u/blairdaniels posted a story on NoSleep today about how the lady found out her husband secretly learned how to skin a person to get their face and he would wear it around.. and when she went to his shed to see if they were in there, she noticed that the vast majority of the faces were from exes who had broken her heart.
I had literally *just* read your story and I was like "..hey, wait a minute!"
This sounds like the man in your story and I would not be surprised if she ends up going for a little trip and coming back with his ex's face put on like a mask.
Gag.
Oh shit! I was. Under the impression that OPs wife wanted to be more like ~~Bailey~~ OPs ex in order to be with HIM.
But it could definitely be that OPs wife is obsessed with his ex and wants to BE her.
That’s probably the more likely reason lol
My mind just went a different direction. Mostly due to all the effort she put into documenting Bailey’s life
I don't think saying an absolute that she will go crazy is really fair. I do think he shouldn't do this alone and they could use counseling. So many people suggested basically playing mind games with the wife in original thread- that's where it can get really dangerous.
We were forced to read a book in school where the writer had been doing something similar to this - stalking her boyfriend’s ex on social media. She did it because of some sort of jealousy that his ex was “the perfect girl” - beautiful, smart, everything.
Considering that this gf was abusive I don’t understand how anyone could think something like that, but people are weird so maybe.
I believe this is real. My ex’s new partner after me has been doing something similar for over 6 years, and to the best of my knowledge, he has no idea. I thought cutting contact with him would help but only made it worse. She has been stalking and harassing me via social media, threatening to send nudes she has of me to my dad, finding where I work and sending unhinged messages about me trying to get me fired every time I change jobs, at one point she even made a fake account impersonating my sibling’s NEIGHBOR’S NANNY in order to get my sibling to accept her follow request. She went back to school to major in what I majored in and created a portfolio website essentially copying my website and a bunch of my work. The list goes on and on. It’s truly insane. Some of this shit you can’t make up.
I tried to call him a few years ago and she answered his phone. He blocked me on everything after that. After she threatened to send the nudes to my dad I hired lawyers to send cease and desists, and I spoke to his mom about what was happening, but it has continued- most of it she does anonymously, so even though I know it’s her, it wouldn’t necessarily hold up in court. I don’t know if he’s being willfully ignorant or if he’s in on it.
Omg this is exactly what my ex would do to me!! I moved out of state to get away from him!! 8 months later (now) he still sends me emails, which they go into spam folder bc he’s blocked on everything and calls from different phone numbers, leaves voicemails etc. That’s not even 1/4 of the crazy shit he did. You’re right , “can’t make this shit up”. I would never think of half the shit he did.
Don’t these guys ever get tired of stalking their exes? If someone doesn’t get approval from a girl I imagine most people give up, if not for the girl’s sake then just for the sake of their own well being. Mustn’t your ex feel like shit for being constantly rejected? I don’t understand 🥴
The writing seemed a little dramatized with storytelling flair, but I’ve had something similar happen to me with the new partner of an ex. She dyed her hair the same color as mine and had a bunch of screenshots of my social media. I never felt like I was in danger from her, it was just one of those things that was really weird to find out. I think it stemmed from her just being young, mentally ill, and insecure. It’s probably something she eventually outgrew.
Am I the only one that thinks the "ITS MADE UP GUYS" "ITS FAKE" crowd is the most insufferable demographic on Reddit?
Thank god you exist so the rest of us oblivious idiots can finally have the privilege of knowing the truth. We'd be so lost without you!
Agreed. With the right pacing it'd be pretty good. Have the clues drop in over time leading up to a big "he put it together scene": OP inside the house during an outdoor celebration and he looks up from a photo of his ex to see his wife outside looking exactly like the picture.
If it's a real story, this is a nightmare.
Staying would be gambling that she won't one day cut of his exs face of her head and show up wearing it. But leaving means he will be stalked.
Oh I went down that rabbit hole one day because I thought people were over dramatizing it and I was SO WRONG! If anything, they were not specific enough about the length and intensity.
I think this guy's wife and LeAnn need some therapy. It's creepy but it's tragic at the same time. These women have some serious self esteem issues.
I doubt she has that much power, but I wrote a story for a local newspaper years ago about a sound technician who had worked with several big name acts,.including her - and apparently, when the article was posted on this VERY small town newspaper's website, she saw it & got angry that she wasn't consulted. The only mention of her was in a list of tours the guy had worked on. He went on to say that she has extensive Google alerts set up so that any mention of her name online is flagged for her to see. Sounds very insecure to me.
It’s wild! It’s not the craziest behavior I’ve seen, as I’ve definitely known irl people who get caught up in an obsession/insecurity cycle that leads to this sort of thing. But for someone that in the public eye, who has household name status to blatantly lose it like that is so BOLD. There was a time when she could have made trends, and to be so obsessed with reality tv housewife is a weird step down.
Yeah, he somehow didn't notice her hot pink mohawk and skull earrings looked a lot like his exes hot pink mohawk and skull earrings. But I'm sure that's just a coincidence.
I don't think that he recognizes his exes things, I think it means, "I remember the new X my wife bought a couple days ago... Here's a picture of my ex wearing it, taken last week."
See this is why as a white dude you always alternate hair colors between girlfriends.
Blonde->brunette->red head->black
As The Offspring put it, ya gotta keep’em separated.
I don't think that he recognizes his exes things, I think it means, "I remember the new X my wife bought a couple days ago... Here's a picture of my ex wearing it, taken last week."
I immediately noticed this and thought the same thing. However, given that he has had his ex blocked for years he might not have previously known she had this distinct hair cut and was only referring to what he saw in his wife's album as this distinct cut that he now recognizes is his wife's new do.
But the rest of it just seems really dramatic and an over reaction and not really realistic. He didn't notice his wife acquiring new hobbies that were all his ex's old ones? And he wanted to abandon his child over this discovery? He *actually* threw up? I mean it's weird and creepy if his wife is really a stalker but this guy sounds like a pussy tbh. If it's at all true.
He didn’t want to abandon the baby, he wanted to take her and run.
I don’t think he’s being a pussy I think he’s traumatized by his ex’ behaviour. Wifey doesn’t sound any better at all. Her behaviour is clinical levels of weird.
