A man, previously unaware of his biological origins for the initial two decades of his life, shocked his family by leaving his wife to engage in a sexual relationship with the mother who had given him up at birth.
Kim West, then 19 years old and a student in California, gave birth to her son Ben but due to financial and emotional challenges, she placed him for adoption and returned to her home in the UK.
For over 30 years, they had no contact until 2013 when Ben, now married and residing in Colorado, sought out his biological parents. After finding Kim and initiating contact, their communication quickly progressed from emails and phone calls to a face-to-face meeting in 2014.
Their reunion led to an unexpected turn of events as they developed an instant and intense connection, resulting in a sexual relationship within days of meeting.
The aftermath was swift, with Ben confessing to his wife Victoria about his involvement with his mother, stating that he could only be intimate with her by imagining she was his mother.
Kim described the household atmosphere as tense, with Victoria displaying politeness but keeping a distance, leading to feelings of jealousy on Kim’s part.
Following the disclosure of the affair, Ben left his marriage and moved in with Kim in Michigan, sparking public outrage due to Michigan’s laws categorizing consensual incest between adults as a serious criminal offense.
Despite facing criticism, the pair rejected the incest label, attributing their bond to “Genetic Sexual Attraction,” a theory suggesting that close relatives meeting as adults may experience intense attraction due to missed early-life bonding.
