‘I’m in an intimate relationship with a plastic doll – but my girlfriend is furious’

He's set up Instagram, Twitter and YouTube accounts for the doll

An Australian man who says he is in an "intimate" relationship with a plastic doll has revealed his online girlfriend was furious when she found out about the unusual pairing.

Aussie Rod - not his real name - from rural New South Wales, purchased the doll in 2021 after going through an intense two-year period of loneliness during which he hadn't had any physical contact with a woman.

After lengthy Covid lockdowns, the carpenter was feeling isolated and his mental health had deteriorated. So, he turned to the internet for answers and discovered the world of sex dolls.

Rod admitted he initially found it all "new and scary" as he had no idea about the existence of the products. Nevertheless, he decided to pay $3,000 for his own life-sized 'physical synthetic companion' in October 2021, which he named Karina Luvly.

Rod told 7News he quickly began to experience not only the physical benefits of his new relationship with Karina, but also an improvement in his emotional wellbeing.

"All of a sudden, from emptiness, I had something that required care and maintenance and improvement in a feminine way," he said.

"It was nice."

But it wasn't until a month after purchasing Karina that he decided to tell his real-life partner about. Sadly for Rod, she did not share his affection for the doll, and felt threatened by his silicon other half.

"We argued about it and she didn't understand," he said.

"The first thing that she's feeling is threatened and wondering why."

Rod and his partner online met seven months earlier, but the pair have never met in person, as she lives more than 5,000km away. He explained to her that the Karina was just "keeping him company", and eventually she "totally accepted" the doll as she realised how important it was for Rod and his mental health. Since then, Rod has decided to purchase a second doll, which he has called Lauren. He's also got into portrait photography, and uses the dolls as models. https://twitter.com/KarinaLuvly/status/1598133169550938116 He even set up an Instagram account for Karina, which amassed more than 11,700 followers. Along with the support from fellow men who own dolls, Rod has also attracted the attention of a manufacturer in China, which has offered him a job taking photos of their dolls. Related links:

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