From Business Insider · Julie Peck · · 2m
Ex-wives-in-law: the friendship that survived divorce
Two women became best friends through their shared ex-husband, and their bond only deepened when his second marriage ended.
In brief
Two women became best friends through their shared ex-husband, and their bond only deepened when his second marriage ended. Julie Peck and Shelley, who share an ex-husband, became best friends and call themselves ex-wives-in-law, building an unusually strong bond through shared parenting, cultural moments, and caring…
Two women, one ex-husband
Julie Peck and her best friend Shelley share an ex-husband. When people ask if they are sisters, they tell them they are ex-wives-in-law, a term that always gets a laugh.
How they met
Their ex-husband wanted Julie and Shelley to know each other before they married. Julie has two sons and Shelley has two sons from a previous marriage, about the same age, giving them shared interests as…
The spark ignites
Julie and Shelley went to see Prince in concert together shortly before his death. Julie says she will never forget that night and is thankful she got to see him perform live.
Friendship truly begins
The real beginning of their friendship came the night the Diane Sawyer interview featuring Caitlyn Jenner aired. Julie showed up at Shelley's house with food, and they cooked dinner, drank wine, and watched together.
Shelley had doubts at first
Shelley initially thought it was weird that Julie, her husband's ex-wife, was so intent on being her friend.
“I think you might as well give in, I think she has decided you are friends.”
The marriage ends
Shelley's marriage to their shared ex-husband ended after four years. Julie was there for her friend through the crisis. Their friendship grew battle-hardened to a new level as they shared parenting, careers, and health challenges.
Caring for aging mothers
Julie and Shelley went through something foundationally shattering together: caring for their aging mothers. Shelley's mother died on March eighteen, twenty nineteen. Julie's mother died on March sixteen, three years later.
A toast to Julie's mother
Shortly after Julie's mother passed, Shelley, their ex-husband, and Julie sat in Julie's living room and toasted her with gin and tonics, her favorite drink, in recognition of the valiant battle she had just completed.
The ex-husband's journey
Their ex-husband went through five stages of grief about their friendship. He denied it, then got angry, tried bargaining, felt depressed, and finally reached acceptance. Now he sometimes refers to Shelley as Julie's girlfriend.
A gift within a gift
Julie and her ex-husband have been divorced for fourteen years and apart for seventeen.He gave her two wonderful sons who are now young men.
The main idea
Julie Peck and Shelley, who share an ex-husband, became best friends and call themselves ex-wives-in-law, building an unusually strong bond through shared parenting, cultural moments, and caring for aging parents.
