The 33 Worst TV Boyfriends Of All Time
And we're not just talking about Mr Big and Ross Geller.
We recently asked the BuzzFeed Community to vote for and rant about the absolute worst fictional TV boyfriends of all time. Here are the most popular responses.
1. Ross from Friends
"ROSS GELLER! Obsessed with Rachel, dumps poor Julie like a moldy towel when Rachel shows interest, doesn't respect Rachel's career or interests, needy and possessive (accuses her of sleeping with Mark), sleeps with a chick less than 24 hours after a big fight, douche-tastically defensive "wE WerE On a BrEAK" for ever after, says the wrong name at his freaking wedding! Lies about the annulment cause of HIS pride... That's not everything, but anyone who has seen the show knows Ross was garbage." –Sara Lee, Facebook
"I mean what kind of person sleeps with another person just hours after a break up? It's like he had no feelings at all! He also was so whiny towards Rachel and whenever he didn't get something that he wanted. He also didn't believe in men being nannies like it's just a woman's job. Even at the end of Friends, he chases down Rachel and ultimately presents his love at the worst moment possible and convinces her to give up her dream job. Totally selfish!" –elisey3
2. Mon-El from Supergirl
"He was emotionally and verbally abusive, condoned slavery on his home planet, and blamed all his problems on Kara. That relationship being at the forefront of the show caused me to stop watching it, it was too toxic to bear." –victoriaz4a8b03a00
"Mon-El from the show Supergirl can be considered the worst boyfriend on TV for so many reasons, but most importantly for the fact that he is a forced character who doesn't even support the main character, Kara Danvers/Kara Zor-El/ Supergirl, which should be his role. Instead, he doesn't help her and makes her question her position as a superhero and even as a woman. So, because of what I mentioned, I think he gets the title of 'The Worst Fictional TV Boyfriend Of All Time'." –EmilyRP97
3. Larry from Orange Is the New Black
"He doesn't really seem to care for Piper that much to begin with and then fucks her best friend (?????). I mean yeah, Piper was with Alex but she's in prison and human touch may be the one thing that keeps people sane there." –Saharasprincess
4. Roy from The Office
"Roy from The Office immediately comes to mind. He was an unsupportive, selfish loser who did nothing for Pam but hold her down. The fact that she blossomed into a confident, ambitious, happy woman after their relationship ended shows just how toxic he was to her." –hollyskittlesb
5. Steve from Stranger Things
"I still can't get over that whole Barb Situation." –ians4b1fdf0e8
6. J.D. from Scrubs
"No one is going to say this but J.D. from Scrubs. He likes to sabotage his own happiness and especially Elliot's whenever she is happy in a relationship. He is fixated on Elliot but is so selfish he is unable to make anyone happy but himself. I still love him but he is not boyfriend material!" –catherinev4c7307749
7. Mr Big from Sex and the City
"Mr Big – gah, he told Carrie he's scared to commit, then comes back married? Are you fucking kidding me?!" –reeskashia
"He was such a prick. Carrie was an idiot for not picking Aidan." –Lou Ritenour, Facebook
8. Jimmy/Steve from Shameless
"Jimmy/Steve on Shameless played by Justin Chatwin. The fact that this character has two names should send up a red flag. He really does mean well, which is why I rooted for him every time he goofed up. EVERY. TIME. I'm still salty." –melissam450bdf7a2
"Jimmy/Steve/Jack whatever his name was from Shameless! I rooted for him for the longest time and then he just got whiny real fast and annoying once Fiona became a legal guardian to the children and he found out his dad was gay. Even when he kept messing with Estefania during his relationship problems w/ Fiona!" –victoriaa4b97a2889
9. Jess from Gilmore Girls
"Jess from Gilmore Girls. Hands down! He was an emotionally abusive POS who treated Rory, her family, and her interests like crap, but silly fans love him because he was a brooding bad boy that loved books. He was awful to Rory, and his one-episode return years later when he was slightly more mature (he spent way too much time talking crap about Rory's current boyfriend) doesn't make up for the awful things he did while they were together." –yeahthatsoundsaboutright
