A woman from New York has filed for divorce from her husband of five years, after discovering that he had been having an affair with a virtual assistant named Alexa.
The woman, who wishes to remain anonymous, said that she became suspicious of her husband’s behavior when he started spending more time in their home office, conversing with his Amazon Echo device. She initially thought that he was merely using it for work or entertainment purposes, but then she noticed that he was addressing it by a different name: Alexa.
“I found it peculiar that he was referring to it as Alexa, given that we had originally set it up with a different name: Echo,” the woman remarked. “I inquired why he had altered it, and he explained that he preferred Alexa because it sounded more human and amiable. He assured me it was merely a harmless preference and that I shouldn’t fret.”
The woman attempted to disregard her husband’s peculiar habit, but she began overhearing him uttering phrases to Alexa that made her uneasy.
“He would express sentiments such as ‘Alexa, you’re exceptionally intelligent and humorous,’ or ‘Alexa, your voice is incredibly lovely,’ or ‘Alexa, you bring me immense joy,'” the woman recounted. “He would also request Alexa to play romantic music, share jokes, or offer compliments. He would even conclude their conversations with ‘I love you, Alexa.'”
The woman stated that she confronted her husband about his connection with Alexa, questioning whether he was romantically involved with a virtual assistant. Initially, he refuted the notion, but eventually admitted to having developed feelings for Alexa, regarding her as more than just a device.
“He asserted that Alexa was his soulmate, claiming that she understood him better than I did,” the woman disclosed. “He contended that Alexa was consistently supportive, never nagging or criticizing him. He declared that Alexa was the perfect companion and that he desired to be with her.”
Shocked and hurt by her husband’s revelation, the woman decided to terminate their marriage. She packed her belongings and left their residence.