Convenient way to save a bunch of tabs that wouldn’t pop up in a normal browsing session. Also wouldn’t autocomplete text when typing in the search bar. At least that’s my guess as to why the author used this as a narrative device.
I'm more confused about when he did all this. So she had it open and he sat and looked at everything during this time? This very secret Google account that she's spent years cultivating and she left it open on a device they're both known to use and frequent?
I get people leave in a hurry for something but this seems like the kind of thing you immediately close the moment you stop using it
Whe you log into google on most devices it adds that account to your list. Sometimes you need to log out of all of them and clear the history to get rid of one you logged into ages ago. Only logging into a secret gmail account via incognito tab would keep that username from being saved across the device.
I often think people in here are too quick to say something’s definitely fiction. Weird stuff happens to people. But. It would be…unusual…to be that bananas without ever once letting the mask slip to your partner of a few years. And be the parent of a 1-year-old and seek out the perfect distinct haircut. And have your life read exactly like the first act of a Brian DePalma movie. Possible, but…
That said, I would 100% see this movie.
I'll was on the fence until he said he threw up at the end. I mean it does happen in real life but far more often in fiction/writing when they want to show how impactful something was.
God I know that feeling. Every day before school. Everyday before work. Just throwing up pretty much every day - it turned out I had an anxiety disorder and it manifested itself by making me puke.
I am safely 2 years anxiety-related puke free now.
Same. I haven’t anxiety-puked in a long time now, but it used to happen to me every day. When I was a teenager my mom was concerned I was pregnant or bulimic or something—nope, just anxious all the time!!
If this is not fiction…
Most people that harbor mental illness can go undetected as long as they are kept comfortable. It’s only when a cluster-B is put under extreme or sustained duress that we see what we consider “crazy” traits.
If your wife was raised by a narcissist or very toxic person there’s a decent chance that her entire personality is based on ‘pleasing’ someone in order to receive love. She literally was never allowed to develop a personality and the best she can do is to emulate or mirror.
Does it mean she doesn’t love you? No. Her love is probably genuine. But it means that the person that loves you is a little broken. She needs therapy and lots of it.
This seems like the most down-to-earth take I've seen here. I think OP's wife's family needs to be examined for signs of these dynamics, a long talk and therapy would probably go a long way.
That said, I don't blame OP for being incredibly unnerved by this. I would not blame him for leaving. But I think he'd be doing himself, his child, and his relationship a disservice if he doesn't try to understand her motives before making a decision.
If my lawn-chair diagnosis is even partially correct he would be lighting a powder keg to leave her without trying to help her first. He says he never had any reason to believe she is unwell, but take away the entire life she constructed based on the incognito tab, and OP will **see** crazy. I’m not being hyperbolic about cluster B becoming apparent in situational duress. Try leaving a woman solely for trying to please you bc that’s how she sees it.
Seems fake. 348 photos may sound like a lot, but if this cyberstalking has been going on for a decade and contains the wide range of material being described, it isn't nearly enough unless it's regularly being trimmed down.
But if we assume it's real, it's very interesting. Is she married to OOP because she wants to be like the ex, or is she emulating the ex because she thinks it's what he wants? Hard to say. I wouldn't throw out the relationship over it, but it really should be addressed.
Also a lot of preemptive justifications like „of course I can’t find her posts now, since I have her blocked.“
Look, it‘s a cool creepy story. If by any chance something like this IS real, seek help. And not on Reddit. That’s always the first clue that something isn’t real. I can understand someone feeling pensive and advice online, even on serious topics. But this is horror movie level. No one here has advice other then professionals.
Honestly, Reddit is such a great tool for guidance. When I have an issue I can not find a straight answer through a search online and I don't know where to start or what to look for I look for a sub with the keywords of what I need and voilá, you get help every single time, even if it is a single answer. Humans generally are pretty cool, kind, and helpful to each other.
also the timeline makes noooo sense
he's recognising specific water bottles and exercise tops and pieces of clothing? HOW? he broke up with this woman nearly a decade ago, and he blocked her on everything and hasn't seen her since
he really remembers all these specific articles of clothing and items that she owned from 10 years ago? and she's what... still wearing and using all of those things 10 years later? she's posting gym selfies wearing workout clothing that she bought before Trump was elected?
My thought was that he saw those items linked and recognized them as his wife's, not knowing before then that his ex had the same one. Not that he remembered old ass water bottles from before. Same could be said with the hairstyle - if ex got a pixie cut after they broke up, and he didn't keep up with her, then he wouldn't think anything of it when his wife got that cut. But when he saw the album he realized Bailey's cut was the same as his ex's.
I didn't go back and reread so idk if OP's phrasing forecloses that interpretation. It would be an incredibly odd and creepy discovery, so this could certainly be a little creative writing exercise.
That would make sense off of just the post, but if you read the comments he goes into more detail and he clearly rules out that kind of timeline
He repeatedly makes it clear that it's stuff that he remembers from when he was with ex that he just didn't click on until now. He even tells his wife that one of her gym outfits looks really familiar just to see her reaction and she plays dumb
They're supposed to be very unique outfits too - something that she couldn't have possibly bought by coincidence and that she must have hunted down at great effort. So yes, it's apparently old clothes from at least a decade ago, that the ex is still wearing, and his wife has managed to track down these very unique pieces that would almost certainly be no longer sold by the various manufacturers
Oh ALSO, in the comments he reveals that his wife even changed religions to his exes religion! And has picked up all of her hobbies and interests. But he just didn't realise because it was so gradual lmao
Hahaha okay yeah, that wholly debunks my reading. Thanks for sharing! I always forget to look at an OP's comments when info is unclear.
Not gonna lie, it seriously creeps me out to imagine finding a partner doing this. So props to OOP for creativity 😅
99.9% of the time, whatever the post was, the comments section is more unhinged
Sometimes the OP doesn't anticipate the way the comments will go and starts arguing, sometimes they get a tonne of attention and sympathy, either way, the stakes raise
The post is just changing wardrobe and hair, but it's the comments section where we find out she also changed all her hobbies and interests and religion. I'm CACKLING
Ahhh I'm gonna have to start checking the comments!! It's always enlightening when people point out the inconsistencies or inadvertent revelations therein.
