I was married with three children when I found out my husband was my cousin
A WOMAN has revealed she was married to her husband for ten years and had three children with him before discovering he was her cousin.
Celina, 37, and Joseph, 44, met at a Halloween party 17 years ago and have been inseparable ever since.
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However, they discovered a dark secret after Joseph decided to take a DNA test to investigate his heritage.
The couple revealed they had “no suspicion whatsoever” they were cousins before sending their swabs to be tested, and were in complete shock when they got the results.
“When I realized we were cousins, I felt a little sick to my stomach,” Celina said Love does not judge.
Joseph was in complete denial at first, but after looking closely at the records, he realized the truth.
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The DNA test confirmed that the duo are third to fifth cousins, and the revelation caused them to question their relationship.
“I thought we were getting divorced, but then I started thinking we should stay together for our children,” Celina said.
Celina described the revelation as a “pivotal moment” as “you’re not supposed to be with your cousin, but it happened like that.”
Joseph added that he meant it in his weeding vows when he said, “Till death do us part,” so he decided not to leave his wife because of the discovery.
When the couple told their children that they were related, they were confused and a little panicked, but they have now come to accept their situation as normal.
“It’s nice or normal because they are my parents and they have been married for a long time,” their daughter said.
“Sometimes I feel a little weird about it because it’s not something you want to brag about,” their eldest son admitted.
He added that if his parents had found out they were cousins before they got married, it would have been “wrong”.
“But since they found out later, I don’t see any problem,” he said.
Celina decided to share her story on social media, but was bombarded with hateful comments from trolls.
One person described their marriage as ‘disturbing’, while another said they felt sorry for the couple’s children.
Can I marry my cousin in Britain?
AROUND the world, more than 10 percent of marriages take place between cousins.
In Britain there is no legal barrier to a relationship between two cousins.
That means that if you fall in love with your aunts and uncles’ children, there’s nothing stopping you from eventually tying the knot.
If you are over 18 years old, you can do this without the consent of your legal guardian or parent.
Marriages between cousins were once very common in Europe, especially among the elite.
Joseph said the comments about his children upset him, but added that the family is trying not to let the negativity wash over them.
“We found out almost 11 years and three years later that it’s not something you just walk away from,” he said.
“I think the future There is a lot more to it, I just want to see our kids succeed,” Celina added.
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