20 Reasons Why Some Friendships Weren't Worth Saving
These tales of toxic friendship tells us that any relationship can get toxic at any point.
Independently testedUnbiased Demilked scoreFree to implementTools included
Friendships are essential relationships that enrich our lives with companionship, support, and shared experiences. However, just as friendships can blossom and flourish, they can also wither and come to an end due to various reasons.
While minor disagreements and misunderstandings can be resolved, some actions can be so hurtful and damaging that they lead to the irrevocable breakdown of even the strongest bonds. The two r/AskReddit threads here and here share unforgivable acts that have been known to end friendships. Check out some of those stories below.
Image source: Specific_Shop_3975, Vindhya Chandrasekharan
I came out as bisexual and she accused me of having a crush on her (i didn’t) but she said i made her feel uncomfortable.
Image source: BakeCrochetGym, Andres Ayrton
I lost 100 pounds. She didn't, and "accused" me of deliberately changing. Well, yeah...
Image source: Dewdlebawb, Sinitta Leunen
I found out through one of their friends she thought wouldn't share. She had slept with my past 3 boyfriends and I was in the same house sleeping one of those times.
Image source: SqueakyToy7, Keira Burton
I was in a group of friends who started bullying a person I knew out of nowhere. I told them I was not okay with that. They soon started hanging out without inviting me. I am still very glad I did what I did.
Image source: Impressice-Ad6400, CDC
Ah, it was very simple. He was a MAGA supporter and we often talked politics and such. But that wasn't the cause for ending our friendship. I'm quite tolerant and I know how to separate people from their political beliefs. But come the pandemic, he starts promoting anti-vaccine stuff in his facebook. I lost both my in-laws to COVID and he knew that. I tried to convince him to get vaccinated out of concern for him, appealing to reason and empathy. He called me a shill for the pharmaceutical companies, a murderer and a co-conspirator for genocide.
So, that was the tipping point. I blocked him from all my social networks without any explanation. He can go get lost for all that I care nowadays.
Image source: ASemiAquaticBird, Christian Fridell
My best friend for close to 15 years blocked me. When I got in touch with him I asked what was going on, and he said he was just purging his friends list. Said it was a mistake and unblocked me.
Well I happened to be dealing with the loss of my father (who basically adopted him) and was struggling with alcohol abuse. I reached out to him just seeking a friend cause I was in such a low spot, then he blocked me again.
I totally get cutting off friends who are alcoholics or toxic. But the only time I ever asked him for anything was "Hey man, not sure if you heard but my dad died. I've been drinking too much and could use a friend to talk to."
And he blocked me for that.
Image source: AnnaVronsky, Leah Kelley
After trying for a child for years and years I got pregnant with twins, one of them was in my right fallopian tube and I had to have an abortion to save my life.
Called her to tell her what happened and she informed me that she regretted supporting me through infertility if I was just going to kill the first baby I got pregnant with and that getting the abortion proved to her I never really wanted kids and she couldn't be friends with someone who would kill their child without any questions asked.
I hung up and we haven't spoken for 12 years. I missed her for the first year but not anymore, I just feel bad for her daughters knowing she will do the same thing to them if they are ever faced with that choice, I have heard from mutuals she bad talks me every chance she can and says it was my choice to throw away our friendship over my pregnancy knowing her views on abortion.
Image source: Tenchi2020, Marcus Aurelius
I was in a horrific auto accident, coma for a week, ICU for a month. The person who was my closest friend never came to see me, when I finally got home, wheelchair bound, when he came over his first question was what kind of drugs did they give me. It was supposed to be a joke but I told him that we’re done being friends and not to come back to my house ever again. That was 17 years ago.
It was very difficult for me to sit there and tell the person that I no longer wanted to be friends and to leave and never come back. I was lucky to have support of close family which help ease the pain of losing a friend. I had a bunch of acquaintances that disappeared after my accident and during my recovery so I took the position of good riddance.
Image source: BubblyResident1855, freestocks
I was living with my best friend. Her boyfriend told me he wanted to show me what he bought her for Christmas and that he wanted my opinion. So he trapped me in the bathroom then attempted to shove his tongue down my throat.
I knee'd him in the balls. Told him I was going to tell her. Then I left to go see my boyfriend. I told my best friend later that night what happened. She believed her boyfriend over me.
End of friendship. Many years later, she tries to friend me on Facebook. Are you f*****g kidding me?! Get bent b***h!
Image source: ViciouslyJaded, Clay Banks
She let her bf sexually assault me while I was heavily intoxicated, while she pretended to be asleep. She 'wanted to see what he would do', I was basically bait.
