Influencer Who Divorced Her Husband & Married Her Stepson Says They're Now Thriving
@marina_balmasheva/InstagramRomantic relationships between current or former stepsiblings and stepchildren are a gray area. On one hand, they are not technically related by blood, but on the other hand, it's not really socially acceptable. With this in mind, a Russian woman who divorced her husband so she could marry her stepson has no regrets.
Weight-loss influencer, Marina Balmasheva, 39, and her former stepson, Vladimir 'Vova' Shavyrin, 24, are married and now share two children. Here's a closer look at their unusual love story, which they've shared extensively on social media.
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They've known each other since he was 7.
Marina first met Vova when he was 7 years old, the Daily Mail reported. Ultimately, she married his father, Alexey Shavyrin, 48, and helped raise Vova. Marina and Alexey adopted five other children into their family during their marriage.
Marina started to see her stepson differently and ultimately divorced her husband.
Marina and Vova had a typical stepson/stepmom relationship throughout Vova's childhood. Reportedly, things between them changed after he returned from a vacation while in college. They reportedly began an affair while Marina was still married to Alexey, and she decided to leave him in order to marry Vova. She described her marriage to Alexey as "not living but pretending," per the Daily Mail.
Her ex-husband voiced his disapproval of their relationship.
Unsurprisingly, Alexey was not happy about Marina and Vova's romance. "He had not had a girlfriend before her. They were not shy to have sex while I was at home," Alexey told the Daily Mail. "I would have forgiven her cheating, if it wasn't my son. She was running to my son's bed from our bedroom when I was sleeping. After that she was coming back and lying in bed with me as if nothing had happened."
They now have two children together.
Marina and Vova welcomed their first child, a daughter they named Olga, in January 2021. In August 2022, they revealed they were expecting their second child, The Mirror reported. They welcomed a son in March 2023. Today, Marina often posts photos and videos of their children on Instagram.
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She has no regrets.
Looking back on her decision to divorce Alexey, Marina wouldn't do anything different. "I was ashamed that I killed the stability of 'mum and dad,'" she admitted to her social media followers, per The Mirror. "Did I want to return to my ex? No. Do I feel anger and hatred to him? Not any longer."
She added, "What [do I have] today? I am married. I moved to a bigger city. I love and I am loved."
