A Michigan man who was adopted at birth left his wife after admitting that he fell in love with his biological mother, whom he searched and found in 2014.
After searching for her for years, Ben Ford, 32, was reunited with his biological mother, Kim West, 51. He wrote Kim a letter to introduce himself nearly three decades after she gave him up for adoption.
But their relationship turned into a romantic liaison that Ben's wife, Victoria Ford, discovered in 2016. According to Daily Mirror, he confessed that he and his biological mother are in a sexual relationship as well.
What is Genetic Sexual Attraction?
The mom and son refused to call their relationship as incest. Ben and Kim justified their feelings as genetic sexual attraction, a term first used in the 1980s to refer to the bewildering attraction of adoptees to their biological relatives.
However, according to Better Help, some experts regard genetic sexual attraction as pseudoscience. There isn't enough research to validate that people may be sexually drawn to those genetically similar to them.
The adopted son said that he never saw his biological mom as a mother. He was instantly attracted to her, but he sought help from a therapist and joined an adoption support group to process his feelings.
On the other hand, Kim said that this was a "once in a lifetime chance" that she was unwilling to give up anymore. So, she fought to keep her man because she believed they were consumed by romantic love for each other.
When she was a California college student, the biological mother had Ben at 19 years old. She left for London, her home country, when she gave up her son for adoption. More than three decades later, she received a letter from her biological son.
When he expressed that he would like to meet her in person, Kim started having sexual dreams about Ben. Three days after their first meeting, the two apparently kissed and consented to a sexual relationship.
Ben's wife, on the other hand, said that she could not warm up to Kim from the beginning. She felt that her husband's mother was trying to compete with her. Eventually, however, Ben confessed to Victoria, ending their marriage.
Planning a Family Together
According to The Sun, Ben and Kim have planned to marry and raise a family together. They left Michigan because they could be legally prosecuted for incest and land in prison for 15 years or be registered as sex offenders for life. The state considers sexual contact between relatives by blood or affinity to the third degree as a criminal act.
However, incest is also banned in the U.K. due to risks of inbreeding disabilities and limb malformation, among other abnormalities. It's unclear where the couple has chosen to reside since they went into hiding.
Related Article: Chilean Mom Who Was Told Her Baby Died at Birth Reunites With Son 38 Years After; What Really Happened?
