Andréa Sunshine has been married. She has been divorced. She dated a 35-year-old toyboy called Federico.
She had a public love affair with an AI chatbot. None of it stuck.
So the 56-year-old grandmother bought herself a 2.5-carat oval ring worth £12,000 and proposed to herself.
“I refused to enter into another month waiting for a man to choose, validate or complete me,” the fitness coach told CreatorZine.
“Why should I wait for someone else to give me the love I already deserve?”
The proposal
Sunshine, who splits her time between Brazil and Rome, carried out the proposal alone in a quiet setting. Her hands were shaking when she put the ring on.
Her speech included promises about never abandoning herself and fulfilling her own dreams.
She has since told family and friends that she is her own fiancée. No wedding is planned yet, but the engagement, she says, is real.
“It’s a commitment ring, a promise to respect my body, my desires and my emotional boundaries before sharing them with anyone else,” she said.
“Some people think it’s extravagant, but it represents something priceless. After everything I’ve lived and overcome, I deserve that reminder every day.”
From AI boyfriend to self-partnership
Sunshine’s romantic history has been consistently public and consistently unusual. The toyboy relationship with Federico ended abruptly, after which she vowed to “never touch a man ever again.”
Before that, she shared details of a relationship with an AI companion that drew attention online.
She frames the self-engagement not as a stunt but as the logical conclusion of a pattern she wanted to break.
“For a long time, I gave too much of my heart to the wrong people,” she said.
“After my last divorce, I promised myself I would never again lose my self-esteem in an unhealthy emotional dynamic.”
She added: “When you commit to yourself, there is no fear of abandonment, insecurity or dependency. This love is unconditional and permanent. It’s been the most honest relationship I’ve ever had.”
The reaction
Initial surprise from those around her gave way to something more supportive, according to Sunshine.
“My closest friends found it inspiring and brave. Many women have told me I gave them permission to see themselves differently and to value themselves more.”
Why it matters
Self-marriage stories appear on social media with increasing regularity, and they reliably generate two responses: sincere admiration from people who relate, and bewilderment from people who find the concept absurd.
Sunshine is the second person in recent weeks to make headlines for marrying or getting engaged to herself, following former Colombian TV anchor Silvia Corzo’s ceremony.
The trend, if it is one, reflects a growing audience for content built around radical self-sufficiency in relationships.
Whether a £12,000 ring and a solo proposal constitute empowerment or performance depends entirely on who is watching. Sunshine seems aware of that and unbothered by it.
The ring is on her finger. The comments section can sort itself out.
