Divorces can get complicated, but they can get even messier when new spouses and old family ties collide.

So, what would you do if your ex’s new partner demanded that you step back from family traditions, simply because the relatives still valued you as part of their lives?

Would you give in to the demands? Or would you keep showing up for your kids?

In the following story, one man finds himself facing this exact dilemma.

Here’s what’s going on.

AITA for “disrespecting” my ex wife’s new husband with the crime of getting along with my former ILs?

Ex wife (34f) and I (36m) divorced 4 years ago after a two and a half year long divorce. We split physical and legal custody of our children (11, 9, and 6).

Things are not civil, and as you can tell, our divorce process started during her pregnancy with our youngest.

I won’t go into all the details, but we divorced after a large financial betrayal on top of years of both of us feeling like there was little respect for the other.

The divorce was not civil, and it dragged on for as long as it did not because of the pregnancy alone, but for financial reasons.

His ex-wife’s new husband is bothered by many things.

My ex was dating her current husband by the end of our divorce, and it was an awkward period. Ex’s family and I remain on good terms, which bothers her husband and always has.

Because my ex doesn’t want to take the kids shopping for my birthday or Father’s Day, when asked, her parents have, and that bothers him because they don’t do the same for him.

I do it for my ex because the kids ask. I include Christmas gifts in that because again I’m asked. Her husband doesn’t like it, but he sure as **** never has.

But here’s where things took a turn for the worse.

The most recent issue came up when my kids asked me to be in their ‘father and kids photos’ that my ex’s family was organizing. They invited me, and I went and took the photos with my kids.

Ex’s family and I talked for a while, and I left the event early, but it made him mad that I talked to ex’s family and didn’t leave as soon as the photos were done.

But what really bothered him was I was invited instead of them having him stand in for the dad photos.

The kids didn’t get photos with him that day, which may have created more problems.

But ultimately, he complains that I disrespected him by getting along with his wife’s family (his words), and she’s got his back because she thinks it’s unfair that her family doesn’t hate me like she does.

AITA?

Wow! His ex-wife and her new husband sound like something else.

Let’s see what the readers over at Reddit think about what happened.

This person suggests he keep doing what he’s doing.

Such a great point.

According to this reader, the new husband can take it up with his in-laws.

For this person, he’s doing everything right.

He IS their dad. It sounds like the new husband needs to accept that he cannot control other people and move on.

If you enjoyed this story, check out this post about a daughter who invited herself to her parents’ 40th anniversary vacation for all the wrong reasons.