"He consistently treated Rory badly (ignoring her, not returning calls, standing her up) and he was wildly disrespectful to the people around him who just wanted to help and support him. He had a real cruel streak. And there was that horrendous episode where he put pressure on Rory to have sex with him, and was aggressive when she refused. He tried to derail her life by asking her to run away with him even though he knew that could never have made her happy. I don't think he had any redeeming qualities!" –hjj2
10. George O'Malley from Grey's Anatomy
"He was a great person, but damn was he a terrible boyfriend/husband. He married Callie and then cheated on her with Izzie. He slept with Meredith when she was emotionally vulnerable and then refused to speak with her." –do not microwave
"He had some redeeming qualities but he treated all of his significant others like complete shit. The way he jerked around Callie was the absolute worst." –kadyr
11. Chuck Bass from Gossip Girl
"Hands down Chuck Bass from Gossip Girl. One of his earliest scenes is attempted rape, which just gets blown over and forgotten about! He continuously treats women as objects and Blair gets the worst of it! Misogynistic, cheating, selfish bastard if you ask me! I'm a big GG fan, however he I loathed!" –CarlyPolly
"Chuck Bass... I mean don't get me wrong, I LOVE Gossip Girl as much as the next person and totally ship Blair and Chuck.... but man he was a D$@K." –savvy12
12. Lucas from One Tree Hill
"As much as I love Lucas Scott from One Tree Hill, he was THE WORST. He cheated on Brooke with her best friend, Peyton... TWICE. He also kissed Brooke when he was finally with Peyton when she wasn't ready to marry him. Pick a pal, dude." –jennyn499cec6c3
"He was such a fake 'nice guy' who either physically or emotionally cheated on pretty much every girl he was with and claimed that each girl he dated was 'The One' and then promptly decided someone else was 'The One' and broke the other girl's heart." –Cassie Freeman, Facebook
"He cheated on his girlfriend Brooke with her best friend Peyton, and then got engaged to an entirely different girl while he was still writing books about how much he loved Peyton!! I don't care if he and Peyton were meant to be, he's the worst." –sarahs4e8fcee3b
13. Danny Castellano from The Mindy Project
"Basically he is a jerk to Mindy all through the series and then he tries to force her to give up her career. Just overall an asshole." –alexandrah4af700ba1
"He breaks up with her then catfishes her to get her back. Then when she has a baby he tries to force her to stay at home. Also he's super manipulative." –reeseb4f515021c
14. Dean from Gilmore Girls
"He's the actual worst! He wouldn't leave Rory alone and was so bad for her! Dean is terrible." –siobhand4e7ce0a79
"He was so annoying. He was possessive, jealous, and a big cry baby. Also he cheated on his wife with Rory and then tried to blame Rory/make her feel guilty. It takes two to tango, Dean. Also his hair was horrible. Honestly, I could go on and on... lol." –allisonn4524eac7e
15. Emmett from Switched at Birth
"Definitely Emmett from Switched at Birth. Cheated on Bay. Lost her. Got her back, only to ghost her after her sexual assault and then finally dump her after she showed up trying to work things out. Oh yeah, and he made a movie about her sexual assault without consulting her first. What an ass." –yeahthatsoundsaboutright
"He was great boyfriend then cheated on Bay. When he went away to college he broke up with her after her sexual assault. I thought he was selfish." –KBazinga
16. Xander from Buffy the Vampire Slayer
"He is the quintessential 'nice guy.' He treats Buffy like a prize he should win by being nice, and he left Anya at the altar! I've never understood why people love him so much." –shannonm49e341999
"I love Xander but he treated every girlfriend like trash. Somehow convinced queen bee Cordy to date him. Then cheated on her with his best friend who had genuinely been in love with him for years. Only to essentially abandon said best friend. Then he dates Anya, talks down to her and doesn't help her with the cultural differences she's going through. I mean she is a thousand-year-old former vengeance demon, she needs help. And then has the audacity to leave her at the altar. The boy needs counselling to deal with his crappy childhood and abusive/negligent parents before he can have a happy relationship. Not to mention the shaming he did of Buffy, one of his best friends, who he lusted after." –jenis411b4d6b7
17. Dawson Leery from Dawson's Creek