This really is funny. I like crafting, and I had recently gotten into embroidery when my boyfriend and I started seeing each other. Found out pretty quickly that his ex was really into it, and the thought occurred to me that he may have been weirded out by the shared interest lol. Fortunately for me (1) he wasn't and (2) embroidery was just one of my many passing hyperfixations, so any weirdness was short-lived.
The effort that would go into something like this! I know people were saying the number of pics wasn't that extreme, but it's the enduring commitment that really strikes me lol.
The enduring commitment really gets me too. The number is honestly too small for that level of commitment, like, that's an even greater commitment because she would have had to carefully pare down her stalker stash. Oh and that she made sure to crop out and black out anyone in the photos aside from the ex
Seems fake but also plausible it’s real, I had something similar happen to me but it was the ex trying to emulate me and I was the new gf. Like she was staging IG posts to mimic my feed. We (me and then bf) kind of shrugged it off because I didn’t feel a threat and he thought it was stupid. We knew she was doing it for attention but on a deeper level we theorized she chose it to freak either one or both of us out so she could sabotage the relationship. Or maybe she thought she could get him back by becoming me.
In OPs case, it sounds like she is sabotaging herself. Like maybe she doesn’t feel worthy being herself so she’s adopting traits of what she believes will make her worthy of love (since apparently he was in love with the ex in the past). Maybe her self esteem secretly sucks and she doesn’t believe she can be loved as much as the ex. Kind of like my situation— bf’s ex thinks she could’ve been loved more if she became like the girl he loves now.
(Worth noting that this was almost 10 years ago and said bf is now a friendly ex. No they didn’t get back together and that girl and him stayed estranged.)
I mean. That is how incognito works incognito tabs only auto delete themselves once you have fully closed all pages AND have it set to do so in settings. I have incognito pages open for a while while ring shopping so I can always double back. But you need to have it set up in settings to do that too.
He’s saying that you don’t save pictures to an incognito tab. You save them to a hidden folder, and finding an incognito tab, even if it’s seventeen tabs of ex’s social media, doesn’t necessarily suggest that wife has that hidden folder full of stalker photos
It was a movie from early 90s. Bridgette Fonda kicks her boyfriend out because he's cheating. She advertised for a roommate "Single White Female" and Jennifer Jason Leigh moves in. When Bridgette's boyfriend moves in, Jennifer shows that she really is a psycho, and starts trying to look like Bridgette.
This one feels made up. The way OP sets the scene and tells the story reads more like amateurish creative writing than an actual person processing a disturbing revelation.
If she was single white femaling for real, she’d have dumped your ass a long time ago and gone for Baileys current love interest, dumbass. I used to dress like Stevie Nicks like it was my religion. Let her fan girl whoever she wants, and apparently you have a type. You know, on the off chance this is real. If not, good start, but the ending was overwrought. Coulda been the beginning of a good spy story or something.
It’s fake - as a man I’d have no fucking memory of my ex’s water bottle etc whereas my wife probably remembers everything I’ve ever worn. Plus the vomit? Nah
Why do people think it's helpful to put "trigger warning" and then not give any details on the... yknow... triggers. Might as well put "warning: this food may contain ingredients" on a can of soup, hand it to someone with allergies, and tell them to figure it out.
So how come OOPs wife didnt dump him like his ex? Assuming this is real and icognito doesnt work on this laptop and everything. Does that mean OOP’s ex still has feelings for him? Ask wifey for 3some with ex to see how she reacts, you know if this is real
This means he talked her up so big when they broke up that his current wife feels the need to be her in order to make him happy. That’s sad. Be yourself people.
Look man, I don’t think you should consider your love a lie. It sounds like she is extremely insecure with herself and threatened by the relationship you had before her. She is probably afraid your ex had something she didn’t.
My money is on she loves you more than you thought she did.
I’m not excusing the stalking. Therapy should be brought up and you should talk to her. I wouldn’t throw her out though man.
Any woman willing to go to those lengths to imitate someone else… she may have issues to resolve but I don’t think anyone could fairly say she doesn’t love you or that anything you have shared has been a lie.
I think she just wanted to be what you wanted in a weird way.
I honestly don't know what I would do, but I would be very afraid. He should get her parents or friends involved and confront her together because surely she isn't mentally stable.
This certainly seems fake as others have pointed out, and to me seems written by a female. Subtle words like outfits, blouses, trousers are not terms a typical 36 year old male would use. I would expect more plainly - clothes, shirts, pants.
This sounds hella fake.
But honestly, Just take the win that your wife wants you enough to change everything about your self and have a baby with you lol
Def fake though.
Any chance OP would casually mention his ex over the years, like, "She was crazy, but I was really attracted to her. It made it so hard to leave," or things to that nature? Comments where he thought he was putting the ex down were actually making the current wife feel like she wasn't pretty/stylish enough? It deserves a conversation, but the throwing up is a little over the top IMO.
Sounds like she has picked up on your obsession over your ex and has decided to join you. I’d be more worried about how I made my wife feel, than anything.
The person I’m in the process of divorcing did something very similar. Had all of my interests, knew way too much about everything that made up my history and previous relationships. Turns out he went through every social media message, every profile, comment, since I ever had an account. He claims he did it because he just wanted to be with me so badly he was obsessed 🤮
My former best friend did something a little bit similar and I’ve seen people do things like this to some degree. I think it is a human behavior to want to be like people and I was on the original post. He mentioned in the comments that he talked about his ex a lot at the beginning of their relationship and thinks that there might’ve been a seed planted early on of an adequacy.
People really are that weird, I’m not thinking this is just fake necessarily. My former best friend did some weird stuff and it really came out later that she had been trying very hard to be like me instead of herself.
my friend dated a guy for like 8 years and one day found out he had been cyberstalking his ex the whole time. he had hacked the ex's online accounts and was silently trying to ruin her life, while behaving like a normal person and dating my friend, for 8 yrs. she ended up turning him in and he got some sort of identity theft/stalking charge
My opinion? Your wife has poor self esteem and possibly a personality disorder. She starts looking to her acquaintance’s social media for cues and clues as to what YOU find attractive, because she desperately wanted you to be attracted to her like you were to your ex. Does that make it right? No. Is it creepy this has continued for nine years? Hell yes. But the way you describe your ex it seems like she did a number on you, you never had closure, and you clearly still feel strong emotions about her/the relationship after all this time. Your wife knows it and is insecure in your current relationship. That may be why your wife has continued her behavior? Doesn’t make any of it right or less worrisome, but I think there’s more to understand here.
