AITA for banning my cousin’s emotional support ferret from my wedding — and exposing her lie?

r/

I (28F) am getting married this September, and my fiancé and I are having a pretty formal, outdoor wedding at a historic estate. It’s elegant, no pets, no exceptions — that’s what we made clear on the invites. But enter my cousin Tina (24F), known in the family for being… let’s say, eccentric.

Tina RSVPs “yes” — plus one: her ferret, Mr. Whiskers — with a note: “He’s my emotional support animal. Legally you can’t say no.”

Um. What.

I called her immediately and explained this wasn’t an ADA situation — this isn’t a public space, and he’s not a certified service animal. Tina doubled down. She said Mr. Whiskers helps with her anxiety and that separating them would ruin her mental health.

I felt torn, but ultimately said no. I didn’t want a ferret running around near the buffet or photobombing my first kiss.

So here’s where it gets wild.

A week later, my maid of honor sends me a TikTok Tina posted where she laughs about faking the support animal thing to “get Mr. Whiskers into fancy places for clout.” There’s even a caption: “When you lie on a form but it works 🥰.”

I was furious.

I screenshotted the TikTok and sent it to her with the message:
“Guess Mr. Whiskers doesn’t need to attend after all. You’re lucky I’m not uninviting you.”

Tina flipped. She started messaging family saying I was “attacking her mental health” and “humiliating her publicly.” A few aunts are siding with her, saying I “shouldn’t have exposed a personal lie like that,” and now half my family thinks I’m a bridezilla.

My fiancé and parents are 100% on my side, but I’m wondering…

AITA for banning her ferret and exposing her lie to the family?

Plot Twist:
Two days ago, I found out that Mr. Whiskers escaped at a different event… and ate through the power cord of a chocolate fountain. Tina tried to blame the venue staff. Someone sent me the security footage.

I’m thinking of playing it on loop at the wedding.

Too petty?

Reddit, AITA?

Comments

  1. Dramatic-Ant-9364 Avatar

    She is a fruitcake.

    You said ” Playing a loop of Mr. Whiskers escaped at a different event… and ate through the power cord of a chocolate fountain. Tina tried to blame the venue staff. Someone sent me the security footage.

    I’m thinking of playing it on loop at the wedding.

    Too petty?”

    At the wedding itself, showing this would be tacky. At the reception, after the traditional stuff (meal, cutting the cake etc) well that might be hilarious

  2. CherryAbject7499 Avatar

    NTA. She lied and caused drama. Banning the ferret was right inviting her at all is generous

  3. SurfNTurf1983 Avatar

    It’s your wedding. You can do whatever the fuck you want.

  4. Lambsenglish Avatar

    Playing it on loop at your wedding would hopefully be beneath you

  5. Crumbcritter Avatar

    NTA. Emotional support animals are not the same as service animals. Also, she literally admitted to lying on TikTok. That’s not ‘attacking her mental health’, that’s calling out BS

  6. Winter-Trouble220 Avatar

    that’s wild that she lied, posted about it online, and you calling her out causes your aunts to blame you? pretty obvious why she is the way she is

  7. White_Sugga Avatar

    Just uninvited her and when you get flack from the aunts. Threaten to uninvited them.

  8. Inevitable_Speed_710 Avatar

    Not sure how she got any establishment to let Mr Whiskers in.  Not a single state where ADA includes emotional support pets and ferrets dont qualify as service animals.  

  9. Aggravating-War-3998 Avatar

    Ban her and the ferret. Any person who needs an animal to help them feel better is better off in a pine box.

  10. Relevant_Gap_2980 Avatar

    This has to be fake.

  11. MoonlightSonata90 Avatar

    NTA.

    Do it xD Screw Tina and her bs need to get what she wants

    Honestly, she’s dumb for making that TikTok. I would save it and report it to….whoever deals with people forging legal documents about needing emotional support animals.

  12. SuddenEquivalent6318 Avatar

    NTA! Ignore the wankers who’re willing to let Mr. Whiskers potentially destroy your wedding so Tina isn’t embarassed for being an lying entitled b!tch. Let the Aunties know that if they support her shenanigans they can join Mr. Whiskers on the uninvited list.

  13. LeatherGrade4723 Avatar

    Playing it on loop? You would be TA for that. But is this even real? Did you actually see a video on ticktock? Something about this seems made up or exaggerated but I could obviously be wrong.

  14. HugeSeason6356 Avatar

    Too petty for the wedding but def share in the group chat LOL

  15. 18k_gold Avatar

    How did you expose her lie when she made a Ticktock video about her lie? I think she exposed herself. It’s like a murderer making a confession and posting it, then getting mad that you used his video against him. Your cousin is a dumbass for making the video. Have the ferret video ready so when she or anyone does complain, you can show them how irresponsible she is with the ferret.

  16. lapsteelguitar Avatar

    You should NOT have exposed the lie? Why not? That makes no sense.

  17. LabNo4693 Avatar

    I think before the priest announces you as man and wife, he plays the clip of Mr whiskers.

  18. Mortis4242 Avatar

    The family talking about you exposing a lie are some of the most inane, stupid, moronic imbeciles on this planet. SHE POSTED ON TIKTOK about lying. She exposed herself.

    Tell her and those family members to stay home. Y’all nta.

  19. XinaLatina Avatar

    Your wedding. Your rules…
    Congratulations and all the best.