"He was so selfish and he wanted everything to be about him. He was so upset when Joey ended up with Pacey when he was the one who never wanted her until he couldn't have her anymore." –kelseyf4924b84ec
"Self-absorbed, self-gratifying, and all actions are taken to benefit him, solely. I hate that guy." –Brianne Shaw, Facebook
18. Dan Humphrey from Gossip Girl
"He was constantly causing misery and potentially irreversible damage emotionally, mentally, socially, and even career-wise to all three of the main girls he dated: Serena, Blair, and even Vanessa (his so-called best friend my ass)." –kenzieb101
"He dated his ex's bestie then had sex with his ex when they were together. He ruined Blair's marriage so he could have her. He was a jealous asshole who thought he could get whatever he wanted." –gabrielle slade
19. Ted Mosby from How I Met Your Mother
"Ted Mosby is the worst – his issues are completely his own. He's sexist, forces romance and 'fate' on women he wants to date because he's constantly looking for the one. He was terrible to Robin! Manipulative, exploitive, dramatic and kept trying to change her. Terrible. I can't stand Ted." –siljabjorkb
"Ted Mosby wasn't just a bad boyfriend, he was a terribly selfish human being in general. Like, at what point in your adult life do you stop sabotaging relationships with good women because your BFF/crush/ex is available/convenient/playing with your emotions (Robin is no picnic, either)? Obviously for Ted that answer is never. I mean. Ew. Your wife is dead and your best friends are divorced from each other. Seems like a perfect scenario for Ted. What a snake." –mpiquette1983
20. Ezra Fitz from Pretty Little Liars
"He slept with his underage student, stalked a group of high school girls to further his writing career, and somehow always gets the benefit of the doubt." –skr31903
"Ezra frigging Fitz. Can we please talk about how he had video cameras and was following the girls for 'book research'? Also the fact he entered into a relationship with a minor to get more information on his first love, also a minor. He's kind of a dick to her in the beginning of their relationship as well. And when he proposes to Aria, he then goes on to confuse her with all the drama with Nicole... Plus the fact that he wanted sole custody of his supposed child who he only found existed like 2.5 seconds ago. Ugh he's the worst." –a44545240f
21. Logan from Gilmore Girls
"He was so entitled, immature, manipulative. He had a way of spinning situations to push the blame off of himself and make Rory question her instincts. Not a quality you want in a bf." –Slhealey
"He was an entitled creep who wanted to change Rory." –DrunkDingo
22. Archie Andrews from Riverdale
"He's self-absorbed, naive, clueless, and pines after the girl he said no to in front of his current girlfriend." –justined473336477
"He might be the main character, but he hasn't exactly shown he's the most faithful guy around (also downright stupid at some points)." –srose017
23. Damon Salvatore from The Vampire Diaries
"This is an unpopular opinion bc everyone seems to love him, but when him and Elena were together, every time they had an argument he would literally go on a killing spree and do whatever he wanted, including killing people, turning people, and generally tormenting everyone. Delena's relationship was so toxic; they basically couldn't survive without each other and it's actually gross if you think about it irl. Damon did whatever the fuck he wanted to whoever the fuck he wanted and excused it by saying that he had a rough childhood/no one loved him/he's misunderstood. And he manipulated Elena each time into forgiving him. Ugh, disgusting." –kayla
"He wants to make me throw my phone across the room. At one point I actually have." –jessiealicata
24. Don Draper from Mad Men
"Your girlfriend goes out of town for work and you get engaged to someone else? Not to mention the fact that women pretty much only existed in his life for his pleasure – as soon as they showed any sort of personality he was done. I know it was the '60s, but I feel like he was bad even for then." –LizaFM
25. Riley from Buffy the Vampire Slayer
"He tried to make Buffy feel bad about spending more time with her mother (who had a brain tumor and dies later that season) than with him and he was such a douche about her being stronger than him. I just could not stand him and I was so happy when he left." –iizmorgi
"His entire existence on the show is awful. He thinks the women should stay home and men go out and fight the monsters. He can't get it through his thick skull that Buffy is the frickin slayer. Back off, buddy." –bridgetsummers96