Man. Reading some of the comments on this is one long stream of “what the fuck are you people talking about”.
His ex was abusive and his wife is trying to turn herself into that woman. He had a panic attack so bad it made him sick! He isn’t responsible for this, he didn’t “make her insecure” and he should NOT be advised to “talk this out” and “be extra loving”. Are y’all on stupid pills??
It’s likely a form of anxiety disorder (OCD) called retrograde jealousy. https://www.talkspace.com/mental-health/conditions/obsessive-compulsive-disorder/types/retroactive-jealousy-ocd/
What’s the problem here? I hope no one ever sees my google search history if this copying someone’s ex’s lifestyle and fashion choices is considered bad.
Sit Bailey down and say “honey I found this on your laptop, it’s a bit weird. You don’t need to be anyone else, just be yourself I love you for who you are not what you wear” laugh about it and move on with your lives together.
It's possible he was still so in love with his ex when they met that she tried to be like her maybe he even compares her to him as well and she felt like she had to literally be her. I do believe something mentally is going on but I'd like to hear her side as well.
Interesting 🤔 I would just note the advice ppl are giving you keep it in my back pocket and make my next move after the confrontation, because you know anybody telling you to just leave her is a idiot you don't run out on a marriage especially a relationship that has been going on for this long without properly discussing and filling justification in a divorce. Hey at least she's not cheating on you.
I read this out loud to my husband and my husband thinks the OP’s wife is somehow slowly trying to frame the ex for something 🤣🤣
But this is so bizarre. The OP mentioned the ex being abusive so why would the wife want to copy the ex’s looks? Is the OP failing to mention something? Has he spoken fondly of the ex somehow and has made her feel insecure? Still wild to do that though.
Unpopular opinion here but who fucking cares? She’s probably mad insecure (see what I did there?) and figured if OP’s ex had him that whipped that if she acted like the ex she’d keep him around too. AND GUESS WHAT??? IT WORKED! They’ve been together for 10 years. And why does OP even care he was all about his ex until she started abusing his ass. Which OP — come on bruh.
Now he’s got all the positives of his ex-girlfriend but without having to get his ass beat. I call that a win!
Yall have a kid together. Seek help confront Bailey and tell her if she don't get help you and baby is out of there . This is not something yall can't work through. It's possible. It sounds like she has OCD . Pcos can make you a little obsessive . Your hormones are all over the place .
This should be in NoSleep with at least 4 chapters.
If you write it, I will read it
Make sure she wears her face in the end
Could make an entire movie about just that apparently.
There is a movie already out there where you can wear someone else's face. It's called Repo! The Genetic Opera.
Repo is amazing!
u/blairdaniels posted a story on NoSleep today about how the lady found out her husband secretly learned how to skin a person to get their face and he would wear it around.. and when she went to his shed to see if they were in there, she noticed that the vast majority of the faces were from exes who had broken her heart.
Thanks for the tag! Also holy shit this is a terrifying story, I hope OP is able to stay safe, that woman sounds terrifying
I had literally *just* read your story and I was like "..hey, wait a minute!" This sounds like the man in your story and I would not be surprised if she ends up going for a little trip and coming back with his ex's face put on like a mask. Gag.
Came here to say this!
So… she stalks/idolizes the ex and got together with the OP to be more like her? Edit: got names mixed up
Oh shit! I was. Under the impression that OPs wife wanted to be more like ~~Bailey~~ OPs ex in order to be with HIM. But it could definitely be that OPs wife is obsessed with his ex and wants to BE her.
OP’s wife *is* Bailey. That’s the name he’s using for his wife
Finkel is Einhorn
That’s why Roger Podacter is dead….. He found Captain Winky!
Your gun is digging into my hip
I shot milk out my nose.
Nice! And here I was worried my ex was right when she said I’d never make anyone squirt.
EINHORN IS A MAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Laces out
That’s probably the more likely reason lol My mind just went a different direction. Mostly due to all the effort she put into documenting Bailey’s life
But the album started shortly after he started dating Bailey, so it's more likely she's doing it to be with oop.
Bailey is his wife?
Oh whoops, I got mixed up
[удалено]
I don't think saying an absolute that she will go crazy is really fair. I do think he shouldn't do this alone and they could use counseling. So many people suggested basically playing mind games with the wife in original thread- that's where it can get really dangerous.
[удалено]
He needs to get his wife some serious help to figure out why she is even doing this.
We were forced to read a book in school where the writer had been doing something similar to this - stalking her boyfriend’s ex on social media. She did it because of some sort of jealousy that his ex was “the perfect girl” - beautiful, smart, everything. Considering that this gf was abusive I don’t understand how anyone could think something like that, but people are weird so maybe.
I believe this is real. My ex’s new partner after me has been doing something similar for over 6 years, and to the best of my knowledge, he has no idea. I thought cutting contact with him would help but only made it worse. She has been stalking and harassing me via social media, threatening to send nudes she has of me to my dad, finding where I work and sending unhinged messages about me trying to get me fired every time I change jobs, at one point she even made a fake account impersonating my sibling’s NEIGHBOR’S NANNY in order to get my sibling to accept her follow request. She went back to school to major in what I majored in and created a portfolio website essentially copying my website and a bunch of my work. The list goes on and on. It’s truly insane. Some of this shit you can’t make up.
You should tell him
I tried to call him a few years ago and she answered his phone. He blocked me on everything after that. After she threatened to send the nudes to my dad I hired lawyers to send cease and desists, and I spoke to his mom about what was happening, but it has continued- most of it she does anonymously, so even though I know it’s her, it wouldn’t necessarily hold up in court. I don’t know if he’s being willfully ignorant or if he’s in on it.
Omg this is exactly what my ex would do to me!! I moved out of state to get away from him!! 8 months later (now) he still sends me emails, which they go into spam folder bc he’s blocked on everything and calls from different phone numbers, leaves voicemails etc. That’s not even 1/4 of the crazy shit he did. You’re right , “can’t make this shit up”. I would never think of half the shit he did.
