Grandma Celebrates Her Divorce From 'Bum' Husband With Joyous Song & It Has Other Women Feeling Seen
Her glee is an important reminder that divorce doesn't need to be shameful, and many women found her attitude inspiring.
@thejazzminlauren / TikTok Lawyers and marriage therapists say divorces are skyrocketing, with most of the influx coming from women who have hit their limit with their husband's lack of emotional intelligence and commitment to equal partnership.
There definitely seems to be some kind of change happening where marriage is concerned. Even so, divorce is still considered by most to be a failure, a tragedy — even something to be ashamed of. But one grandma online isn't having any of that. Instead, her divorce has her in the mood to party.
A viral video showing a grandmother as she celebrates her divorce from her 'bum' husband has women feeling validated.
The video, from TikToker @jazzminlauren, shows her Grandma Sue celebrating the end of her marriage with a cake and a classic Disney song that most of us grew up with, and which encapsulates the time-honored idea of lifelong love with a soulmate: "Someday My Prince Will Come" from the film "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs."
The song is all about longing for your one true Prince Charming who will sweep a girl off her feet — and Grandma Sue is having absolutely none of that outdated malarkey. She knows better! So instead, she put her own spin on the classic song.
As she begins to cut her celebratory cake, Grandma Sue belts out her own deliciously irreverent version of Snow White's tune, marking the occasion of the dissolution of her marriage.
"Someday my prince will come," Grandma Sue sings before abruptly changing course. "No, he won't, they both were bums and I'm happy as can be! I'm free, I'm free, I'm free!"
It seems this isn't Grandma Sue's first trip to the divorce rodeo, and she's nonetheless ready to party.
Lots of women felt totally validated by the way Grandma Sue celebrates her divorce instead of feeling bad about it.
To say Grandma Sue's take on the state of marriage made an impact would be an understatement. "I’m free, I’m free, I'M FREEE!!! I feel that, Nana!" one woman wrote, while another quipped that "this is such a better version of this song."
Divorce really is having a moment nowadays — attorneys and therapists say their offices are flooded by women who have simply had it with men who don't pull their weight as partners and parents and don't seem to understand their wives' needs and workload.
The surge is so enormous that lawyers say they are unable to keep up with the caseload, or to even hire enough family law attorneys to pick up the slack.
It's hard to feel mournful when a partnership that was sucking you dry finally comes to an end. It's no wonder divorce parties have become such a trend in recent years.
It seems as though several of the women forming that divorce caseload and leaving marriages with no regrets were in @jazzminlauren's comments — because boy did Grandma Sue's version of "Someday My Prince Will Come" resonate with them.
"Hey my divorce was finalized today!! I feel this!" one woman wrote. Another expressed the same sentiment, writing, "I just got my signed divorce today from court. [TikTok's 'For You Page'] really was like FOR YOU."
Others said that they were going to send Grandma Sue's video to friends and loved ones currently going through divorces to cheer them up and offer them a different, more empowering perspective on the matter.
Due to stigma, divorce is frequently accompanied by feelings of shame — and it's time for that to change.
Shame and a sense of failure are among the most common reactions to getting divorced. In fact, psychologists say the shame that comes with cultural and religious stigmas against divorce are among the chief reasons people stay in bad marriages far longer than they should.
These attitudes are beginning to change, however. A recent Pew Research Center study found that younger Americans under 30 overwhelmingly feel that married people stay in bad marriages far too long, suggesting that views are loosening when it comes to how sacrosanct the institution of marriage should be.
This is a good thing — nobody should be forced to stay trapped in an unhappy situation, and coming to honest terms with a marriage that isn't working and taking the steps to extricate yourself takes a lot of bravery and fortitude.
As relationship coach Renee Catt told us, "it takes courage to end one relationship, so you can go on and find a better one with the person you see in the mirror." There's no shame in trying your best, admitting it hasn't worked out quite right, and making a different, better choice.
So maybe we should all take a page out of Grandma Sue's book and put a positive spin on the end of things. It's now been 10 years since her divorce and @jazzminlauren reports that she hasn't lost one bit of the joy she showed at her own divorce celebration. "I'm free, I'm free, I'm free" indeed!
John Sundholm is a news and entertainment writer who covers pop culture, social justice and human interest topics.