  20. Imaginary-Yak-6487 Avatar

    Uninvite her. She & Mr Whiskers can go play someplace else. I’d send the tik tok to the half that is trying to call you out & then block them all.

  21. ttppii Avatar

    AI and/or fake. Wasn’t there about the same story with an emotial support duck a few weeks ago?

  22. aja_ramirez Avatar

    What a nutty story. And you didn’t expose her, she exposed herself. NTA.

  23. PerfectCover1414 Avatar

    I bet Mr Whiskers is trying to get himself an emotional support mouse to cope with your cousin!

  24. FarmboyJustice Avatar

    Ferrets are freakin’ awesome, but they absolutely do not belong at weddings.

  25. queenbee_1215 Avatar

    NTA. You don’t bring rodents to weddings.

  26. stealthypotatox Avatar

    NTA- Asshole outed herself with tictok.

    “Oh no! It’s the consequences of my own actions!”

    In Australia we’d call her a wanker

  27. Mr-Fishbine Avatar

    You should have uninvited her when she insisted on bringing the weasel.

    Emotional support animals are pets.

  28. Mindless_Dependent39 Avatar

    Uninvite your cousin

  29. Ok_Nectarine_4528 Avatar

    NTA.

    Your wedding, your guest list. I love animals, and I don’t think I would have a lot of patience for ferret shenanigans either.

    The emotional support animal can be vital to so many people, but by her own admission, your cousin is obviously enjoying taking advantage of the situation. She clearly doesn’t have trouble acknowledging it’s BS in some settings, I don’t see why you should pretend for her- especially when she won’t limit her BS for something that’s important to you. 

    Uninviting her was probably the low shenanigans route. Otherwise, you might get an extra-surprise ferret photo bomb in your wedding photos. I’d send out a copy of her rampaging ferret video as the default first response to anyone who gives you grief for it- let it proliferate.

  30. Sugarless-Commentary Avatar

    Play it after she has to leave early to get home to Mr. Whiskers. But act like it was a mistake. 😈
    You don’t need her making a scene on your day.

    But honestly, the classiest thing you can do that honors your celebration is nothing. 😇

    But you should totally tell people that weren’t there and would never find out…tell them you actually did it and make up a story about how she responded. Then say “I just wish we had security footage like this person did.” And show them the footage from the other event. Totally believable. 😈

  31. death2boredom Avatar

    NTA and funny idea, but you’d def be isolating yourself from the aunts that are already pissed off.

  32. fast4help Avatar

    Oh my goodness, that’s just wrong.
    Plus they smell

  33. gtoinwq Avatar

    Just un invite her. You know if she comes regardless of giving the ok or not mr. Whiskers is going to make a showing.

  34. Dry-Vacation2439 Avatar

    This did not happen for multiple reasons

  35. jhyebert Avatar

    Ferret situation: clearly NTA ferret’s are fucking gross as shit and I would never share a public space with them for any reason

    However: if ‘historic estate’ is a euphemism for plantation, then you’re definitely an ass hole for holding your wedding there – the graveyards of slavery are not a space for recreation

  36. Fearless-Speech-1131 Avatar

    Genuine question:

    Why is having mental problems so trendy and cool in US? Why is being a normal regular person the exception now?

  37. CraZKatLayD Avatar

    Ew! Just say no to non-human mammals attending, even if Mr.Whiskers may look cute in a wee emotional support tux.

    NTA

  38. SLCPDSoakingDivision Avatar

    How is it personal when she posted it on tiktok?

    NTA.

    Roll the tape for “those who could not be here….”

  39. DealerTokes Avatar

    NTA, but I’d uninvite her. Can’t be trusted not to cause a problem

  40. TaisharMalkier69 Avatar

    I’m wondering why your aunts are supporting a lie. And when do they think that a lie can be exposed?

    It’s your wedding. But I would have uninvited her as soon as I got the RSVP.

    If you want attention, go find it somewhere else.

  41. Beneficial-Way-8742 Avatar

    INFO:  How did security footage get video of a ferret chewing through a power cord?   Wouldn’t it have been tucked away/hidden from view?

    🤔

    That, and a few tiger things, undermine the veracity of your story.

  42. Radio_Mime Avatar

    You would be well within your rights to ban her completely.

  43. ectoplasmatically Avatar

    Been a while since I saw a good super fake AITA post lol nothing but baloney

  44. Working_Cloud_909 Avatar

    YTA to yourself for not uninviting her. Hear me out, she is causing issues before she is even there. Who is to say you allow her to come, even after banning the ferret, and she brings it anyway? I think you could save yourself a lot of grief by just uninviting her. She’s already rallying people against you, so what’s the harm in just preventing on-the-day-of wedding drama? She’s already painting you out to be the bad guy. You deserve to have a wonderful wedding day! Good luck to you.

  45. Dana07620 Avatar

    Did you make this shit up? Or is it that you can’t keep your facts straight?

    According to you, you told her that she couldn’t bring Mr. Whiskers. She posts about how she got her way. And then you tell her that now Mr. Whiskers can’t attend after all. He was already not attending in case you forgot that fact.

    YTA because you can’t tell a simple story and keep it straight.

  46. IntroductionNo2382 Avatar

    No don’t do that at your wedding. Your wedding should be about your wedding, not about ferreting out Tina’s twists and turns. No pun intended… 😜She’s now exposed, leave her be. I would seriously consider uninviting her since the focus will be – What is Tina doing now? Could turn hostile and ugly. I’m sure that’s not the wedding you want.