My Cousin Stole My Work And Claimed It As Her Own And Family Believes HER! - Reddit Podcast

[@lordinquisitorsec7532]

Why in the name of sanity is it going "too far" to report the cousin to the company that hired the cousin based on OP'S stolen artwork?

[@BenKonosky]

bEcAuSe FaMiLy!

[@Dusk.EighthLegion]

I honestly don't know if I would have reported her, I would have just waited until she was actually asked to produce some artwork for a client, waited for the inevitable crayon drawings and then I would have let everyone know why a commissioned graphic designer can't draw for shit. Bloody tea leaf.

[@ajzephyros7454]

"because family" or some stupid bs

[@lordinquisitorsec7532]

Family only goes so far when it comes to theft.

[@ajzephyros7454]

@@lordinquisitorsec7532 logically, yes this is true, but many people don't act on logic but rather emotion

[@GameZoid__]

I read this and the thing that annoys me is how the family got mad at OP for getting there Cousin Fired yet the Cousin Technically never got the job as it was never there Portfolio. You basically landed OP the job

[@LunaP1]

And cousin was attempting to commit fraud and the company would take her to task for it (not only fired but could be considered a threat to the company's security).

[@aniko7125]

@@LunaP1 yep. And of course they have to think , if she’d steal someone else’s intellectual property and present it as her own to get the job, what would she do to keep the job? If she did this with any of their clients (stealing work from other designers and pass it off as original) it could open up the company to lawsuits and cause them to embarrass and lose clients.

[@RazzLaBeep]

The cousin got the job based on a lie, claiming the stolen portfolio as their own, so basically the cousin was going to be exposed eventually at work since they lack the creativity & talent op has but yet the cousin has the nerve to be mad at op for getting them fired when it would have happened eventually.

[@robertx8020]

I don't know what would hurt more Someone close to you stealing your work OR you own damn parents not believing you and calling you a liar UNTIL they couldn't deny it anymore! But still being mad for standing up to herself? That cousin must be the golden child with diamond lining! WHAT AN AHs! The whole family is a POS!

[@BeastChaeng]

Agree with you but...it isn't "there portifolio" but "THEIR portifolio".

[@laurelrhodes744]

Story 1: WTF. Really that’s all I gotta say. The cousin is 23, OP is 16. That’s just pathetic. Stealing art is pathetic and unethical on its own but an adult stealing from a child is just embarrassing.

[@WyntheRogue]

That entire family sounds toxic, choosing beggar mom, typical dismissive of the arts mentality dad and just hearing this on top of the update made my blood boil. Cousin was exposed as a thief and a liar and these grown ass adults gang up on a helpless teenager! I hope she can find her internship, move out soon and go contact with the whole lot of em and maybe be extra petty putting said adults on blast on SM and let the fireworks begin.

[@sleepyearth]

What's worst is the family is on cousin's side. It's like the whole family is a freaking leech.

[@fallingawayfromthenorm]

Story 1 - The cousin would have gotten fired eventually always when her employers realized she cannot create anything close what she presented in “her” portfolio. That family is awful and I feel bad for OP, that cousin will go nowhere if she lies her way into jobs she doesn’t have the talent for.

[@RudesMom]

The icing on the cake was the cousin's supporters claiming that OP spoiled the job the cousin worked "so hard for." What work? Lying?

[@victorchozen4205]

Cousin was also stupid for even showing how she got her job. If you steal someone's work don't tell them

[@chipanndale1468]

OP would have wanted to use her designs at some point in her future career. To leave the stolen work in the name of her cousin would have opened the door to future accusations of her having taken it from her cousin

[@FinnishLapphund]

I just don't understand how the cousin thought she would make it work in the long run at her new work? Somehow ask OP for help with solving her work projects...

[@stephanien6237]

Not sure why the OP waited so long but the family is a POS!

[@kitsterling8665]

Wow. The husband in that last story made a horrible missteak.

[@blagud1158]

I was looking for this comment lol 😂

[@keishaizawesome2836]

Lmao yes! a steak pun😂😂😂😂😂

[@JRMAV1]

Well done…

[@CaitlinKelly-mo1ld]

​@@JRMAV1please tell me you were trying for another steak pun 😅

[@JW-vd4il]

Great stories like this, so rare.

[@fcold9402]

1. She stole your work and you did not want to "embarrass her". Scrw that, embarrass away.

[@lovelysakurapetalsyt]

I hope OP in the first story is gonna leave and go no-contact the second she can. Her parents are abusing her mentally and financially by forcing her to do stuff for them BELOW MINIMUM WAGE, which I'm sure is highly illegal of them to do

[@DryPaperHammerBro]

BuT fAmIly!!!

