Angie Peang is mourning the loss of her first cousin and husband, Michael Lee, following his untimely death due to a drug overdose after a tumultuous romance that started with a childhood kiss in a closet. Defying family backlash, with relatives having shunned them by calling their union "disgusting", Angie has spoken out about how she copes with Michael's passing by sharing their unconventional love story.

She reflected, "There are other normal people out there who, like we did, just happen to find themselves in love with their cousin at a time and place where it's not popular or accepted." Angie recounted their journey together, from launching a failed petition in Utah for legalising marriage between first cousins to eventually marrying in Colorado, one of the states with no bans on such relationships. The couple, apart since their childhood connection, reunited in 2018 and soon welcomed their son Eric, only for tragedy to strike just 14 months later.

Angie remains determined to honour their love, saying, "It helps me cope with Michael's death by sharing our love story. I don't feel like I'm just one isolated, perverted weirdo. We get to be a part of this thing that's so big and out of the ordinary and so special and so rare."

Following the heartache of losing her husband Michael just 14 months after the birth of their son Eric in 2020, Angie, at 44, has taken up the cause to campaign for the acceptance and legalisation of first cousin marriages throughout America. Having defied family expectations by marrying her cousin, the couple welcomed their child against the backdrop of a conservative Mormon community in Eagle Mountain, Utah, a mere stone's throw from Salt Lake City, reports .

Despite the University of Bradford's February report highlighting the increased risk of recessive disorders in children born to first cousins, with rates of developmental challenges also on the rise, Angie insists that her son was born healthy. In her poignant interview with Mail Online, she fondly remembers Michael as an extraordinary dad who cherished every moment with Eric, despite societal judgements.

Angie contends that their unique circumstances, including the fact that they didn't grow up closely together, helped sidestep cultural taboos around incest. Speaking candidly, she disclosed to Mail Online: "Because we didn't spend much time growing up together, it circumnavigated the incest taboo. Honestly, there were several factors that brought us together besides physicality. We had similar looks, character traits, and it felt natural and meant to be."