A woman has been cheered by viewers on Reddit after turning down her sister’s demands for her to hand over a designer handbag that had been gifted to her by her godmother.
The woman, 25, had taken to the platform on May 12 under a since-deleted username, to detail that she received the high-end bag from her godmother and had treasured it as one of the most-valuable items she owned. She told viewers that her joy was short-lived when her older sister Cynthia, 28, visited the next day and immediately commented on the handbag.
According to the post, Cynthia said: “Omg [oh my God] this is adorable! But why on earth would she give this to you? I wear this brand every day it would suit me better.”
Thinking it was a joke, the woman laughed, only to find that her sister was serious.
“You hardly go anywhere nice,” Cynthia responded, according to the post. “Just give it to me.
“I’m pretty sure you will hardly make use of it, you don’t even carry bags like this.”
The woman refused, telling her sister that the bag was a gift she cherished, but the matter did not end there. Later that day, Cynthia reportedly involved their mother, framing the situation as selfishness.
She claimed her younger sister was “hoarding it just to prove a point” and said that she would “actually use it.”
The woman recounted how their mother sided with Cynthia, urging her to hand over the bag because it would be more “useful” to her sister, adding that she did not like handbags much anyway.
Daren Banarsë is a senior psychotherapist with a private practice in London, England. He told Newsweek that the conflict spotlights the “complex family dynamics” that can emerge around perceived entitlement.
“Cynthia’s reaction reveals an alarming sense of entitlement that disregards personal boundaries and the symbolic meaning of gift-giving,” Banarsë said. “What is particularly concerning is how the older sister immediately undermined the recipient’s worthiness of the gift, suggesting she doesn’t ‘go anywhere nice’ or doesn’t typically use such items.
“This type of judgment attempts to diminish someone’s right to own something special and can be deeply hurtful, and the mother’s subsequent reinforcement of this view creates a problematic family alliance that further isolates the gift recipient.”
The story quickly struck a chord online, with many Reddit users supporting the woman’s stance and criticizing the entitlement shown by her family.
“It was a gift to you from your godmother, how would she feel if she saw your sister with it?” One viewer said. “It’s not even about the bag and who would use it more, a gift to you from someone means more to the gifter especially if they see you using it. Your sister is selfish.”
“Really,” another added. “But it’s nice of mom to be so rude and obvious who she loves more. Now there’s two less people to buy for this Christmas.”
“Tell your mother to gift her car to your sister,” a third viewer wrote. “Tell her it would be more useful to her.”
Banarsë added that surrendering the bag could cause long-term resentment, and that the woman should maintain her boundary while acknowledging her sister’s feelings. “This honors her own needs while leaving the door open for a healthier sister dynamic.”
Newsweek had reached out to the since-deleted Reddit user for more information via Reddit, under their original username.
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