AITAH for smashing my brother’s phone after my nephew broke my TV and he said he would not replace it?

Jonathan Hours
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In a bustling city where every minute counts, a 30-year-old woman found herself facing an audacious request from her boyfriend’s out-of-town friends. Jack and Liz, a wealthy couple with four kids, wanted to crash at her downtown home—oh, and they’d like her to clear out entirely for their “privacy.” Never mind that she’s never met them, or that her tightly packed schedule of school, two jobs, and caring for three dogs hinges on her prime location. Reddit’s buzzing with this boundary-testing saga.

The kicker? Her boyfriend’s disappointed she won’t play Airbnb for strangers, despite their local family ties and ample resources. With her dogs’ routine at stake and a commute nightmare looming, she said no, sparking a debate about entitlement and loyalty. Was she right to guard her space, or should she have rolled out the welcome mat? Let’s dive into this wild tale of house and home.

‘AITAH for smashing my brother’s phone after my nephew broke my TV and he said he would not replace it?’

Honestly the title says it all. My brother and his family were visiting our folks. I still live at home because I'm in an entry level job after college. I have a few gaming consoles that I keep in my room. My nephew was bored and he asked to play in my room. I said no, I would bring out my switch so he could play in the family room..

My parents didn't want him making noise around everyone and they told me to let him in my room. He got mad playing and he threw the controller at my tv. It is destroyed. Big black line down one side. I grabbed him and dragged him to my brother. I told him what the little s**t did. I said I wanted a new tv immediately.

My mom said it was an accident but that's b**lshit. My dad said that I could just replace it myself since I basically live at home for free. That's not the point. I didn't break it. My brother and his wife got mad that I manhandled their kid. My brother said he would not replace my TV and that I was lucky he didn't call the cops on me for child abuse.

I called him an a**hole and said he was going to replace my TV or there would be consequences. He said no. I grabbed his phone and much like Andy Samberg I threw it on the ground. It broke and that probably would have been fixable but it took a weird skip and went into the pool.

Now everyone is mad at me for ruining the visit with my petty revenge. My brother had to go get a new phone and it cost probably four times what my TV will cost.. I feel like I'm not the only person to blame. My nephew, brother, sister-in-law, and parents all helped cause the problem. I'm just the one catching hell for my actions.

This housing standoff is a textbook clash of boundaries and entitlement. The woman’s refusal to vacate her home for strangers protects her demanding routine, while Jack and Liz’s request reeks of overreach, especially given their wealth and local connections. Her boyfriend’s disappointment, siding with his friends, hints at a troubling misalignment in their relationship.

Dr. Nedra Glover Tawwab, a boundaries expert, writes in Set Boundaries, Find Peace, “Saying no is an act of self-respect, not selfishness.” The woman’s stance aligns with this, prioritizing her stability over appeasing strangers. Her concerns—disrupting her commute, dog care, and home safety—are valid, especially with young children involved and her absence requested.

Entitlement in social relationships is rising. A 2022 study in the Journal of Social Psychology found that 30% of people expect unreciprocated favors from acquaintances, often tied to perceived status or wealth. Jack and Liz’s demand, coupled with their history of entitled behaviors (like abandoning pets), fits this pattern.

For solutions, Tawwab suggests clear communication. The woman could reiterate her boundaries to her boyfriend, emphasizing her home’s role in her life. A couples’ discussion to align on respecting each other’s space might prevent future conflicts. She might also suggest Jack and Liz stay at her boyfriend’s suburban home instead.

Heres what people had to say to OP:

Reddit’s comment crew is serving up a storm of shock and support, with a side of shade for the audacious house-guests. Here’s a peek at the community’s fiery takes—grab a snack! These Reddit zingers are spicy, but do they nail the fix for this boundary breach? Let’s unpack it!

WomanInQuestion − “That’s not my dad! That’s a cell phone!”. Edit: awww, thanks for the award! 😊

Pagelo69 − How no one responded to the nephew throwing the controller at the TV just blows my mind. My kid would be doing chores to pay for that TV

lookingformiles − If ESH wasn’t an option it would have to be invented for you and your family.

Direct-Ad1642 − A screen for a screen makes the whole world go outside

Crafty_Special_7052 − Your mother is stupid, throwing a controller is no accident. Your brother should replace the tv since it was his kid who broke it. What you should have done was reported the damage to the police and make a report to force your brother to pay for a new tv.

Lady_Wolvie82 − I'm going with NTA because the nephew in this story is 12 (I looked up some replies, which OP confirmed the nephew being 12) and 12 year olds have an idea of what's right and wrong.  What makes people think the nephew isn't capable of doing things outside destroying TV sets, like stealing stuff, as that probably would have happened (not just a destroyed TV, but stuff also goes missing from OP's room)?

Beneficial-Mine7741 − NTA. I don't care that this response will get buried with the 200+ responses.. Teaching children responsibility is critical to raising healthy adults.. OP's parents failed and punted it down the line to the brother. Family helps family is b**lshit because family doesn't help the family out. Just a DARVO move that makes people even shittier.

garlicheesebread − NTA, s**ew all these nerds. if your nephew was old enough to play a console, he was old enough not to throw the controller at your TV. parents didn't wanna pay? i don't see you did anything wrong by smashing the phone.

aurlyninff − You are 23. The next time they try to pressure you into letting the 12 year old destructive brat into your room the correct answer is

Hot-Lawfulness-311 − NTA When literally everyone around you is a jerk, being reasonable will only get you walked all over. Smashing the phone wasn’t mature or healthy, but I guarantee it was the only thing OP could do that their family would actually pay attention to.. Smashing the phone didn’t solve anything but I bet it felt awesome.

This tale of a home under siege shows how quickly entitlement can test relationships and personal space. The woman’s firm no to vacating her house for strangers safeguarded her sanity, but her boyfriend’s reaction raises questions about loyalty and respect. Should she have compromised for his friends, or was her stand the only way? What would you do if strangers asked to take over your home? Drop your thoughts, stories, or advice in the comments—let’s hash out this wild hospitality drama together!

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