Image source: lazarus870
Knew him since elementary school. Always abrasive but, that was just him. He went to Europe to go to college and met some really snooty Europeans and came back a horrible person. Like he used to talk nonstop about debt and how he wanted to start a business and only hire people with debt so that he could mistreat them and they couldn't afford to quit. Not joking.
So I tried my best to get him to come around, but he was so rude to grocery store clerks, etc. that it was almost a story that sounded made up for internet rage bait.
I was straight out of college at the time, and I accepted a night shift job. I compromised my sleep and I'll tell you, the job did not pay well. And he kept pressing me and pressing me to ask me how much I made. I finally gave in, and he lorded it over me.
So one night before I punched in for the night shift, we went for coffee and he casually said something like, "Yeah, anybody who gets out of bed for less than six figures is a sucker," knowing full well what I made.
After about 20 years of friendship, I said I have to go, said goodbye, walked to my car and got in. I turned the ignition and as the car was starting I said, this friendship is over. And I never, ever looked back.
And another friend guilt tripped me about it, said it was awkward that we're not all friends anymore. This bad "friend" walked into another friend's butcher shop, used his friendship with another buddy working there, to run up a tab of several thousand dollars and then never paid.
"Oh sorry that's business," was his reply.
I'll tell you, since cutting him out of my life I live much, much, much happier. Had I never stopped being friends with him, I would have never grown so much as a person.
Image source: LandoCatrissian_, freestocks
I had 3 friends from high school, met up with them again in our late 20s. One was doing well financially, married a well off dude and had 3 kids. She looked down her nose at the rest of us, would insult us, constantly talk about how much money she had and would start arguments in the group chat.
She even told me that the way I dress, I will never get a husband. When I started dating my now fiancé, he'd get sh*tty with me for continuing to talk to her because she'd make me cry. She told me that because I had no kids and wasn't married, I was immature. I tried to explain to her how her behaviour affected me/the group, but she never changed. I cut her off a few times, but the other girls would guilt me back in.
One day, I was just over it. I blocked all three of them and iced them out. They tried contacting my mother, my partner, calling me from different numbers but I blanked them. The main bitch even messaged me and said "You're dead to me!"
Guess what, c*nt, you were already dead to me.
Image source: CunnyMaggots, Priscilla Du Preez
After more than 20 years of being besties, she just ghosted me. After a year of not hearing from her, despite reaching out, I asked her husband if she was okay. He was confused because she claimed to be talking to me all the time. Whatever. It hurt for a while, but she honestly brought very little to my life in hindsight.
Image source: Daddicool69, Nicola Barts
I had a mate that went through some tough times with his partner. I supported him with late-night chats, gave him a place to stay, and even kept my mouth shut when he cheated on her. Fast-forward a couple of years, I ended up going through some tough times myself and was on the verge of bankruptcy. He didn't give a s**t. Whenever we spoke, conversations always pivoted to how well he was doing and how much money he was making. I always got the impression that he was glad I was struggling.
Fast-forward another couple of years, and things have turned around for me. I'm doing well, have a new job, and was able to move to a great location outside of the UK. He came to visit once and spent the whole time slagging off where I lived, how s**t my job was compared to his, and even dropped a couple of hints that he didn't like my girlfriend (who's now my wife). He went back home, and I never contacted him again. Apparently, he posted something snarky on Facebook about not being invited to 'his best mate's wedding,' but I'm not on Facebook, so don't care.
Image source: Extreme-Onion6731, Jon Tyson
She was toxic and abusive to me for years but I made excuses every time. The last straw was when she was incredibly cruel to one of my other best friends who was actively dying of cancer and then painted herself as the injured party. I put up with being treated like s**t for 20 years, but to treat a dying woman like that? I was immediately done.
Image source: KimchiAndLemonTree, Tima Miroshnichenko
Pathological liar. Told me he was dying. I was so distraught. Complete utter wreck. Nope. Not dying. Healthy af. He's still alive now 20 years later. Must be the miracle medical intervention he didn't need and didn't get.
Image source: generic_witch, Alexander Kolomin
She got married and cut all contact with me.
20 year friendship tossed aside like a used napkin.
Image source: refugee1971, cottonbro studio
He tried to sleep with my wife. Knew him for 30+ yrs when he tried to sleep with my wife.
Image source: shaylahbaylaboo, Karl Fredrickson
She found Jesus, then lost her mind. In that order.