[@groofromtheup5719]

I'm sure it isn't

[@Kris-wo4pj]

@@groofromtheup5719 it is depending on the country. in the States its not cuz child labor is okay if your family. i would immediately leave at 18 and call a labor board for unemployment and if they didnt pay sue them cuz the state will pay for it since it takes away taxes from them.

[@brianaschmidt910]

No, but allowing her to be abused mentally, verbally and emotionally for an adult who stile from a minor? One call to cps, and they'd love to know why a minor isn't comfortable being at home

[@lovelysakurapetalsyt]

@@brianaschmidt910 As a person who had CPS called on her "father" and nothing got done, no they wouldn't. They don't do shit

[@halleyangel1706]

Being someone who has a family member who is in a artistic like trade (Graphic Designed) This would get her blacklisted from her entire field. Artistic fields hate plagiarism especially art plagiarism

[@srlong1123]

This! OP went easy on her cousin by just getting her fired. Cousin deserves to be put on blast everywhere and to be forever blacklisted from the industry for what she did

[@PaintSplashProductions]

Definitely. Stealing art is already a big problem in the art sphere, we don't need more

[@halleyangel1706]

@@PaintSplashProductions I know that companies really hate this. Because it's a huge liability to them as well since I believe there was a couple cases in the past where certain products/buildings were built but were faulty and caused harm. That lead to law suits and turns out these people never even came up with these original ideas and stole them off other peopke

[@PaintSplashProductions]

@@halleyangel1706 I remember a story when Nickelodeon was advertising one of their games and it was revealed one of their sprites were traced/stolen from a fan-artist's. What did Nickelodeon do when they found out? Hired the OG fan-artist because their art was so good they thought it was official

[@halleyangel1706]

@@PaintSplashProductions That's a happy ending story I'm recalling like this one story I heard I think this was the people that made Pepsi they sued someone over a design that was better then their design on a thing of chips or something

[@badjngler]

At least the husband in Story 2 didn't pretend not to know what a potato is

[@deedeeschway9566]

Grand Darwin Award for him though, his prize……an oscillating fan!!

[@Dusk.EighthLegion]

"What is this thing doing on my bloody plate!" "That's a potato darling..." "WTF is a potato!!!"

[@simonO712]

What is this "steak" you're talking about?

[@mikelee990]

Story 1: The thieving cousin would make a great politician. She "steals candy from a baby", plays the victim when caught and riles up the populace in her favor to vilify the "baby" for daring to call her out on her crime. She'd get elected to Congress with ease.

[@tonyliu6721]

Please!!!! No more politician, we already have enough crazy already!!!!

[@DesertRainReads]

Right? She gives off serious Trump vibes.

[@G_de_Coligny]

@@DesertRainReads frack off… at least if you can convincingly steal, you are not a complete dementia trainwreck…

[@jeffwilliams9866]

Read Aristophanes, politicians have been like that or far worse for millennia.

[@jlyo1991]

@@DesertRainReads people who think like you are the problem. It’s not red v blue. It’s us v them. Always has been. Democrats have been running big cities for ages but the problems aren’t getting better. If anything, they’re worse.

[@HackiePuffs]

Yeah I wouldn’t forgive the family so easily especially after they proved their apologies meant nothing in the update.. smh I hope OP gets a chance to restart their career on a better footing

[@MONKEYDZETS]

Doormats always do

[@jakemarie828]

@@MONKEYDZETS 🙄

[@jrytacct]

In her place, I'd tell them "I'm leaving at 18 and you will never meet your eventual grandchildren."

[@LikeWaterBaby]

Cried laughing at story 2. The husbands perspective was good, but the wife’s perspective filled in the blanks and really showed how nutty her hubby looked to her at that moment.

[@emmys.8323]

Story 1: as an artist myself I would have gone WILD when someone pretended my art was theirs. I wouldn’t have cared about causing a scene and would have called them out the second they said it’s theirs. The amount of work you put into stuff like this is worth to be defended with everything you got. If someone pretends your work is theirs IN FRONT OF YOU, then they know exactly what they’re doing and don’t deserve the kindness of not being called out.