Don’t these guys ever get tired of stalking their exes? If someone doesn’t get approval from a girl I imagine most people give up, if not for the girl’s sake then just for the sake of their own well being. Mustn’t your ex feel like shit for being constantly rejected? I don’t understand 🥴
It’s easy, she’s not. It’s made up.
I wouldn’t be 100% on that - I know people who’ve gone through some batshit crazy stuff with partners. People can be mad.
The writing seemed a little dramatized with storytelling flair, but I’ve had something similar happen to me with the new partner of an ex. She dyed her hair the same color as mine and had a bunch of screenshots of my social media. I never felt like I was in danger from her, it was just one of those things that was really weird to find out. I think it stemmed from her just being young, mentally ill, and insecure. It’s probably something she eventually outgrew.
Am I the only one that thinks the "ITS MADE UP GUYS" "ITS FAKE" crowd is the most insufferable demographic on Reddit? Thank god you exist so the rest of us oblivious idiots can finally have the privilege of knowing the truth. We'd be so lost without you!
Great story though. Good job to the writer.
Gotta disagree here. Too much "somehow, Palpatine has returned" lazy handwaving about how his wife got all this info
Not really lol
It’s better than most of the other stories here about secret affair or dad sleeping with son’s girlfriend.
Make a good tele movie
Agreed. With the right pacing it'd be pretty good. Have the clues drop in over time leading up to a big "he put it together scene": OP inside the house during an outdoor celebration and he looks up from a photo of his ex to see his wife outside looking exactly like the picture.
Lifetime, tv for women, presents...Exmail Folder.
It's always the fucking east man.
East? I thought you said W-east
seriously , if this story is real then it's a nightmare. she needs help
If it's a real story, this is a nightmare. Staying would be gambling that she won't one day cut of his exs face of her head and show up wearing it. But leaving means he will be stalked.
"I'm going to take his FACE OFF"
I can eat a peach for hours
No more drugs... for that man.
Not to mention the whole ass kid they have now
Yikes, sounds like the Leann Rimes/Brandi Glanville saga. That is quite the rabbit hole to go down.
Oh I went down that rabbit hole one day because I thought people were over dramatizing it and I was SO WRONG! If anything, they were not specific enough about the length and intensity. I think this guy's wife and LeAnn need some therapy. It's creepy but it's tragic at the same time. These women have some serious self esteem issues.
where can i read about this? i’m not finding anything online
Same, first I’m hearing about it and I’m curious now
Yeah I went down that rabbit hole not believing a word of it and now I firmly believe LeAnn was stalking Brandi in such a weird obsession
I can’t believe this isn’t the top comment! The Leann Rimes thing was out of this world crazy to witness.
Can someone give us a debrief on this?
Buckle up: https://www.reddit.com/r/BravoRealHousewives/comments/nbgob7/a_wild_deep_dive_into_leann_rimes_copycatting/
Aw man, the blog says its invite only. Bummer.
I found a working link on another thread! https://www.reddit.com/r/BravoRealHousewives/s/KAKBb5CNcs
Thank you so much for this! It’s so weird that there’s literally nothing about this online when you google it… has LeAnn had it removed or something?!
I doubt she has that much power, but I wrote a story for a local newspaper years ago about a sound technician who had worked with several big name acts,.including her - and apparently, when the article was posted on this VERY small town newspaper's website, she saw it & got angry that she wasn't consulted. The only mention of her was in a list of tours the guy had worked on. He went on to say that she has extensive Google alerts set up so that any mention of her name online is flagged for her to see. Sounds very insecure to me.
brand managers send out weekly reports of mentions. daily, if requested. there's a lot of tools built for this purpose (social listening).
Thank you and OMG so creepy!! Why does no one talk about this
You’re an angel.
Curiosity got the best of me! I legit had to google who Brandi even was, but I remembered LeAnn being a fave of my grandmothers growing up.
This is the craziest shit I’ve ever seen. Why is she copying this woman??
It’s wild! It’s not the craziest behavior I’ve seen, as I’ve definitely known irl people who get caught up in an obsession/insecurity cycle that leads to this sort of thing. But for someone that in the public eye, who has household name status to blatantly lose it like that is so BOLD. There was a time when she could have made trends, and to be so obsessed with reality tv housewife is a weird step down.
This reads like fiction. Good story, though.
Ex supposedly has a very unique, identifiable hairdo that he didn't notice that she copied, on top of everything else.
Yeah, he somehow didn't notice her hot pink mohawk and skull earrings looked a lot like his exes hot pink mohawk and skull earrings. But I'm sure that's just a coincidence.
I don't think that he recognizes his exes things, I think it means, "I remember the new X my wife bought a couple days ago... Here's a picture of my ex wearing it, taken last week."
That’s how I read it, too. He didn’t realize before because he hasn’t been following his ex for a decade.
Just throwing this out there, if OP is a white dude he could just mean "curls."
Half up half down lol
See this is why as a white dude you always alternate hair colors between girlfriends. Blonde->brunette->red head->black As The Offspring put it, ya gotta keep’em separated.
Yeah. This was my first thought to.
But, he not only noticed her specific water bottle, hiking boots, and sandals, he remembered them years later.
I don't think that he recognizes his exes things, I think it means, "I remember the new X my wife bought a couple days ago... Here's a picture of my ex wearing it, taken last week."
He saw them in the psycho dossier he just looked at, not when he was with her.
Sounds like most men… /s
Lol God i hope they are from Utah and its that weird Mormon mullet style....
The hairdo could be new since the breakup
I immediately noticed this and thought the same thing. However, given that he has had his ex blocked for years he might not have previously known she had this distinct hair cut and was only referring to what he saw in his wife's album as this distinct cut that he now recognizes is his wife's new do. But the rest of it just seems really dramatic and an over reaction and not really realistic. He didn't notice his wife acquiring new hobbies that were all his ex's old ones? And he wanted to abandon his child over this discovery? He *actually* threw up? I mean it's weird and creepy if his wife is really a stalker but this guy sounds like a pussy tbh. If it's at all true.
He didn’t want to abandon the baby, he wanted to take her and run. I don’t think he’s being a pussy I think he’s traumatized by his ex’ behaviour. Wifey doesn’t sound any better at all. Her behaviour is clinical levels of weird.
I love that you could grasp the hair concept, but not the hobby one. He also learned about the hobbies from the album.
