I married my cousin – we grew up together, but I love him

The Sun has an article about a cousin couple in England: 

She says: “As he walked in, I thought he looked really handsome. Suddenly, I realised I found my cousin attractive.

“I tried to shake it off, but I couldn’t help the way I felt. I told David he looked fantastic and he said it was so nice to see me. 

“After the party, David pulled me aside and told me he had feelings for me. 

“I was so excited, I admitted I fancied him too. 

“We ended up kissing. I knew we were cousins, but my feelings took over. It didn’t feel wrong, it felt right.”

Indian Matchmaking

Indian Matchmaking is a 2020 Indian documentary television series produced by Smriti Mundhra.  The  producer lives in Los Angeles and she tries to set up Indians both in India and the US for arranged marriages.

Akshay Jakhete is a self-described introvert who wants someone exactly like his mother.  Screen Rant has an article about the show and him:

Akshay didn't show much enthusiasm while talking about any of his potential matches. Still, his face used to lit up at the mention of this cousin. The two took out time to meet each other, went on to have a couple meetings (let's call them dates), and stayed in touch through phone calls. Although it sounds really weird, many viewers think that these cousins do have some kind of romantic feelings.

Perhaps, they both wanted to come across as instantly likable personalities on camera but eventually ended up being called a romantic couple. Did the creator of the show or the editor notice the intimacy between the pair as well? We don't think so!

Novelist Susan Zurenda on cousin culture

The Chattanooga Times Free Press had an article on March 2nd, about a novel that involves a cousin marriage:

South Carolina is among the 19 states where marriage between first cousins is legal. Also in that group are Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama and North Carolina, though the latter prohibits marriage between double first cousins.

Zurenda has traced her Southern ancestry back to the 1700s and discovered a marriage in her lineage between first cousins, but suspects there were probably others.

"It was encouraged in the South for a lot of reasons," she said of marriage between cousins, which kept wealth and property, including slaves, in the family. There also were not many other people for early settlers to choose from.

Before the Civil War, 12% of marriages in the U.S. were between first cousins, she said.

Her novel is Bells for Eli.