[@Jessidafennecfox]

If you use or post another artist's work you credit them. If you aren't sure who the artist is you put:Credit to original artist and give Credit if not known. In general you should Credit an artist be it art work or any creative property

[@emmys.8323]

@@Jessidafennecfox exactly! It’s not that hard to just not steal. But she knew she wouldn’t find a job with the quality of her own work, so she stole OPs work, probably knowing that OP wouldn’t be brave enough to call her out directly. Stealing in any form is bad, but stealing from a literal CHILD just shows what kind of pathetic person you are.

[@terryrhuebottom]

@@Jessidafennecfox I agree with the first part. But things like, "Credit to the Original artist" is just lazy and does no good for the artist who did the work. With all the resources out there if you can't find who the artist is and want to share something you like then it's better to have something more like, "Does anyone know who the artists who created this is?" because then your more likely to find out and actually give the artist credit.

[@ceciasa3376]

The lengths people will go through to pretend they have talent they don't have is disgusting. As an artist myself, I would have done more then confront them. I would have been blunt, rude and downright cruel to whoever had the gall and the gut to do something like this to me. Thieves don't deserve the luxury of kindness from the person they stole from. Cousin knew EXACTLY what she was doing when she stole OP's portfolio and played it off as hers. The Parents and relatives are just as bad too. OP is too good for them and should find a way to get as far away from them as possible because all they do is take her for granted. OP had stated in their post that while their parents weren't supportive of her talents, they looooved to take advantage of them. Like, WTF?! WTAF?!! I do NOT condone that sort of behavior and would swiftly cut ties if given the choice. Life is too short for toxic shit and I hope OP finds a better life that doesn't include her toxic parents and relatives that have their heads way too far up their asses.

[@emmys.8323]

@@terryrhuebottom true! You could also do a reversed image search and find the artist that way! I never liked these “Credit to the artist” captions, I actually gotta say, I myself am that drastic that I say: if I don’t know who it’s from, I just won’t repost it. It’s simple as that. Even if you ask people if they know the original artist, there are still artists who don’t even want their stuff to be reposted, so I think it’s overall better to only post something if you actually know who the artist is and know that they’re fine with reposts.

[@atinyevil1383]

Story 1: so, with graphic design, a lot of people put their portfolios up online. If OP has hers up online, companies might be reverse image searching the images and that’s why the cousin isn’t getting hired. If she can’t even muster up her own work on her portfolio, she’ll steal work for a job, which could get the company sued. She’s really ruining her own career.

[@Kimberly_Sparkles]

All they have to do is visit the KZbin channel or Instagram and look for credits or reach out to verify that x person di this banner art for the creator. BOOM exposed.

[@stephanien6237]

Op is a minor and there is no evidence she has posted anything online. But that would have been smart to have *some* examples in an online portfolio with watermark.

[@schfooge]

The OP needs to do this for her own protection. She also needs to make sure all images on the site have a watermark that goes across the centre of the image. An unobtrusive watermark in the corner that can be easily cropped out or covered over isn't sufficient.

[@atinyevil1383]

@@stephanien6237 there is, though. She put watermarks with her socials on ALL of her work. You don't do that if you're not showing them to people.

[@brianaschmidt910]

@@atinyevil1383 yeah, but assholes do this all the time, which is why it's suggested to use watermarks that go all the way across the screen

[@AndyyWithAY]

Story 1 OP's only mistake was not immediately exposing her. Report her ASAP to her company. She'll be fired immediately and it's what she deserves

[@NCAnon]

This is why I don't get upset when an artist watermarks their work all across the artwork like a slash (/)

[@4mobius280]

It’s a sad necessity really

[@stillvisibletoallusers]

Wow my younger brother is an artist, he doesn't like anyone seeing his art without his express permission and supervision, his art has been ruined so many times before by family or friends that think they have a right to it. His friend took one of his art books and displayed it in his tattoo shop advertising it as his own. My brother lost it. I had never seen him that level of angry before. His art has been under lock and key ever since. You did the right thing OP. It's you reflected in your art not your cousin.

[@jeffwilliams9866]

I don’t about your brother but most artists don’t show work or rather the reason they don’t is, they don’t like to show unfinished or unsatisfactory work. And worse they can be their own worst critic. Also any artist would be more furious about theft of credit than nearly any or all other offenses.

[@stillvisibletoallusers]

@@jeffwilliams9866 oh yeah my brother is like that. His own worst critic. He used to be okay with people viewing and didn't care what they said but the theft and people just taking his art for tattoos or even t-shirt designs caused him to close the door to everyone. Except me, our dad and younger sister. He has a beautiful hand and I'm just glad I still get to see his work.