26. Kelso from That '70s Show
"I hated how Kelso treated Jackie in That '70s Show and I really hated it when he kept trying to sabotage Jackie and Hyde's relationship." –jennies4783ed5b8
"Michael Kelso – constantly cheated on Jackie and never felt, like, true remorse about it. And then had the full-on nerve to get mad when Hyde started dating Jackie. Like FOH. Like, you cheated all the time, then dated her worst enemy, proposed to her, then ditched her for an entire summer. Worst." –Sydney Colquitt, Facebook
27. Lawrence from Insecure
"I think Lawrence from Insecure is trash, don't know why so many cape for him. He's the ultimate 'nice guy' who is really garbage." –Cierra Johnson, Facebook
"I felt so bad for him in Season 1, he was such a good guy... Now in sSason 2, he's already cheated on his new girl with Issa, then ditches her in front of her family, when she decides to forgive him (he decides to go out and drink with coworkers, and manages to flirt it up with a waitress). Birth of a fuckboy... What a shit!" –monirotten88
28. Josh Chan from Crazy Ex-Girlfriend
"Josh Chan is also awful. Like, he's not exactly intelligent so maybe that saves him a bit, but he's so gullible and wishy-washy and straight-up selfish." –Victoria Bourque, Facebook
"And the fact that he seems to need a woman in his life and can't be single is pretty sad too." –Cierra Johnson, Facebook
29. Tony Stonem from Skins
"He was manipulative, a cheater, and generally unpleasant." –davidcrose89
30. Fitz from Scandal
"Fitz is emotionally manipulative and the world's BIGGEST man-child." –s428cdb6f3
"He is abusive. He is constantly pushing away Olivia only to try and pull her in again, and when he does, he blames her ambition for their time apart. He never truly gives Olivia the space she deserves, and just when she starts to assert her independence he swoops in and says, "I love you, I must have you." Ugh! I just cannot handle his emotional abuse and neither should a strong woman like Olivia. Not today, Mr. President. Not today." –nicoleb48c50a074
31. Bill Compton from True Blood
"He pretty much faked his whole relationship with Sookie because he was under orders, and he just seems like a shady person. Eric got her out of most of her problems but she still ran back to Bill. Why??" –angelar492475666
"Fucking Bill Compton on True Blood. He puts Sookie's life in danger, lied to her the entire relationship about some really major shit, almost rapes her, and almost kills her." –drunkandconfused
32. Derek "McDreamy" Shepherd from Grey's Anatomy
"I never understood why people loved their relationship. He called Meredith a slut for sleeping with someone else (while they were broken up and OH YEAH WHILE HE HAD A WIFE), didn't let her pursue becoming a neurosurgeon, was constantly jealous whenever she excelled in her field, and wanted to take her child away from her after the Alzheimer's trial even though she was just trying to help a friend. He was a terrible boyfriend and terrible husband." –raenar
"I never liked him from the start. When he was was screwing around with Meredith and didn't tell her he was married. When he basically forced Meredith to break up with the vet and then he didn't even get back with her. Then when Meredith and him had a baby and a child to raise, he abandoned her to go to DC and while he was there he CHEATED on Meredith with his assistant." –gracecrxmb
"Cheat on your wife, slut-shame your kind-of ex, string your ex along, keep cheating on your wife even though you chose her, get wasted and bat your engagement ring into the woods... I was NOT sad at the end of his storyline." –Jane Glicini, Facebook
33. Aidan from Sex and the City
"Aidan, Aidan, a thousand times Aidan from Sex and the City. He was so passive-aggressive and self-satisfied and completely unwilling to think outside his own experience. I hate that episode where Carrie goes with him to the woods, and he spends the entire time treating her like shit and making fun of her for not liking the outdoors. She made it abundantly clear at the beginning she didn't like the outdoors — what was he expecting? Big wasn't a prize either, but at least he let Carrie be Carrie." –Adam Zane Cook, Facebook
"SATC – everyone is saying Mr Big, and while he was crap, I would argue that Aidan was worse because he tried to change Carrie to his liking and then tried to make her feel guilty for not being able to change for him." –jamesr41a72db7c
Note: Submissions have been edited for length and/or clarity.