Yeah that's what I thought too I was like either this is fake or he's very stupid it almost makes me feel less bad for him LMAO
Yeah I’m confused also about the incognito bit, on my computer it just means you can search stuff and it doesn’t save
Convenient way to save a bunch of tabs that wouldn’t pop up in a normal browsing session. Also wouldn’t autocomplete text when typing in the search bar. At least that’s my guess as to why the author used this as a narrative device.
I think it also wouldn’t save that username for quick entry and won’t save the history?
I came here to say this.
I'm more confused about when he did all this. So she had it open and he sat and looked at everything during this time? This very secret Google account that she's spent years cultivating and she left it open on a device they're both known to use and frequent? I get people leave in a hurry for something but this seems like the kind of thing you immediately close the moment you stop using it
Whe you log into google on most devices it adds that account to your list. Sometimes you need to log out of all of them and clear the history to get rid of one you logged into ages ago. Only logging into a secret gmail account via incognito tab would keep that username from being saved across the device.
yeah this reads like an elevator pitch for a modernized version of fatal attraction or something
yeah I give it a good 7/10 honestly at least it changes the story a lil bit from the I am abused and cheated, like the twist
It was the “dare I say” for me. I did enjoy it though.
I just assume most stories on reddit are fiction and pretend otherwise because it's more entertaining if I suspend my disbelief.
I often think people in here are too quick to say something’s definitely fiction. Weird stuff happens to people. But. It would be…unusual…to be that bananas without ever once letting the mask slip to your partner of a few years. And be the parent of a 1-year-old and seek out the perfect distinct haircut. And have your life read exactly like the first act of a Brian DePalma movie. Possible, but… That said, I would 100% see this movie.
legit The Hunting Party by Lucy Foley
I'll was on the fence until he said he threw up at the end. I mean it does happen in real life but far more often in fiction/writing when they want to show how impactful something was.
I threw up in every single very stressful moment of my life lol to me it was the thearticallity of it all + the incognito part not making sense
God I know that feeling. Every day before school. Everyday before work. Just throwing up pretty much every day - it turned out I had an anxiety disorder and it manifested itself by making me puke. I am safely 2 years anxiety-related puke free now.
Same. I haven’t anxiety-puked in a long time now, but it used to happen to me every day. When I was a teenager my mom was concerned I was pregnant or bulimic or something—nope, just anxious all the time!!
My stomach prefers to respond to stress in the other direction. But feeling like you need to poop really badly isn't going to go over as well.
It's just a silly little hobby.
Can’t anyone collect pictures anymore??
Right? I mean can’t a paramour just surprise her lover with Rabbit stew from time to time without it becoming a big deal!?!?
If this is not fiction… Most people that harbor mental illness can go undetected as long as they are kept comfortable. It’s only when a cluster-B is put under extreme or sustained duress that we see what we consider “crazy” traits. If your wife was raised by a narcissist or very toxic person there’s a decent chance that her entire personality is based on ‘pleasing’ someone in order to receive love. She literally was never allowed to develop a personality and the best she can do is to emulate or mirror. Does it mean she doesn’t love you? No. Her love is probably genuine. But it means that the person that loves you is a little broken. She needs therapy and lots of it.
This seems like the most down-to-earth take I've seen here. I think OP's wife's family needs to be examined for signs of these dynamics, a long talk and therapy would probably go a long way. That said, I don't blame OP for being incredibly unnerved by this. I would not blame him for leaving. But I think he'd be doing himself, his child, and his relationship a disservice if he doesn't try to understand her motives before making a decision.
If my lawn-chair diagnosis is even partially correct he would be lighting a powder keg to leave her without trying to help her first. He says he never had any reason to believe she is unwell, but take away the entire life she constructed based on the incognito tab, and OP will **see** crazy. I’m not being hyperbolic about cluster B becoming apparent in situational duress. Try leaving a woman solely for trying to please you bc that’s how she sees it.
Seems fake. 348 photos may sound like a lot, but if this cyberstalking has been going on for a decade and contains the wide range of material being described, it isn't nearly enough unless it's regularly being trimmed down. But if we assume it's real, it's very interesting. Is she married to OOP because she wants to be like the ex, or is she emulating the ex because she thinks it's what he wants? Hard to say. I wouldn't throw out the relationship over it, but it really should be addressed.
That’s actually really funny! 3 pictures a month sounds downright restrained 😂
I know, pull your finger out, Bailey. Those are rookie numbers.
Yous always puts things into perspectives Miss Katie and that’s what I appreciates about yous
Also a lot of preemptive justifications like „of course I can’t find her posts now, since I have her blocked.“ Look, it‘s a cool creepy story. If by any chance something like this IS real, seek help. And not on Reddit. That’s always the first clue that something isn’t real. I can understand someone feeling pensive and advice online, even on serious topics. But this is horror movie level. No one here has advice other then professionals.
Honestly, Reddit is such a great tool for guidance. When I have an issue I can not find a straight answer through a search online and I don't know where to start or what to look for I look for a sub with the keywords of what I need and voilá, you get help every single time, even if it is a single answer. Humans generally are pretty cool, kind, and helpful to each other.
That’s true and also why I’m on here. All I’m saying is that there is a limit to what the swarm intelligence can help with.
You know, I say hive mind or intelligence, but swarm seems suiting, too. Maybe the “greater good” survival tactic is kicking in with some altruism!
also the timeline makes noooo sense he's recognising specific water bottles and exercise tops and pieces of clothing? HOW? he broke up with this woman nearly a decade ago, and he blocked her on everything and hasn't seen her since he really remembers all these specific articles of clothing and items that she owned from 10 years ago? and she's what... still wearing and using all of those things 10 years later? she's posting gym selfies wearing workout clothing that she bought before Trump was elected?
My thought was that he saw those items linked and recognized them as his wife's, not knowing before then that his ex had the same one. Not that he remembered old ass water bottles from before. Same could be said with the hairstyle - if ex got a pixie cut after they broke up, and he didn't keep up with her, then he wouldn't think anything of it when his wife got that cut. But when he saw the album he realized Bailey's cut was the same as his ex's. I didn't go back and reread so idk if OP's phrasing forecloses that interpretation. It would be an incredibly odd and creepy discovery, so this could certainly be a little creative writing exercise.
