13 Mothers-in-Law Who Took Family Tensions to the Extreme

Our in-laws become part of the family, and we often hope for close, loving relationships with them. Unfortunately, that’s not always the reality. In this collection, we dive into some jaw-dropping and even bizarre stories about mothers-in-law—situations so unbelievable, you’d think they were scripted for TV. But believe it or not, these are all real-life events.

• My husband and I had been saving up to go on a trip. His mom was crying about how much in debt she was, so, we postponed it to help her. Days later, she showed me this big porcelain cat. I murmured, "Must have cost a fortune." She patted me on the shoulder and said, "Well, my son had confessed to me that he didn't really want to go on that trip!"
  I was speechless. Later that night, I confronted my husband. He froze in shock and swore that he was looking forward to the trip as much as I was, and that his mom has a habit of making up things and speaking for him.
  That day, I learned to keep my distance from her, because her lies could end up destroying my relationship.

• My husband always told me he preferred his mom’s cooking to mine and kept insisting I should ask her for recipes. I finally gave in and called my MIL. She was unusually cheerful, eager to share her "special recipes." I made one of her dishes for dinner, feeling hopeful. But when my husband tried it, he spit it out and said it tasted horrible.
  The next day, I mentioned it to my sister-in-law, who burst out laughing. “Mom always does that,” she said. “She gives fake recipes so no one outshines her.” Furious, I confronted my mother-in-law, but she just smiled sweetly and said, “You must have made a mistake.” I wanted to scream. My husband, of course, refused to believe his mom could do such a thing.

• My mother-in-law posted the picture we were going to use for the pregnancy announcement cards on Facebook before we even had a chance to tell some close family members. After we asked her never to do that again, she announced the baby's gender on Facebook. © kickslacedandready / Reddit

• My boyfriend's mom and dad helped us move into our new place, and she put all of my boyfriend's stuff (clothes, books, etc.) in one bedroom and all of mine in another. Then, genuinely confused, she asked why we had only brought one bed in the moving truck and if we had ordered another one for him. No one had the heart to tell her. © Unknown author / Reddit

• My ex-MIL threw a screaming fit right before my wedding started because I had forgotten the crystal cake topper she had purchased. I believe the line, "That spiteful girl did this ON PURPOSE to embarrass me!" was the one that rang out the loudest once people were stunned into silence by her behavior. Sadly, this is one of many, many, many stories about that awful woman. © clydiebaby / Reddit

• The second we announced I was pregnant, my MIL suddenly started having stomach pains and has been "unable" to eat anything. Three years later, she's still going strong with the stomach pains and always talks about how she can’t eat anything (has not lost any weight, by the way).
  Luckily, we live far enough away for this to only be an occasional mention, but I can’t handle the drama. © lumos_noxa / Reddit

• My husband's mom was told there would be no speech at our reception, but when I wasn't looking, she ambushed the live singer, grabbed the mic, and gave a five-minute sobbing rant about how she was "losing her son". © randomtyme / Reddit

• We were driving somewhere with my in-laws about 10–11 years ago when my MIL asked me, "Why would you get a tattoo? It's so unprofessional," to which I replied, "Because I like it," trying not to be adversarial and just get along. She responded, "That's not an adult answer! What kind of silly answer is that?!"
  Having had enough at this point, I said, "You want an adult answer? OK—I'm an adult, and I don't have to clear anything with anyone, up to and including you. Satisfied now?" She didn't speak to me for a few days. © nathanaz / Reddit

• My mother-in-law organized a naming ceremony for my first child with 150 guests, but neither I nor my family was included. We live far apart, but I would have been able to attend in just one week. © AbbreviationsFun8614 / Reddit

• When my mother-in-law discovered I had booked a vacation with my husband, she showed up at our house unannounced, dragging a suitcase behind her. "I hope you don't mind if I join," she said, ignoring our protests. For the next week, she took over our itinerary, insisting on every meal and activity, claiming they were all her ideas.
  By the end of the trip, she had managed to sabotage my relationship with my husband, turning what was supposed to be a romantic getaway into a chaotic battle of wills. I returned home not just sunburned, but utterly exhausted from the in-law drama that never seemed to end.

• One year, when the kids were very little, she invited my husband and children to Christmas at her boyfriend's house and said, "I think it's best OP doesn't come." My husband went with the kids WITHOUT me, and her boyfriend was HORRIFIED. I moved halfway across the country and had no family or friends there; she wanted me to be alone for the holiday. © shicacadoodoo / Reddit

• My boyfriend's mom came up to me at dinner at her house one night and handed me something. It was a pair of cotton ladies' underwear (as in panties, but I hate that word!). I dropped them immediately and said, "These aren't mine." They weren't mine. She handed me a pair of underwear in the middle of dinner because she found them in her laundry.
  My boyfriend lives with his parents. It turns out they were his sister's, who accidentally left them when she came for a visit. Even if they were mine, why on earth would I leave them lying around? And why on earth would she hand them to me in the middle of dinner? © almanzo / Reddit

• My mother-in-law bought the world's ugliest glass set as our engagement gift (spoiler: it matches hers) and declared that she would make Italian cookies as our wedding favors. Our destination wedding was a three-hour flight away. She baked and shipped the cookies weeks before the wedding, and they were moldy on the big day. © cranky_mcswede / Reddit

Speaking of families, parents often become our heroes during the toughest moments. In this article, you’ll find a collection of heartwarming, emotional, and touching stories of parents who went above and beyond for their children.