Couple's 'Notarized Document' Mentioning Infidelity Divides Internet

In a now-viral video, a woman said her fiancé is "legally" required to pay her bills if he ever cheats on her.

Posting to TikTok under the username salamiqueen (@salamiiqueen), the woman said that the terms of the agreement are outlined in a "notarized document" that she and her fiancé both signed. The post has amassed nearly 7 million views and thousands of comments, some from supportive viewers who likened the "genius" document to a prenuptial agreement (prenups), and others from critical viewers who said the document was "weird."

Prenuptial Agreements

A prenup is a written contract created by an engaged couple that outlines what their "property rights" will be if they get divorced, said Nolo. While many associate prenups with the uber-wealthy, more and more people, specifically millennials, are turning to these agreements to protect inheritances or get protection from their spouses' debts.

"Millennials are concentrating more on building their career and becoming more knowledgeable about what assets will come of their career...Millennials feel it's necessary to protect those assets," Jacqueline Itani, an Associate at Stutman, Stutman & Lichtenstein, told Insider. "A majority of the prenups that you see are from people who come into the marriage with assets or have assets they expect to receive—whether that be an inheritance from their family or gifts that they want to protect."

In addition to protecting finances and property, prenups can also include lifestyle clauses that aim to "set guidelines for behavior within the marriage," said Forbes.

Infidelity clauses, for example, typically ensure one party receives financial compensation in the event their spouse cheats. Though these clauses may not always be enforceable, Philadelphia divorce lawyer Jennifer A. Brandt says they may "provide a deterrent for a spouse who would otherwise be unfaithful."

"With an infidelity clause, not only does the person requesting the clause make their feelings clear about possible infidelity, the proposal of this clause alone can force couples to communicate about what they want out of their relationship, how they will treat each other and how they will communicate their feelings," Brandt told Forbes.

Los Angeles attorney Kelly Chang Rickert agreed, saying: "So by all means, throw it [an infidelity clause] in the prenup!"

Though salamiqueen didn't specify whether or not her document was a prenup, many of her supporters argued that it was essentially the same thing.

'He's Screwed'

"I have just reached a new level of crazy," salamiqueen said at the beginning of her video.

"My fiancé just signed a legal document, and we got it notarized, that if he cheats on me he has to pay my bills," she continued. "We did, we just got a legal document signed...if he cheats on me, he's screwed! I'm so smart, or crazy—I don't know."

In a follow-up video, she clarified that now that she and her fiancé are "doing things financially together," they've created and signed a few "documents and agreements" protecting themselves. She also said that the inclusion of the cheating clause started out as a joke but her fiancé ultimately added it into one of their agreements as a "cute little gesture."

"It's not that deep," she said.

Viewers React

As previously stated, the video created a divisive reaction. Some viewers thought the agreement was "genius."

"Bestie. That's not crazy. That's genius," angelalynnb said.

"This is by far the smartest thing I've ever heard," Briana Culcay wrote.

"Pre-prenup, I love it," Sarah commented.

Gabrielle added: "My attorney also advised this. It's a real thing. A prenup can be whatever you make it."

Others, however, thought the agreement was "weird."

"Successful marriages are built on trust. Why start a marriage if you don't trust him?" Bree Ware MacArthur asked.

"This is weird af...and wouldn't do this unless she's signing the same thing," Beeee wrote.

Mia Crawford asked: "Where's the trust in y'all's relationship???"

Newsweek has reached out to salamiqueen for comment.

Other Viral Posts

In July, a woman whose in-laws treat her like a "gold digger" was praised online for sending them her prenuptial agreement, revealing that she is a millionaire. That same month, commenters applauded a woman who changed her mind about putting her fiancé on her house's title after he pulled a prank on her.

And in February, Redditors backed a woman who refused to share her inheritance with her husband after he refused to share his.

Correction 09/01/2022, 12:08 p.m. ET: This story was corrected to reflect that a quote should have been attributed to Kelly Chang Rickert.