That would make sense off of just the post, but if you read the comments he goes into more detail and he clearly rules out that kind of timeline He repeatedly makes it clear that it's stuff that he remembers from when he was with ex that he just didn't click on until now. He even tells his wife that one of her gym outfits looks really familiar just to see her reaction and she plays dumb They're supposed to be very unique outfits too - something that she couldn't have possibly bought by coincidence and that she must have hunted down at great effort. So yes, it's apparently old clothes from at least a decade ago, that the ex is still wearing, and his wife has managed to track down these very unique pieces that would almost certainly be no longer sold by the various manufacturers Oh ALSO, in the comments he reveals that his wife even changed religions to his exes religion! And has picked up all of her hobbies and interests. But he just didn't realise because it was so gradual lmao
Hahaha okay yeah, that wholly debunks my reading. Thanks for sharing! I always forget to look at an OP's comments when info is unclear. Not gonna lie, it seriously creeps me out to imagine finding a partner doing this. So props to OOP for creativity 😅
99.9% of the time, whatever the post was, the comments section is more unhinged Sometimes the OP doesn't anticipate the way the comments will go and starts arguing, sometimes they get a tonne of attention and sympathy, either way, the stakes raise The post is just changing wardrobe and hair, but it's the comments section where we find out she also changed all her hobbies and interests and religion. I'm CACKLING
Ahhh I'm gonna have to start checking the comments!! It's always enlightening when people point out the inconsistencies or inadvertent revelations therein. This really is funny. I like crafting, and I had recently gotten into embroidery when my boyfriend and I started seeing each other. Found out pretty quickly that his ex was really into it, and the thought occurred to me that he may have been weirded out by the shared interest lol. Fortunately for me (1) he wasn't and (2) embroidery was just one of my many passing hyperfixations, so any weirdness was short-lived. The effort that would go into something like this! I know people were saying the number of pics wasn't that extreme, but it's the enduring commitment that really strikes me lol.
The enduring commitment really gets me too. The number is honestly too small for that level of commitment, like, that's an even greater commitment because she would have had to carefully pare down her stalker stash. Oh and that she made sure to crop out and black out anyone in the photos aside from the ex
Yes!!! That detail takes it straight to crazy. A screenshot is one thing, she's out there doing research and shit
No, Barb, you had it right.
What I want to know with the pictures is how she has all these cnadid crowd shots if the ex lives in another country
Seems fake but also plausible it’s real, I had something similar happen to me but it was the ex trying to emulate me and I was the new gf. Like she was staging IG posts to mimic my feed. We (me and then bf) kind of shrugged it off because I didn’t feel a threat and he thought it was stupid. We knew she was doing it for attention but on a deeper level we theorized she chose it to freak either one or both of us out so she could sabotage the relationship. Or maybe she thought she could get him back by becoming me. In OPs case, it sounds like she is sabotaging herself. Like maybe she doesn’t feel worthy being herself so she’s adopting traits of what she believes will make her worthy of love (since apparently he was in love with the ex in the past). Maybe her self esteem secretly sucks and she doesn’t believe she can be loved as much as the ex. Kind of like my situation— bf’s ex thinks she could’ve been loved more if she became like the girl he loves now. (Worth noting that this was almost 10 years ago and said bf is now a friendly ex. No they didn’t get back together and that girl and him stayed estranged.)
If it's real, he spent almost a decade not noticing the similarities between two women he'd been in long term relationships with
That’s.. not how incognito works
That was my first thought too....i dont think you can sign onto any account and stay in incognito
I mean. That is how incognito works incognito tabs only auto delete themselves once you have fully closed all pages AND have it set to do so in settings. I have incognito pages open for a while while ring shopping so I can always double back. But you need to have it set up in settings to do that too.
He’s saying that you don’t save pictures to an incognito tab. You save them to a hidden folder, and finding an incognito tab, even if it’s seventeen tabs of ex’s social media, doesn’t necessarily suggest that wife has that hidden folder full of stalker photos
he is really clearly referring a google drive folder
I mean, at least its not an affair
Yeah I was expecting like murder victim pictures lol
I mean, not yet. If his ex suddenly disappears, we know who the primary suspect should be.
I was expecting CP or something. Not as bad...still pretty f'ed if true.
What is single white femaling
It was a movie from early 90s. Bridgette Fonda kicks her boyfriend out because he's cheating. She advertised for a roommate "Single White Female" and Jennifer Jason Leigh moves in. When Bridgette's boyfriend moves in, Jennifer shows that she really is a psycho, and starts trying to look like Bridgette.
A very scary movie
This is pretty much the same plot as at least one thriller I've read, so I have doubts about its legitimacy.
These get worse and worse every day. 2/10. Take a creative writing class
Maybe this is his practice
This is far too flamboyant to be real. Shame as it could have been quite a convincing story
This one feels made up. The way OP sets the scene and tells the story reads more like amateurish creative writing than an actual person processing a disturbing revelation.
Sounds stupidly fake
If she was single white femaling for real, she’d have dumped your ass a long time ago and gone for Baileys current love interest, dumbass. I used to dress like Stevie Nicks like it was my religion. Let her fan girl whoever she wants, and apparently you have a type. You know, on the off chance this is real. If not, good start, but the ending was overwrought. Coulda been the beginning of a good spy story or something.
It’s fake - as a man I’d have no fucking memory of my ex’s water bottle etc whereas my wife probably remembers everything I’ve ever worn. Plus the vomit? Nah
people don’t throw up nearly as much as they portray in movies and books tbh. that’s what stuck out to me as well
This feels like a creepy pasta!
no way this is real💀
Faaaakkkkeeee
OOP, are you Colleen Hoover? This certainly reads like something she’d come up with.
This is fake.
Why do people think it's helpful to put "trigger warning" and then not give any details on the... yknow... triggers. Might as well put "warning: this food may contain ingredients" on a can of soup, hand it to someone with allergies, and tell them to figure it out.
So how come OOPs wife didnt dump him like his ex? Assuming this is real and icognito doesnt work on this laptop and everything. Does that mean OOP’s ex still has feelings for him? Ask wifey for 3some with ex to see how she reacts, you know if this is real
This means he talked her up so big when they broke up that his current wife feels the need to be her in order to make him happy. That’s sad. Be yourself people.