Image source: LongLiveGermans, Tim Bieler
They became homophobic, started misgendering our trans friend on purpose, and was overall very hateful and homophobic for no reason.
#1
Image source: Specific_Shop_3975, Vindhya Chandrasekharan
I came out as bisexual and she accused me of having a crush on her (i didn’t) but she said i made her feel uncomfortable.
#2
Image source: BakeCrochetGym, Andres Ayrton
I lost 100 pounds. She didn't, and "accused" me of deliberately changing. Well, yeah...
#3
Image source: Dewdlebawb, Sinitta Leunen
I found out through one of their friends she thought wouldn't share. She had slept with my past 3 boyfriends and I was in the same house sleeping one of those times.
#4
Image source: SqueakyToy7, Keira Burton
I was in a group of friends who started bullying a person I knew out of nowhere. I told them I was not okay with that. They soon started hanging out without inviting me. I am still very glad I did what I did.
#5
Image source: Impressice-Ad6400, CDC
Ah, it was very simple. He was a MAGA supporter and we often talked politics and such. But that wasn't the cause for ending our friendship. I'm quite tolerant and I know how to separate people from their political beliefs. But come the pandemic, he starts promoting anti-vaccine stuff in his facebook. I lost both my in-laws to COVID and he knew that. I tried to convince him to get vaccinated out of concern for him, appealing to reason and empathy. He called me a shill for the pharmaceutical companies, a murderer and a co-conspirator for genocide.
So, that was the tipping point. I blocked him from all my social networks without any explanation. He can go get lost for all that I care nowadays.
#6
Image source: ASemiAquaticBird, Christian Fridell
My best friend for close to 15 years blocked me. When I got in touch with him I asked what was going on, and he said he was just purging his friends list. Said it was a mistake and unblocked me.
Well I happened to be dealing with the loss of my father (who basically adopted him) and was struggling with alcohol abuse. I reached out to him just seeking a friend cause I was in such a low spot, then he blocked me again.
I totally get cutting off friends who are alcoholics or toxic. But the only time I ever asked him for anything was "Hey man, not sure if you heard but my dad died. I've been drinking too much and could use a friend to talk to."
And he blocked me for that.
#7
Image source: AnnaVronsky, Leah Kelley
After trying for a child for years and years I got pregnant with twins, one of them was in my right fallopian tube and I had to have an abortion to save my life.
Called her to tell her what happened and she informed me that she regretted supporting me through infertility if I was just going to kill the first baby I got pregnant with and that getting the abortion proved to her I never really wanted kids and she couldn't be friends with someone who would kill their child without any questions asked.
I hung up and we haven't spoken for 12 years. I missed her for the first year but not anymore, I just feel bad for her daughters knowing she will do the same thing to them if they are ever faced with that choice, I have heard from mutuals she bad talks me every chance she can and says it was my choice to throw away our friendship over my pregnancy knowing her views on abortion.
#8
Image source: Tenchi2020, Marcus Aurelius
I was in a horrific auto accident, coma for a week, ICU for a month. The person who was my closest friend never came to see me, when I finally got home, wheelchair bound, when he came over his first question was what kind of drugs did they give me. It was supposed to be a joke but I told him that we’re done being friends and not to come back to my house ever again. That was 17 years ago.
It was very difficult for me to sit there and tell the person that I no longer wanted to be friends and to leave and never come back. I was lucky to have support of close family which help ease the pain of losing a friend. I had a bunch of acquaintances that disappeared after my accident and during my recovery so I took the position of good riddance.
#9
Image source: BubblyResident1855, freestocks
I was living with my best friend. Her boyfriend told me he wanted to show me what he bought her for Christmas and that he wanted my opinion. So he trapped me in the bathroom then attempted to shove his tongue down my throat.
I knee'd him in the balls. Told him I was going to tell her. Then I left to go see my boyfriend. I told my best friend later that night what happened. She believed her boyfriend over me.
End of friendship. Many years later, she tries to friend me on Facebook. Are you f*****g kidding me?! Get bent b***h!
#10
Image source: ViciouslyJaded, Clay Banks
She let her bf sexually assault me while I was heavily intoxicated, while she pretended to be asleep. She 'wanted to see what he would do', I was basically bait.
#11
Image source: lazarus870
Knew him since elementary school. Always abrasive but, that was just him. He went to Europe to go to college and met some really snooty Europeans and came back a horrible person. Like he used to talk nonstop about debt and how he wanted to start a business and only hire people with debt so that he could mistreat them and they couldn't afford to quit. Not joking.
