking cliche”: many were not surprised at all by the husband’s behavior

    ADVERTISEMENT
    ADVERTISEMENT
    ADVERTISEMENT
    ADVERTISEMENT
    ADVERTISEMENT
    ADVERTISEMENT

    Poll Question

    Total votes ·

    Thanks! Check out the results:

    Total votes ·
    Share on Facebook

    Explore more of these tags

    Robyn Smith

    Robyn Smith

    Writer, BoredPanda staff

    Read more »

    Robyn is an award-winning journalist who has produced work for several international media outlets. Made in Africa and exported to the world, she is obsessed with travel and the allure of new places. A lover of words and visuals, Robyn is part of the Bored Panda writing team. This Panda has two bamboo tattoos: A map of Africa & the words "Be Like The Bamboo... Bend Never Break."

    Read less »
    Robyn Smith

    Robyn Smith

    Writer, BoredPanda staff

    Robyn is an award-winning journalist who has produced work for several international media outlets. Made in Africa and exported to the world, she is obsessed with travel and the allure of new places. A lover of words and visuals, Robyn is part of the Bored Panda writing team. This Panda has two bamboo tattoos: A map of Africa & the words "Be Like The Bamboo... Bend Never Break."

    Indrė Lukošiūtė

    Indrė Lukošiūtė

    Author, BoredPanda staff

    Read more »

    I am a Visual editor at Bored Panda, I'm determined to find the most interesting and the best quality images for each post that I do. On my free time I like to unwind by doing some yoga, watching all kinds of movies/tv shows, playing video and board games or just simply hanging out with my cat

    Read less »

    Indrė Lukošiūtė

    Indrė Lukošiūtė

    Author, BoredPanda staff

    I am a Visual editor at Bored Panda, I'm determined to find the most interesting and the best quality images for each post that I do. On my free time I like to unwind by doing some yoga, watching all kinds of movies/tv shows, playing video and board games or just simply hanging out with my cat

    What do you think ?
    Karma Black
    Community Member
    8 hours ago (edited) Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Yeah, my ex and I had what was supposed to be a polyamorous relationship. The biggest rules were that protection was required, and we were to discuss potential partners before even the first date. It quickly evolved into him sleeping with coworkers behind my back, then becoming emotionally abus1ve and calling me a disgusting wh0re when I wanted to be with ONE person. He later admitted that it was supposed to be open for HIM because "men need more s3x with more women", but I was supposed to be with only him because "women don't need as much s3x, and a real, loving woman is dedicated to one partner". So, yeah. As many have said, it was his way of cheating with permission. I also later learned that he decided he didn't need protection because he'd already had a vasectomy. He is an EMT, but didn't care about STIs. Yes, I got tested. By some miracle, he didn't give me anything more than depression, awful self-esteem, and anxiety.

    The_Nicest_Misanthrope
    Community Member
    5 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I'm so sorry. I hope your exes díck falls off with gangrene. 😒

    Load More Replies...
    KatSaidThat
    Community Member
    5 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    aka, I wanted to cheat with permission, it didn't work out, let's go back to how we were. ;-)

    The_Nicest_Misanthrope
    Community Member
    5 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Hilarious how often this happens 😂 When will they learn?

    Load More Comments
    Karma Black
    Community Member
    8 hours ago (edited) Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Yeah, my ex and I had what was supposed to be a polyamorous relationship. The biggest rules were that protection was required, and we were to discuss potential partners before even the first date. It quickly evolved into him sleeping with coworkers behind my back, then becoming emotionally abus1ve and calling me a disgusting wh0re when I wanted to be with ONE person. He later admitted that it was supposed to be open for HIM because "men need more s3x with more women", but I was supposed to be with only him because "women don't need as much s3x, and a real, loving woman is dedicated to one partner". So, yeah. As many have said, it was his way of cheating with permission. I also later learned that he decided he didn't need protection because he'd already had a vasectomy. He is an EMT, but didn't care about STIs. Yes, I got tested. By some miracle, he didn't give me anything more than depression, awful self-esteem, and anxiety.

    The_Nicest_Misanthrope
    Community Member
    5 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I'm so sorry. I hope your exes díck falls off with gangrene. 😒

    Load More Replies...
    KatSaidThat
    Community Member
    5 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    aka, I wanted to cheat with permission, it didn't work out, let's go back to how we were. ;-)

    ADVERTISEMENT
    The_Nicest_Misanthrope
    Community Member
    5 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Hilarious how often this happens 😂 When will they learn?

    Load More Comments
    Related on Bored Panda
    Popular on Bored Panda
    Trending on Bored Panda
    Also on Bored Panda
    ADVERTISEMENT