[@mexcore14]

@@stillvisibletoallusers Completely understand his point, that stolen art is hours upon hours of dedication each one after months/years of learning and practicing. To have someone just pick them up and claim it as theirs is just BS.

[@aniko7125]

S1: They didn’t think it was fair of her to lose her job she “worked so hard for”?! What?! The point is she didn’t “work hard”. Or rather , the only “hard work” she did was steal from someone who trusted her, and lied to her employer to get the job.

[@Boundwithflame23]

“I worked so hard to steal from you and get this job fraudulently. How dare you expose my actions and get me fired!!” XD

[@Zackarco]

Story #1: The parents are disgusting not to mention their favoritism of the cousin. I hope the OP leaves them soon and NEVER looks back.

[@astronautviolet153]

Story 1 She's gonna lose the job anyway, because when she actually does the work, they can tell the difference, and also, I think Opie as soon as she gets old, enough cut contact with that family,

[@micheleosullivan4430]

Story #1 That 16 yo is going to find her footing and I believe she is going to find success in life. Too bad her family fails on every level of support and encouragement. :(

[@thecrebain6760]

From being infuriated by story 1 to smiling a lot on the wife's perspective of the steak story, this was such a fun ride haha

[@dorisguess1648]

Imao loved it made my day.

[@indianspartan76]

She don't get to judge him when she enjoying an appropriately cooked steak, and he is not 🤣

[@gamefreak2383]

I was kind of put off by her reaction she stares at him in rage says she will never let it go and calls him moron like 5 times after he was served a raw bloody steak. She isn't concerned he could get sick or anything. I think the really weird part is that the boss had to see that it was a raw bloody steak and served it anyway. I actually wonder why he had such a panic reaction instead of saying something. I definitely think there's more going on here. Especially since she needed to get on and give her version where she looks like a total saint And doesn't mention the name calling lack of concern or threat to never forget it.

[@BRKirne]

He's not 5, he could have used his words. Throwing the steak was pure dumbassery

[@shawna2boys716]

Story 2: Mark, thank you for this one. This brought me to a deep belly laugh. I cannot imagine “fixing” the situation by eating this raw meat after having to retrieve it from its unfortunate landing spot. I laughed until I cried.

[@STB-jh7od]

Story 1: fact parents didn't believe OP at 1st and then got mad at OP for outing cousin at work, OP's going NC at 18!

[@itazuranakisu]

The cousin would’ve continued stealing from people to keep up the act and become a liability to that company so her being fired was just escalated here. It’s disgusting how everyone wants to use OP to their advantage but hate her talent at the same time. Instead of blaming OP they should be blaming the cousin for stealing and for not applying to other jobs. How pathetic to gang up on a teen over something like this.

[@Athena9008]

Not only that they would have blamed her for her portfolio anyways as it was pointed out they would have fired her later then sooner. I'm glad that she has support but by the end of the day its a reflection of her family and not her. A grown adult shouldn't be stealing a 16 years old work let alone using it to apply for jobs it really shows that the adult didn't think her work was good enough that she had to justify stealing from a child.

[@spacetofu5306]

Not just that but the reputation of the company would've been damaged if word got out not only one of the workers committed plagiarism, but did so from a minor.

[@AmukaAkuma]

Story 1: The balls of that cousin, and showing off "her work" right in front of the victim from whom she stole. And of course, que the waterworks when she is called out. And another tantrum when she "lost" the job she should not have had in the first place. Disgusting. She is 23 acting like a pre-teen, good luck to her, she is going to need it.

[@juanhaines7295]

Story 1 nta. Hopefully Op will go no contact when she turns 18. Her whole family is toxic.

[@umustbkrayze]

have a feeling the next update for story 1 is that the family is going to ground OP then take her computer away and demand some of their work be given to the cousin for compensation

[@goawayleavemealone2880]

That's the point where OP goes for emancipation, she's certainly capable of supporting herself afterwards.

[@Martial_Autist]

@@goawayleavemealone2880 She's certainly talented enough by the sound of it. I hope she gets out of there alright, sounds like hell living with such people.

[@MarkNarrations]

Hope you're having a wonderful night all! It's finally cooled down here so I'm looking forward to a good night sleep! Much love all!

[@broken_queer_but_fighting8589]

Thats good and I hope you sleep well m8 have sweet dreams much love 💜💜🤗🤗

[@FlamesofJagger]

Have a good night Mark. Rest well and sweet dreams

[@cm06c]

Sleep well. It’s 645pm in cinci and “feels like” 105 😅😬

[@romonaelrod7870]

The 1st story, the cousin got what was coming to her. Play stupid games,win stupid prizes.

