It’s a scenario that would make most married couples shudder – what if, by some strange coincidence, you were related? It may seem unlikely, but unfortunately it has happened. In Brazil, one couple discovered they were siblings who had been abandoned by their mother together, after they got married and had children.
Terrifying, right? Thankfully, another couple on TikTok had a less harrowing experience – they discovered they were cousins after being married for three years. The couple shared a video on the social media platform, which has been viewed 5.7 million times, showing them standing together and then kissing, with the caption ‘over 3 years into our marriage and we just found out we are cousins’.
They didn’t go into any details about exactly how they’re related, leaving many viewers wondering just how closely related they are.
It is not entirely clear what the nature of their relationship is, but by staying together, we can deduce a few things based on Utah law. In Utah, it is illegal to marry your first cousin or anyone closer.
However, if they are more distantly related than that, it is permissible. To clarify, a first cousin is the child of your aunt/uncle, while a “once-removed” cousin is the child of your first cousin. A second cousin is the child of your parent’s first cousin.
In case your grandparents are the same people, you should avoid any romantic involvement with your cousin. But, if you and your first cousin are truly in love, there is a loophole available.
However, it may take some time to avail of it. If both parties are over 65 years of age, then they can marry. Alternatively, if they are over 55 and the court determines that they cannot have children, they can marry.
Love may require patience! Needless to say, people had a lot to say in the comments, including one person who shared their own experience: “The same thing happened to us. We were married for three years with a child when we found out we were fifth cousins once removed.”
Another person shared, “My parents are third cousins. They conducted research because their families were from the same area.
A third individual wrote, “I briefly dated a guy who had the same last name as me. We had to verify that we were not related.”