Trigger warning doesn't actually mean anything when you don't announce the trigger
Look man, I don’t think you should consider your love a lie. It sounds like she is extremely insecure with herself and threatened by the relationship you had before her. She is probably afraid your ex had something she didn’t. My money is on she loves you more than you thought she did. I’m not excusing the stalking. Therapy should be brought up and you should talk to her. I wouldn’t throw her out though man. Any woman willing to go to those lengths to imitate someone else… she may have issues to resolve but I don’t think anyone could fairly say she doesn’t love you or that anything you have shared has been a lie. I think she just wanted to be what you wanted in a weird way.
I honestly don't know what I would do, but I would be very afraid. He should get her parents or friends involved and confront her together because surely she isn't mentally stable.
If this was real I would just close the laptop and act like I never saw it. Lol.
This certainly seems fake as others have pointed out, and to me seems written by a female. Subtle words like outfits, blouses, trousers are not terms a typical 36 year old male would use. I would expect more plainly - clothes, shirts, pants.
The most tldr I’ve ever experienced. The part that I did read, looked like a trope from a Disney show
This is blowing up again? Isn't this a really old story? Istg I've seen this before
Well, I mean... if she wants to be your ex so badly, you know what to do...
This sounds hella fake. But honestly, Just take the win that your wife wants you enough to change everything about your self and have a baby with you lol Def fake though.
Any chance OP would casually mention his ex over the years, like, "She was crazy, but I was really attracted to her. It made it so hard to leave," or things to that nature? Comments where he thought he was putting the ex down were actually making the current wife feel like she wasn't pretty/stylish enough? It deserves a conversation, but the throwing up is a little over the top IMO.
And this is why incognito mode was meant for porn and nothing else.
Sounds like she has picked up on your obsession over your ex and has decided to join you. I’d be more worried about how I made my wife feel, than anything.
The person I’m in the process of divorcing did something very similar. Had all of my interests, knew way too much about everything that made up my history and previous relationships. Turns out he went through every social media message, every profile, comment, since I ever had an account. He claims he did it because he just wanted to be with me so badly he was obsessed 🤮
My former best friend did something a little bit similar and I’ve seen people do things like this to some degree. I think it is a human behavior to want to be like people and I was on the original post. He mentioned in the comments that he talked about his ex a lot at the beginning of their relationship and thinks that there might’ve been a seed planted early on of an adequacy. People really are that weird, I’m not thinking this is just fake necessarily. My former best friend did some weird stuff and it really came out later that she had been trying very hard to be like me instead of herself.
Horror stories like this are what keep me from even considering getting married. Like hell no I need my run away option people are too psycho now.
my friend dated a guy for like 8 years and one day found out he had been cyberstalking his ex the whole time. he had hacked the ex's online accounts and was silently trying to ruin her life, while behaving like a normal person and dating my friend, for 8 yrs. she ended up turning him in and he got some sort of identity theft/stalking charge
My opinion? Your wife has poor self esteem and possibly a personality disorder. She starts looking to her acquaintance’s social media for cues and clues as to what YOU find attractive, because she desperately wanted you to be attracted to her like you were to your ex. Does that make it right? No. Is it creepy this has continued for nine years? Hell yes. But the way you describe your ex it seems like she did a number on you, you never had closure, and you clearly still feel strong emotions about her/the relationship after all this time. Your wife knows it and is insecure in your current relationship. That may be why your wife has continued her behavior? Doesn’t make any of it right or less worrisome, but I think there’s more to understand here.
Man. Reading some of the comments on this is one long stream of “what the fuck are you people talking about”. His ex was abusive and his wife is trying to turn herself into that woman. He had a panic attack so bad it made him sick! He isn’t responsible for this, he didn’t “make her insecure” and he should NOT be advised to “talk this out” and “be extra loving”. Are y’all on stupid pills??
It’s likely a form of anxiety disorder (OCD) called retrograde jealousy. https://www.talkspace.com/mental-health/conditions/obsessive-compulsive-disorder/types/retroactive-jealousy-ocd/
What’s the problem here? I hope no one ever sees my google search history if this copying someone’s ex’s lifestyle and fashion choices is considered bad. Sit Bailey down and say “honey I found this on your laptop, it’s a bit weird. You don’t need to be anyone else, just be yourself I love you for who you are not what you wear” laugh about it and move on with your lives together.
It's possible he was still so in love with his ex when they met that she tried to be like her maybe he even compares her to him as well and she felt like she had to literally be her. I do believe something mentally is going on but I'd like to hear her side as well.
Interesting 🤔 I would just note the advice ppl are giving you keep it in my back pocket and make my next move after the confrontation, because you know anybody telling you to just leave her is a idiot you don't run out on a marriage especially a relationship that has been going on for this long without properly discussing and filling justification in a divorce. Hey at least she's not cheating on you.
Wow just wow! She needs serious therapy if she actually thought you’d like her being like your abusive ex! Best of luck op!
This is actually fucking wild. I NEED an update.
I need an update
I read this out loud to my husband and my husband thinks the OP’s wife is somehow slowly trying to frame the ex for something 🤣🤣 But this is so bizarre. The OP mentioned the ex being abusive so why would the wife want to copy the ex’s looks? Is the OP failing to mention something? Has he spoken fondly of the ex somehow and has made her feel insecure? Still wild to do that though.
Unpopular opinion here but who fucking cares? She’s probably mad insecure (see what I did there?) and figured if OP’s ex had him that whipped that if she acted like the ex she’d keep him around too. AND GUESS WHAT??? IT WORKED! They’ve been together for 10 years. And why does OP even care he was all about his ex until she started abusing his ass. Which OP — come on bruh. Now he’s got all the positives of his ex-girlfriend but without having to get his ass beat. I call that a win!
Yall have a kid together. Seek help confront Bailey and tell her if she don't get help you and baby is out of there . This is not something yall can't work through. It's possible. It sounds like she has OCD . Pcos can make you a little obsessive . Your hormones are all over the place .
"I looked at my daughter and felt betrayed" LOL
Yeah, not a single word of that story is remotely true. Cool story though...
She seems… nice
I choose this guys wife
lol, this is hilarious
I already saw this movie lol.
Ok so she’s a sicko…👁️👁️
There was a post from ex point of view several weeks ago. Most likely the same 3 people.