Husband Tells Wife He'll Leave Her If She Gets New Tattoo

Sep 17, 2021 by apost team

When it comes to relationships, it’s common for people to have to compromise every now and then. Whether it’s what they want to have for dinner or if they want to move to a new city, there are plenty of times when couples need to put their differences aside to come to a joint decision. However, there are some rare occasions where couples aren’t able to do this, and it ultimately is detrimental to their relationship.

A husband gave his wife of 10 years an ultimatum: get a new tattoo or stay married. He basically told his wife that he would leave her if she got another tattoo. She already had a few and that clearly was too much for him since he isn’t a fan of body art. While not every tattoo has to have a deep meaning, the wife came up with a beautiful one for her new work of art; she wanted to get their 3-year-old daughter’s name tattooed on her arm.

Despite this, the husband still wouldn’t allow it, and told her that he would leave her if she went ahead and got the tattoo. Upset, the wife went to Mumsnet in April 2020 to ask for advice. She really wanted the tattoo, but she didn’t want to risk losing her marriage. Her prompt inevitably sparked a debate in the comments section, with people disagreeing on how this woman should navigate such a tricky situation. Read on to find out more about what advice people had to offer to this tattoo-loving wife.

Starting off her post on Mumsnet in April 2020, the wife explained that she was “just looking for a bit of advice.” She and her husband had been married for 10 years and they have a beautiful 3-year-old daughter together. Prior to meeting her husband, the wife already had three tattoos: one on each of her wrists and one on her ankle. For many people, tattoos hold a lot of meaning, and the wife was ready to finally get another one. 

“Last night I told him I wanted another tattoo, which he went crazy at saying he would leave if I got another one,” she said. “He said that they disgust him and that he wouldn't be able to look at me if I got one.” The wife was hurt because the tattoo she had in mind held a lot of personal meaning to her; she wanted a tattoo of roses, a stop clock and her daughter’s name and birth date on her forearm. “I really really want the tattoo, but if I get it I risk my marriage,” the wife reiterated. “I don’t know what to do. Please help.”

People were quick to flood the comment section with their own opinions and advice on the matter. Many people pointed out that while the wife had every right to want to get a tattoo, her husband had every right to not want her to since they both had different preferences. One Mumsnet user commented, “I’d get the tattoo and ditch the husband. Your body, your choice.” The user added, “Why did he marry you if they disgust him?” 

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The concept of “your body, your choice” was a recurring theme in the comments section, as many people chimed in with the phrase and gave their own explanation on why it was so important to them. “I’m personally not a fan of tattoos due to how they look and the expense,” another user added. “Your husband has a right to an opinion but I suppose your body, your choice.” 

More people chimed in, and began dissecting what the woman’s marriage might have been like. Several people wondered if her husband usually tried to control her like this, or if this was just something that he had a very strong opinion about. A third user commented, “I am not keen on lower arm tattoos at all. However, you should do what you want. If he leaves then your marriage was on very shaky ground anyway.” 

However, another commenter expressed their sympathy for the husband and tried to figure out how the wife should navigate such a tricky situation. “If he’s normally an easy going guy who doesn’t tell you what to do, I have sympathy with him,” the commenter said. “He cannot understand why you’re intentionally making yourself less attractive to him.” The user was quick to explain that if the husband is more on the controlling side, then this disagreement was probably a sign that they really needed to work on their marriage. The user added, “Don’t be told what to do, but, don’t get a tattoo if the man you’re in a happy relationship with finds them unattractive.”

What do you think about this wife’s predicament? Do you think it was right of her husband to tell her she couldn’t get a tattoo? Or should she give up the idea of getting one to please him? Let us know, and be sure to pass this along to your family members and friends, too.