CAMERA STANDOFF AT PARTY

A family birthday party turned into a camera standoff when a recently paroled cousin showed up expecting every lens in the house to go dark.

The poster says they were hosting a big January birthday gathering at their home when a cousin wanted to come celebrate her own birthday, which is also this month. The catch: the cousin had recently been paroled and did not think she would get permission in time to cross state lines. The poster says they were not sure how the process worked, but believed the cousin may simply not have taken the proper steps.

Then the cousin's mother called.

According to the poster, the aunt said that since her paroled daughter would be attending, "of course we would need to be sure all cameras were turned off the entire day and that no one would post photos of my cousin." The poster refused outright.

"Of course I told her we wouldn't be turning off any cameras for her nor asking anyone not to take or post photos of her," the poster wrote, adding that the cousin "really should just stay home since it sounds like she would be doing something illegal."

That refusal did not stay between the two of them. The poster says the cousin and her mother then told the rest of the family that the poster had agreed "they couldn't post photos of cousin at the party and that we had agreed to this." The poster says that was "flat out lying," and made sure everyone knew it.

Still, the cousin came anyway.

She waited outside for confirmation that all the cameras had been shut off. The poster says they never answered her text. Instead, the cousin and her mother started calling other relatives who were already on the way or already there. One family member reportedly told the cousin she was probably on camera from the drive in anyway.

That ended the visit. The aunt and cousin left upset, and the drama spilled over into text messages and social media. The poster says the pair has since sent nasty messages and posted vague, passive insults online.

In an edit, the poster clarified that this was not just a phone on a counter. "We have a doorbell camera plus several outdoor and a couple indoor security cameras," they wrote. "My aunt and cousin wanted me and my husband to turn off the doorbell and security cameras at our home."

They also said they do not post personal photos on social media themselves, though other family members at the party do post "personal pics" several times a day.

The result was a birthday party where the guest list mattered less than the cameras, and whether anyone would pretend not to see them.