Ghosting is a common occurrence in the dating scene, where you meet someone, have a great time, and then suddenly they cut off all contact by blocking you. It can be hurtful, but since it happens during the early stages of dating, it’s something you can hopefully move on from quickly. However, one woman experienced a devastating case of ghosting when her American partner disappeared after they got married, leaving her with no explanation.
Isabelle Glastonbury, now 31, met this man in Dallas and fell in love with his charming Texan nature. They quickly got engaged and decided to move from the US to Isabelle’s home country of Australia in 2018. Their wedding took place at the luxurious Boathouse in Palm Beach, costing a staggering £27,000 ($50,000 AUD). But what should have been an incredibly exciting time for the newlyweds turned into a nightmare for Isabelle.
Following a celebratory dinner and drinks in January 2021 to mark the US man’s visa approval after a two-year wait, Isabelle’s husband vanished without a trace. She arrived home to find that almost all of his belongings had disappeared. Her access to their immigration accounts was blocked, her credit cards were maxed out, and he had blocked her on his phone, making it impossible for her to reach him. Isabelle’s husband seemed to have ghosted everyone, including mutual friends, the best man from their wedding, and even his own family. No one had any idea where he had gone.
Looking back, Isabelle realized that there were warning signs leading up to her husband’s disappearance. He had become distant and started disappearing at night, leaving her feeling like she was married to a stranger. Just days before he ghosted her, he had expressed a desire to move to Queensland and build a life together. Isabelle was frustrated with the lack of action from The Department of Immigration and Border Protection, as multiple reports about her husband’s disappearance were made but yielded no results. She believed that there should be consequences for those who can simply vanish without any accountability.
Over a year ago, the couple officially divorced, and they haven’t seen or spoken to each other since, except for a brief encounter in February 2021 when Isabelle’s ex-partner offered the rather vague explanation that he “had to be single.”