[@darrylblanch8463]

Story one, I would, as a final comment, send the message to ALL family members stating "I hope cousin has fun at her new job, trying to create the level of work that she never created in the in the 1st place. I won't say anything to the company, it won't take them long to realise it's not her portfolio & fire + likely blacklist her for plagiarism".

[@atinyevil1383]

Steak Story: Could OP not ask that his steak be cooked more? This seems like something I would have seen on Hannah Montana or iCarly growing up. That’s how ridiculous this is. Sitcoms made for preteens-level antics. It’s hilarious and entertaining, but not for OP or OP’s Wife.

[@clarrie93]

The wife did say that op usually don't think things through so yeahh.. lol i think he COULD but he didn't even think that he could

[@sylphsarigo1996]

He probably thought it would be rude. Like, an insult to the hosts cooking.

[@philwill0123]

Asking for steak to be recooked is something for a restaurant. Though to be honest, it's something a host should ask, unless she misjudged the cut sizes and thought she was doing medium rare/medium and gave OP biggest cut and under done it (timing them all the same). It's a first impression thing, and tbh a good host before eating would have said, if its too raw they can cook it longer.

[@AngelaMastrodonato]

I think it would have been more polite to just leave the steak on the plate uneaten. This conversation also taught me to simply not serve steak to dinner guests. Almost everyone loves pasta. I always ask about dietary restrictions

[@atinyevil1383]

@@AngelaMastrodonato yeah. Steak is one of those things that everyone has a different opinion on. My go-to is apple cheese melts. It's like a frilled cheese, but with apple slices.

[@songb1rd333]

I was laughing like a loon with that steak story. They both told the story so we'll that I can visualize the steak flying across the room and making a thwack on the window before slowly sliding down the pane. 😂😂😂

[@Lady.B0420]

Story 1, I hope OP knows she did the right thing.

[@dorotheawalker7985]

I am laughing so hard over steak story I got the bloody hiccups.🤣🤣🤣

[@DonnaMSD]

I had to pause the wife's side of the steak story a few times bc I was laughing so hard. I nearly peed myself. I was crying!! "A looney bin gone mad!!"🤣

[@mycupoverflows7811]

Me too, I was crying!😂

[@BerryTrekkin]

As soon as she said she sent her cousin all of her artwork, I felt the dread. NEVER share something like that, even if you really trust the person - particularly if they’re in the same field! Show them in person if you like (if it’s something that can’t be plagiarised just by viewing only), but don’t let them have a copy! Fortunately I learned this lesson early when people just used to steal my homework to copy - I was lucky enough that my teachers knew me well enough to know that I wasn’t the one plagiarising, but they did give me the warning I needed to avoid it as I got older.

[@Davtwan]

The job market is fucked up as it is. We don’t need more liars resting on someone else’s laurels. Considering that OP’s parents weren’t even that supportive of her to begin with and an entire family cornered her, I would start taking measures to write them out of my life. (Hopefully, they’re not paying anything important for OP.)

[@natsukifan8736]

Tbh doesn't the cousin in story 1 know that they could sued for fraud? Like yeah you can't fake things that get you a job unless you want to be sued

[@Red-jt6uu]

Story 1: the cousin probably should have chosen a different field if her own work is so bad that she has to steal art from a minor.

[@OZARKMOON1960]

#1 - Gosh, this OP cannot win at any turn; cousin steals her work, parents take advantage of her talent while poo-pooing what she actually does (and gets paid for) and now they still think she is wrong. Fuck that noise! Family or not, if OP were an adult she could sue the pants off of cousin. In fact, her parents should be looking at suing on her behalf! Let's hope friend's mom can talk sense to them because right now they are shit parents! OP - keep up your good work and ignore all the naysayers!

[@stephenaris2072]

An “open window” and an undercooked steak, two pillars holding up the monument of a story.

[@sukriyagautam3305]

Tell your parents they are monsters and cut contact with them when you turned 18. They are not people to keep around. Get a good job and leave them behind.

[@petervanettinger2566]

Story 1 there are a lot of artists that work for corporations that look for unknown armature artists and steal their work.... My guess is that the girl who stole the work would continue to do this just with other artists...there is lots of examples of this happening in Disney with artists finding an armature online and directly lifting the works

[@e.t.2914]

Any good examples in mind?

