A woman has chosen to uninvite her cousin from Thanksgiving dinner this year — to the dismay of her family.
In a post shared to the Am I the A**hole forum on Reddit, a woman explained that she hosts Thanksgiving at her house every year. While the entire family is usually welcome, this year, she decided to exclude her cousin, whom she describes as a 29-year-old man who acts like he’s six.
“The party starts at 3 p.m., but he shows up before noon,” she explained, noting that his early arrival wouldn’t be such an issue if he didn’t immediately sprawl out on her couch, take off his “stinky shoes,” and commandeer the TV. To make matters worse, he treats her like hired help, constantly requesting drinks and snacks instead of lending a hand.
During the meal, things don’t improve. According to the post, her cousin has a habit of chewing with his mouth open, speaking loudly over everyone, and taking multiple servings before others have had a chance to eat. While there’s always enough food to go around, she said his behavior felt disrespectful — especially when he takes it further by rating and critiquing her cooking out loud. After dinner, her cousin insisted on staying the night, citing the drive home as too long.
“My husband and I try to make the best of it, but he is always drunk and snores so loud during the night,” she wrote. “Plus, his breath smells, and he vomits everywhere.”
After enduring this behavior for six consecutive Thanksgivings, she decided enough was enough. This year, she invited everyone except him.
“I explained myself, saying that if he wanted to act like an adult, he could still come. But he refuses, saying it is just how he is and I should learn to love him for it,” she shared.
Reddit commenters overwhelmingly supported her decision, agreeing that her cousin’s behavior was unacceptable.
“A bad guest is a bad guest regardless of family ties,” one person wrote. “Cousin straight up says he’s not going to change so he’s made his choice.”
“If you want to be invited somewhere, it’s common sense and basic decency to make yourself an appealing addition to the gathering,” another added. “Any family members who whine about him not being invited should be immediately told they are more than welcome to host their own dinner with the guest list of their choosing.”
