As a former ‘90s kid with a shelf full of Disney VHS tapes, I understand loving all things magical, princess-y, and Mickey Mouse-related even as an adult. I took my kids to Disney World when they were babies, and I have a healthy collection of glittery mouse ears. But what I don’t understand is how this Disney Mom on Reddit is so obsessed with Disney that she tried to take legal action against her ex-husband over his baby name choice for his new daughter. Honestly, she sounds a bit like the villain in one of her favorite Disney films…
In the “Am I The A—hole?” subreddit, a 31-year-old mom shared how mad she was that her ex-husband and his new wife want to name their new daughter Anna based on the princess from Frozen.
First, a little backstory: “My (31F) ex husband (35M) got married less than six months ago with his girlfriend (25F) and she got pregnant very fast, recently he told me that they were having a girl,” the mom wrote. “I am a huge fan of the movie Frozen, so when our daughter (6F) was born I wanted to name her Elsa and my husband agreed to that. I know it is a little dumb to name your kids after things like that but it is not an super unusual or ugly name, it is pretty and it means a lot to me.”
This mom was not destined for a happily ever after with this man, and they divorced when their daughter was 3. “We don’t hate each other but we are not best friends either,” the mom continued.
Now here’s where things get a little…weird.
“The issue with the new baby is that he explained to me that after he told his new wife the story behind the name of Elsa, she proposed that their daughter should be named Anna, so they could be sisters like in the movie,” the mom wrote. The name Anna isn’t completely normal, but c’mon, Elsa and Anna? These poor girls are most definitely going to get made fun of. But that’s not why OP is mad. She feels more betrayed than Anna felt from Hans in the movie.
“For me it is totally unfair that they are stealing my naming process from me like that,” she wrote. “What if I have another daughter? It would have been perfect to name her Anna and now I wouldn’t be able to do it without it looking like I am stealing from them.”
She also doesn’t think her ex-husband (who she strangely referred to as her “husband,” which maybe hints a little more about why she has such strong feelings) is a big enough Frozen fan to be allowed that name. “My husband doesn’t even like Frozen that much. He always said his favorite Disney animated movie was Bolt. I don’t know if the mother likes Frozen but I am totally sure she doesn’t like it as much as me.”
Look, I understand ranting on the Internet about men — or with your girlfriends over a large glass of wine and a bowl of pasta. But after complaining about the audacity, you should just *ahem* let it go. Because at the end of the day, who cares?
But this mom escalated the situation. “I demanded to him that they choose another name but he thinks I am acting crazy,” she said. “I called my divorce lawyer but she doesn’t think there is anything we can do about this.”
She called her divorce lawyer? Her divorce lawyer?! Can you imagine how that conversation went? “Yes, I want to pursue legal action against my ex-husband for choosing a name from my favorite Disney movie for his new daughter.” I can’t even type that with a straight face, it’s just so ridiculous.
Even OP’s own mom thought so. “My mother just laughed at me. I feel so defeated,” she wrote.
“My sadness turned into anger and, in an impulse of rage, I called my ex husband,” she continued. “I told him that if they insisted with using that name, I would [do] everything I could to sabotage the relationship between our daughter and theirs, so they never were real sisters like Elsa and Anna. He got really angry and said horrible things to me.”
Oh. My. Even typing this out on Reddit doesn’t make you stop and think how weird — no, evil — that sounds? Why would you want to sabotage a relationship between two innocent little girls like that?
After a second of reflection, she realized she was in the wrong … about just the last part. “I immediately regretted saying what I said and it is not true, I would never do that, but this whole situation has been so horrible for me and now he is really angry too,” she added. “ I think that I am ultimately in the right about why they shouldn’t use that name but I was wrong in saying what I said. I want to insist on them picking another name but without going too far.”
In the wise words of Olaf: “We’re calling this controlling what you can when things feel out of control.” I’m not a psychologist, but this woman sounds incredibly jealous of her ex-husband’s new wife and is trying to maybe prove a point? Again I ask: why do you even care?
Redditors had some seriously funny thoughts about the whole situation. “YTA. Take a cue from your favorite movie and let it go,” one top commenter wrote.
Another wrote, “This but also all the grown-up sucks here. So they like the movie so much to name their children like that and the kids will be the one suffering and having to live with it. And what about a 3rd child, it will be Olaf or queen Iduna? Esh.”
“Like what could the lawyer do? They were probably rolling their eyes and laughing. Ridiculous!!” another wrote.
“The name shouldn’t bother her anyway,” someone else joked. Another helpfully pointed out that it could actually be a “good sign” that the stepmother wanted to name her daughter Anna.
“The fact that your ex-husband’s new wife wants to have matching names with your child is such a good sign,” they wrote. “It means she cares about her step-daughter and connecting the two children and having a good joint relationship. Not all step-parents do. So be grateful … seriously.” Someone responded to that, agreeing: “Right, stepmom is going out of her way to make sure Elsa feels included – not replaced. It’s a beautiful gesture that shows a lot of care for OP’s daughter. I think naming kids from a Disney movie is unappealing, but in this situation, naming Elsa’s half-sister Anna is lovely because it emphasizes inclusion.”
One person said, “You are a literal evil stepmother in a Disney film. That’s what you are right now. You are, of course, also an asshole.”
“Spare me the existential crisis of a Disney adult,” another said. “They are sisters whether you like it or not and Anna is a very common name. I suggest you get over it.”
“YTA – Gatekeeping Disney Princess names like you’re the first person to think of it is ridiculous. SMH,” another said. Someone else sarcastically wrote, “But Frozen is her FAVORITE Disney movie and Bolt is her ex-husband’s! He obviously should name their daughter Bolt as any rational adult would.”
Another said, “YTA and crazy. I can see why you’re divorced. Hope he gets a dog and names it Olaf too.”
The OP needs to find a way to thaw her frozen heart toward her ex-husband, either through therapy or a strong cup of hot cocoa and a Disney movie marathon (likely both!).
See the meaning of our favorite royal baby names from around the world.
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