[@petervanettinger2566]

​@@e.t.2914 yes. kzbin.info/www/bejne/rWfLl6SZi6atpLc

[@lauriej1707]

I've not laughed so hard in ages when the husband threw the steak at a closed window. LMAO

[@Elojoabierto]

The steak story is effing hilarious! I had to pause the story twice because I couldn't breathe enough from the laughter. The husband's story was funny enough but the wife's POV was over the top hilarious. It will make for a wonderful story for the grandchildren some days, I believe all families have at least a story like that in their repertoire.

[@gawainethefirst]

Always document your work, with dates and times.

[@frith.calluna]

I always hate it when reddit says something like "OP won't speak to their parents anymore after they turn 18", but honestly I wouldn't be surprised if OP took a step back from them when the time comes. They don't support her hobby and possible future career, which is already shitty. Then they immediately just berate OP for lying without really even considering both sides of the story from the sound of it. And then they want to sweep the cousin's theft under the rug and get mad at OP for exposing the cousin's shitty behavior to her employer. Jeez, such supportive parents! I can't imagine why you'd ever want to get away from a jolly bunch like them! (/s) Honestly OP did both the employer and the cousin a favor. The employer for preventing them from completely wasting their time (and money) on a lying thief and the cousin by slapping her in the face with a dose of reality now, before she has to face any bigger, more extreme consequences for her stealing.

[@Barlmoro]

she will be blacklistet from the industrie so, it has a big consequence

[@pixiechick05171971]

Story 1: the first time the cousin has to actually do any artwork, the truth will come out. Story2: I totally agree, I would LOVE to hear the bosses perspective on the story!

[@OZARKMOON1960]

Imagine Boss waiting with trepidation as to who would accompany Mrs. OP to the xmas party? Did she have a small bit of steak at the ready for Mr. OP? Was it near an open window? Was it well done? The myriad of possibilities just make my brain go into overdrive!

[@janet6421]

I just had this image in my head of the steak making a rubbing squeak as it slides down the window. The women look at the steak, at each other and in unison turn to stair at OP without any sound other than the sliding steak in the room. A wet plop sets OP making awkward and rapid statements before dropping his head, "yes dear" and retrieving his steak to eat in silence. All the wile the women stair in silent judgement.

[@rogerrabbit80]

Husband should have claimed, "It jumped when I tried to cut it!"

[@deerust6528]

OMG absolute 1000% best story ever!!! You deserve an award for getting through story 2 so well… please tag me is we ever get the boss’s perspective

[@carlandrews666]

Story 2. Man that is the funniest thing I've read since i read the reviews for sugar free Amazon gummy bears a few years back!

[@ljh5141]

I am still laughing so hard! Both the wife and husband had me in tears from laughing so hard!🤣🤣🤣🤣They are both awesome! Bet it changed the Moo-d in the room.

[@mjforsyt]

How adorable is that response in the second story? I love my smoking hot moron spouse as well. He’s the dreamiest.

[@brigidtheirish]

1: The cousin didn't just feel the need to steal a portfolio. She stole a portfolio *from a 16-year-old.* A sixteen-year-old who, honestly, sounds emotionally and verbally *abused.* 2: The wife's side sounds like my sister's explanations of what she's thinking when I do something particularly Aspie.

[@TsukiKageTora]

This is full of all my thoughts on story 1 and update. First OP’s parents told OP not to laze around and be like her cousin. When OP is 16 and her cousin is 23… yeah… ok… Parents should have asked for proof instead of pointing fingers and saying “you’re lying” to anyone. Then when the parents believed OP, they weren’t ok with her going to the place of work her cousin got by plagiarizing and stealing OP’s work. Like sorry, the consequences of stealing someone’s work for any reason, the consequences are in school: expelled, in work: fired. It’s not fair for the job to hire someone based on falsities and plagiarized work. The cousin took that position from someone more qualifying because she didn’t want to do the work herself Honestly. This whole family is toxic and I hope Op leaves and goes NC with them ETA: The fact is OP’s cousin asked for OP’s portfolio on purpose. She stole from a 16 year old and the mature thing to do was the 16 year old to report it to the job. Yet the parents and aunt/uncle are thinking how immature OP is for doing the right thing and how mature the talentless thief is. They could keep each other, OP needs to move out as soon as they can

[@AppleStrawberryLove]

Speaking as someone in art school: if the cousin had done this in school, she would have been expelled. If anything, she's lucky she's not being sued for copyright infringement. Two, if she did this once, she likely has done it before or will do it again. Also, this part of why you should have an obvious watermark and a hidden one that only you know of on your work near the center. That way, you have another way should anyone cover/crop the obvious one to go "I have another one hidden in this spot on this piece, visible when you zoom to this percentage."

