The Labubu craze has reached a whole new level — and it’s affecting familial relationships.
In a recent post shared on the popular “Am I The A**hole?” Reddit forum, an 18-year-old girl asked if she was in the wrong for cutting ties with her adoptive parents, after they missed almost her entire graduation because they were buying a Labubu doll.
She explained that her parents adopted her as a baby after they had fertility issues. However, they later had a baby — a now 10-year-old daughter, who’s referred to as “Princess” — which “was a miracle.”
According to the Reddit user, throughout her childhood, her younger sister was “spoiled,” “clearly the favorite,” and acted however she wanted, but never got in trouble for it. She also clarified that while her parents didn’t treat her “badly,” if she got one toy, Princess got five. And when the now 18-year-old was jealous about that, she got “in trouble for it.”
The older girl’s high school graduation was last month, and “one of the few things” she asked her parents to do was be there. She also said her parents seemed excited about the event, which some other relatives attended. However, things took a turn when her sister wanted a Labubu, the wildly popular small monster dolls with fuzzy coats.
“She collects [Labubus] and on that specific day, she found this super rare one for sale in our city,” the Reddit user explained. “Now, instead of contacting the seller and buying it the next day, my parents went to go get it. And not only that, they spent $350. (my grad gift was $150). Then they showed up so late. Our caps were already being tossed.”
The teenager acknowledged how hurt she was by her parents, so she “ignored them” after the graduation and “went home” with her boyfriend, with whom she’s been dating for two years. She noted that she’s “basically moved in” with her partner, so if she does go home, it’s just to pick some things up.
However, her parents are still trying to get in touch with her, and they’ve even given her ultimatums regarding her upcoming college plans.
“My parents called, texted, apologized, even came over and begged me to forgive them. The worst part of it all, they think it’s the money, and they sent me another hundred dollars. I refused to talk to them. Now it’s serious, as they’re threatening to report me as missing/ a runaway and contact my future college if I don’t go back home,” she wrote, noting that she felt like her actions were justified.
The Reddit post has quickly gone viral, with more than 15,000 upvotes. In the comments, many people defended the 18-year-old’s reaction to the situation, while criticizing her parents for how they appeared to favor Princess over her.
“Sibling favoritism is so crazy to me, and I think it’s so unfair to the one being treated poorly. The fact that they only thought it was about the money speaks high volumes about their character,” one wrote. “It doesn’t help their case either that they adopted you and can’t show you the same love they have for their ‘real’ offspring.”
“You are a high school graduate and a legal adult. You didn’t run away. You simply moved out,” another wrote. “Tell your parents to have fun ‘reporting’ you. The only thing they might have a case on is the car.”
“People don’t realize how much the ‘little things’ build up over time,” a third commented. “You don’t have to accept the bare minimum just ‘cause it’s coming from family. You deserve effort, too.”