So I tried my best to get him to come around, but he was so rude to grocery store clerks, etc. that it was almost a story that sounded made up for internet rage bait.
I was straight out of college at the time, and I accepted a night shift job. I compromised my sleep and I'll tell you, the job did not pay well. And he kept pressing me and pressing me to ask me how much I made. I finally gave in, and he lorded it over me.
So one night before I punched in for the night shift, we went for coffee and he casually said something like, "Yeah, anybody who gets out of bed for less than six figures is a sucker," knowing full well what I made.
After about 20 years of friendship, I said I have to go, said goodbye, walked to my car and got in. I turned the ignition and as the car was starting I said, this friendship is over. And I never, ever looked back.
And another friend guilt tripped me about it, said it was awkward that we're not all friends anymore. This bad "friend" walked into another friend's butcher shop, used his friendship with another buddy working there, to run up a tab of several thousand dollars and then never paid.
"Oh sorry that's business," was his reply.
I'll tell you, since cutting him out of my life I live much, much, much happier. Had I never stopped being friends with him, I would have never grown so much as a person.
#12
Image source: LandoCatrissian_, freestocks
I had 3 friends from high school, met up with them again in our late 20s. One was doing well financially, married a well off dude and had 3 kids. She looked down her nose at the rest of us, would insult us, constantly talk about how much money she had and would start arguments in the group chat.
She even told me that the way I dress, I will never get a husband. When I started dating my now fiancé, he'd get sh*tty with me for continuing to talk to her because she'd make me cry. She told me that because I had no kids and wasn't married, I was immature. I tried to explain to her how her behaviour affected me/the group, but she never changed. I cut her off a few times, but the other girls would guilt me back in.
One day, I was just over it. I blocked all three of them and iced them out. They tried contacting my mother, my partner, calling me from different numbers but I blanked them. The main bitch even messaged me and said "You're dead to me!"
Guess what, c*nt, you were already dead to me.
#13
Image source: CunnyMaggots, Priscilla Du Preez
After more than 20 years of being besties, she just ghosted me. After a year of not hearing from her, despite reaching out, I asked her husband if she was okay. He was confused because she claimed to be talking to me all the time. Whatever. It hurt for a while, but she honestly brought very little to my life in hindsight.
#14
Image source: Daddicool69, Nicola Barts
I had a mate that went through some tough times with his partner. I supported him with late-night chats, gave him a place to stay, and even kept my mouth shut when he cheated on her. Fast-forward a couple of years, I ended up going through some tough times myself and was on the verge of bankruptcy. He didn't give a s**t. Whenever we spoke, conversations always pivoted to how well he was doing and how much money he was making. I always got the impression that he was glad I was struggling.
Fast-forward another couple of years, and things have turned around for me. I'm doing well, have a new job, and was able to move to a great location outside of the UK. He came to visit once and spent the whole time slagging off where I lived, how s**t my job was compared to his, and even dropped a couple of hints that he didn't like my girlfriend (who's now my wife). He went back home, and I never contacted him again. Apparently, he posted something snarky on Facebook about not being invited to 'his best mate's wedding,' but I'm not on Facebook, so don't care.
#15
Image source: Extreme-Onion6731, Jon Tyson
She was toxic and abusive to me for years but I made excuses every time. The last straw was when she was incredibly cruel to one of my other best friends who was actively dying of cancer and then painted herself as the injured party. I put up with being treated like s**t for 20 years, but to treat a dying woman like that? I was immediately done.
#16
Image source: KimchiAndLemonTree, Tima Miroshnichenko
Pathological liar. Told me he was dying. I was so distraught. Complete utter wreck. Nope. Not dying. Healthy af. He's still alive now 20 years later. Must be the miracle medical intervention he didn't need and didn't get.
#17
Image source: generic_witch, Alexander Kolomin
She got married and cut all contact with me.
20 year friendship tossed aside like a used napkin.
#18
Image source: refugee1971, cottonbro studio
He tried to sleep with my wife. Knew him for 30+ yrs when he tried to sleep with my wife.
#19
Image source: shaylahbaylaboo, Karl Fredrickson
She found Jesus, then lost her mind. In that order.
#20
Image source: LongLiveGermans, Tim Bieler
They became homophobic, started misgendering our trans friend on purpose, and was overall very hateful and homophobic for no reason.DE
Written by
Demilked Editorial
SaaS Review Specialist · Demilked
With 5+ years in the creator, entertainment, and publishing spaces, Demilked shortlists, reviews, and ranks leading tools that actually make your life easier.