A few years back I scrolled across an article that I am still not one hundred percent sure is real, but it made me think about mandatory laws requiring spouses to disclose cosmetic plastic surgery before marriage. Much like my last story, I’ll give you some history followed by my thoughts.
The History:
Years ago, I read an article that detailed how a man was divorcing and suing his wife for fraud. The bases for the man’s allegations were that his children did not resemble him and therefore are not his children. He went so far as to say that the children were not attractive enough to be his. However, DNA tests proved otherwise. Unsatisfied with those results, the man began to dig deeper and discovered that his wife had extensive facial surgical procedures performed prior to meeting and marrying him. For that, the man sued. He believed that his wife fraudulently coerced him into marriage with the help of her newly purchased looks.
Before we continue, remember, this article could totally be fake, nevertheless I think it’s a topic worth exploring considering how common and accessible cosmetic plastic surgery is in 2018. I also want to be clear that for the purposes of this piece, we are strictly addressing optional cosmetic surgery.
My Thoughts:
I realize that addressing whether or not it should be mandatory to disclose plastic surgery to your spouse prior to marriage is a touchy subject. On one side, some will argue that you should marry of love and the other, that yes, you marry for love, but you should also have the choice to marry for attractiveness as well. I have thought of valid points for both sides. I do believe when you marry love should be ever present. I also realize that as humans we find certain people attractive and others, not so much. That’s human nature.
Ultimately, I respect anyone’s decision to participate in cosmetic plastic surgery. I believe in the right of privacy, so I do not think those who have had plastic surgery should wear it like a badge for all to know. On the other hand, when marriage is involved, I think it’s fair to consider that looks, along with financial stability, emotional support and a host of other factors are considered when choosing a spouse. I do not think cosmetic surgery should be treated any differently from a potential spouse inquiring about your credit history. Whether it’s a new nose, bigger pecs or calf muscles, veneers, or liposuction, if for no other reason I think your future spouse has a right to know for one main reason: children.
I will start off by saying no child is a mistake. I believe adults make poor decisions and selfishly bring children into bad situations. That said, I will end with this; when I initially read that article I immediately felt horrible for the children born of the marriage. I also empathized with the man and the wife. The man felt betrayed and was because his wife did not reveal her cosmetic surgical history prior to marriage. He never had a chance to say “no” . Feeling robbed of that opportunity could be infuriating.
On the other hand, the wife, why should she have to reveal her personal medical records to anyone? She has a right to cosmetic plastic surgery and a right to never admit to anyone if she so chooses. However, my rebuttal to that is that she should have offered him the opportunity to know about her surgeries considering they were going to spend the rest of their lives to together and have children. Like in the above example, I think about the pain the children may experience because of the fathers resent of the mother. It makes me wonder if mandatory laws requiring those who have received cosmetic plastic surgery to disclose and show, if available, before and after pictures of their surgery? On the other hand, does the other spouse have a legal right to knowledge of a future spouses cosmetic surgical procedures? Leave your comments below!