[@reginarainer9740]

Op’s cousin would have been fired very quickly anyways, the moment they couldn’t produce work like OP. What did she expect to happen is what I want to know? She’s a thief, and a pathetic one at that if she’s a grown woman stealing from a teenager. The fanily are all enablers

[@pilyq2079]

Story 1: "your cousin work so hard in getting that job" if working hard for them is stealing and lying, OP is waaaaay better without those people.

[@stephanien6237]

Yep. All of these adults are immoral sociopaths.

[@dk9619]

That TIFU story-I can't breathe!! Tears are running down my face and I scared the cat!

[@BeastChaeng]

As an artist myself, I would've made THE scene right on the spot. Don't care about "what will the neighbors think" or "family is family". Steal from me and I'll give you an one way ticket to your own humilliation. Good side of doing theater/acting, you put yourself so much in front of others that you end up not giving a damn if people will see you making a scene.You already are a pro at being "in scene" anyway xD

[@Van_The_Cap]

Story 2 has just made my day OMG absolutely hilarious!!!

[@CrypticCharm]

i would contact the company that wanted to hire her hateful cousin and ask for an internship, they know she's good after all

[@icefallssnowstorms3224]

Omg I remember the second story such a hilarious one. I’m glad we get to hear the wife’s perpective. My favourite Reddit story.

[@Oicurmtoyoy]

Story 2: I could see why the wife would be upset. There was a lot at _steak._ Opportunities to impress your boss like that are quire _rare._ And he nearly threw her chances _out the window._

[@kamikazeejap]

Holy moly story2 was great! I'll be laughing to myself all day now.

[@shells500tutubo]

The last story! OMG that was funny, and the wife's retelling of it shows that they are a great couple. I laughed so hard I was wheezing and crying at the same time! Saved it.

[@kittylovesfilms]

The Streak Story Is The BEST Story Ever! My Day Is MADE!

[@despinasgarden.4100]

Story 1: NTA and yes, if your older cousin can't land a job without stealing your art, then yes she is untalented. I can't believe that your parents are so unsupporting while trying to rip off your work, i'm so sorry that you are dealing with this OP, your cousin is older but you clearly are more mature that all the members in your family toguether.

[@AshlessChaps]

I dont think Ive shouted out loud so many profanities so many times listening to just one story from reddit. That stolen portfolio shit is rage inducing

[@Icalasari]

Story 1 - Whelp, I can tell who will be going no contact with their family in the future

[@KE-hr4sb]

S1: "The job she worked so hard for." Hold up. Do they mean the job *you* worked so hard for? It was your work that landed the job. Now, if they meant her hard work stealing and committing plagiarism, that's one thing, but not many employment opportunities in that line of work. Your family's response to you (not believing you, calling you a liar, then continuing to support your cousin even after the truth came out) shows how she got to be the cheat she is today: they enable her. NTA. Keep your head down, maybe see if there is a friend you can stay with, and move out as soon as you are able. I'd also go no contact, as they've proven they don't have your best interest at heart.

[@hibiscusrose6074]

Last story had me cry laughing.

[@jazzyg7202]

Story one: if I was op I would go NC. I also would have laughed in my parents, aunt, and uncles face when they said the cousin was fired from a job she worked hard to get. Op should have advised stealing someone else's work is not

[@holeymcsockpuppet]

Story 1: Parents nowadays suck. I've heard so many stories in my own offline life as well as online that I can confidently say 80% of mothers and fathers care more about their own comfort than their children's health and happiness. Really proud of this kid for reporting the cousin. She turned out to be a better human than her parents.

[@lindah3803]

Story 1: I feel so bad for OP being only 16 and having 4 or 5 adults attacking her so relentlessly. 1st: NEVER share her work with anyone who's not a pro( teacher, employer, etc) 2nd: Tell aunt, cousin, uncle to kiss her butt and go NC, never talk to any of them again. 3rd: Tell her parents that she will NEVER do any art for them again. Also due to their handling of this event, she now knows that they don't have her back and place cousin,aunt,uncle above their own daughter. Then later down the line when OP graduates and moves out,tell her parents she is done with them and not to bother contacting her, just call cousin. At least that's my opinion.

