Woman who married first cousin and had baby with him says she's 'not a perverted weirdo'

A woman who married and had a baby with her first cousin has spoken of her sorrow following her husband's untimely death.

Angie Peang is devastated after Michael Lee passed away due to a drug overdose, ending their love story that ignited when they "kissed in a closet" as children. Angie, whose father is the brother of Lee's mother, recounted how relatives cut ties and called them "disgusting" upon learning about their defiant union.

The car salesman Michael died a mere 14 months after he and Angie welcomed their son Eric. In an openhearted interview this week, Angie expressed, "There are other normal people out there who, like we did, just happen to find themselves in love with their cousin at a time and place where it's not popular or accepted."

She finds solace by sharing her and Michael's unique romance: "It helps me cope with Michael's death by sharing our love story. I don't feel like I'm just one isolated, perverted weirdo. We get to be a part of this thing that's so big and out of the ordinary and so special and so rare."

To fight for the legality of first cousins' marriages in Utah, Angie and Michael kicked off a petition. Facing defeat there, they married in Colorado, where cousin marriage faces no legal obstacles—one of only 18 such states, reports the Mirror.

This decision came after they reconnected in 2018, years after their early romantic encounters as kids.

Angie bucked family consensus when she and Michael, her first cousin, welcomed their son Eric into the world in 2020. Despite Angie having children from a previous marriage, their decision to have a child together raised eyebrows within their conservative Mormon family.

Tragically, Michael passed away in July 2021, a mere 14 months after they celebrated Eric's arrival.

The heartache has spurred Angie, 44, into activism; she's now championing for the recognition and legalisation of marriages between first cousins across the United States. Eagle Mountain, Utah – fewer than 40 miles from Salt Lake City – was where she and Michael grew up in their tight-knit community.

Fresh off the press, data from the University of Bradford in the UK, released this February, flags that offspring of first cousins face double the risk of inheriting recessive disorders compared to children from non-related parents – that's six percent versus the general three percent. These kids also tend to encounter more challenges with speech, learning, and overall development.

Still, Eric was born healthy – a fact artist Angie didn't hesitate to mention during her chat with Mail Online. Michael was a doting dad, undeterred by the controversy surrounding their union, she recalled fondly.

Opening up further, Angie revealed: "Because we didn't spend much time growing up together, it circumnavigated the incest taboo. Honestly, there were several factors that brought us together besides physicality. We had similar looks, character traits, and it felt natural and meant to be."

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