[@chaseashley6775]

I was laughing so much at wife’s perspective, her not knowing wtf is going on

[@karaleetdrenduringdragon8961]

Steak Story... I am ROFLing so hard I am crying. Thank you Mark, I needed that. :P

[@SpookiePossum]

Nice thing to listen to as I try to relax and keep cool on a hot day like today. Hope you’re also staying cool and safe there too Mark.

[@swade5113]

Omg, the rare steak story had me cry laughing!! Thank you so much, Mark!! I love love love your channel!! ❤️

[@noxiouschocolate9644]

Damn that first story hurts: we know your cousin stole from you and only got her job because she was a thief but her getting fired was *your* fault!

[@FlamesofJagger]

That family is truly SPECIAL...

[@aynuralbek6474]

she would get fired anyway, when boss sees what he thought she could vs reality, I think they would conclude themselves that she`s stealing art works from someone. And if u don`t know what she did was a fraud and could be sued by company and op for it. She didn`t "work hard" for it, all she did was search for a job.

[@akl2k7]

@@aynuralbek6474 Yeah, OP just saved her cousin's potential boss the time he would have wasted on the cousin. Now the boss can actually spend that time finding someone who actually knows what they're doing.

[@Sakuraqueen]

I lost my whole mind and soul at the steak story! 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣😂 Poor wife must have thought she was in a twilight zone 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@brandi5126]

I love the steak story. It just seems like a scene straight out of a comedy movie with hubby being the main character.

[@cheskydivision]

Contact her employer about her stolen work. If you have a website make an announcement that some of your work was stolen and have ppl contact you if they see it on web sites. Talk to a lawyer. It might cost $100 for a meeting but it’s worth it and you will learn how to protect your work in the future. . Parents don’t support op’s art but cousin did prove it’s an employable skill.

[@condorboss3339]

8:07 I snickered at the family saying the cousin was 'more mature.'

[@elizabethhill1526]

Oh my gosh!the last story had me laughing so hard! Picturing the story, I was laughing so hard, hilarious thank you so much!!

[@juliebiggerbear7300]

As a fellow artist, I am so pissed off on OPs behalf! One thing every artist should be aware of is copyright infringement. And that her cousin stole OP‘s work, used it to get a job, and thought it would be OK? WTF!!! 🤯🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬 NTA!

[@luvondarox]

🤣 That steak story is an absolute gem. A thing of pure beauty. Thank you for that one.

[@annyphoenix2099]

Thanks for the constant streaming of awesome, Mark! I love listening to you while preparing the bottle for my baby in the evening or when I wake up with her in the morning, honestly I think she likes it too.

[@broken_queer_but_fighting8589]

Whoever is reading this i send hugs and great vibes. Drink water, eat food, nap, take a break, take care of yourself gosh darn it. And if you don't I swear I will find you and keep you in a cottage and take care of you. 🤗🤗💜💜🤗🤗💜💜🤗🤗💜💜🤗🤗💜💜🤗🤗💜💜🤗🤗💜💜🤗🤗💜💜🤗🤗💜💜

[@bernadettejohnson7430]

I hope if the boss ever posts her perspective we get a video with all three of their stories. This may be my favorite reddit story I've ever heard!

[@hakudoushinumbernine]

Stories 2 and 3 have me in tears 🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@mbyerly9680]

When her parents refused to believe OP about the stolen portfolio, they proved why OP said nothing. They'd never believe her over that a precious cousin. Golden child much?

[@coreymartin6486]

"It wasn't justifiable for her to lose the job she worked so hard for" I guess sitting at an interview and lying must be exhausting work. What other work did she do?

[@jackspring7709]

I don't think the family believes the nasty cousin - they just see her as a golden child and are excusing her behaviour: they know what she did.

[@mindyschocolate]

That second story was hilarious! 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@seahorse82]

The steak story had me in stitches 😂😂😂

[@tk6239]

Well when your cousin gets fired for not being able to do her job...the family will know.

[@Lestaticate]

Story 1: NTA! ALWAYS call out the people who steal your work! Your family is full of unsupportive, thieving buttholes and I hope OP gets a place of their own as soon as they can and flourishes. Gotta love the parents who shame OP's talent, then IMMEDIATELY take advantage of their child's talent and labor. (So MAD right now!) Story 2: I didn't think envisioning rare steak slapping against a window pane would be one helluva mood booster! (I really needed that!)

[@Resilient_Sage88]

As mad as story one made me, Story two had me giggling.