ADVERTISEMENT

There are few things in life more beautiful than a strong, platonic relationship. You may never tire of hanging out with your best friend, and you likely feel comfortable sharing absolutely everything with them. They know you better than you know yourself, and you can rely on your bestie to be there on your absolute best and worst days.

But just like in romantic relationships, there might come a day when you have a painful realization that your partner in crime doesn’t value you as much as you value them. Redditors have been sharing stories of why they ended friendships with their former BFFs, so we’ve gathered the most heartbreaking tales below. We hope these stories don’t remind you of any of your own friendships, pandas. But if they do, remember that you deserve better. And keep reading to find a conversation with Olivia Brouillette-Wardhono, Founder, Lead Psychologist and Integrative Somatic Practitioner at Therapy With Olivia.

#1

Volunteer comforting a dog at a shelter, illustrating the theme of friendship and its challenges. He surrendered his dog back to the shelter, after 5 years of owning him.

His name was Dusty. He was a golden retriever, and he was the best boy ever. I would play fetch with him for hours until he would nearly pass out at my feet. Dusty was amazing! I loved him.

One day, I go over to Dale's house, and I say "Where's Dusty?" He answers "Oh, I gave him back to the shelter."

Me ~ "F**k! Why??!?!"

Dale ~ "I only got him so that I could meet girls easier, and now that I'm married I don't need him anymore. Besides, having a dog is a lot of responsibility."

Me ~ "But you knew how I felt about him. WHY didn't you ask me? I would have gladly adopted him!"

Dale ~ "You know, I never even thought of that."


I left immediately and drove to the shelter. Dusty had already found a new home. So, I'm sad and glad in the same moment.

F**k you, Dale. You're a d**k and I'm glad your wife finally divorced your selfish a*s.

PitBullFan , freepik Report

Add photo comments
POST
ॐBoyGanesh
Community Member
1 day ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I can’t fathom having such a lack of emotional attachment to any pet, especially a dog. My dog was my soulmate for 16 years & his death broke me more than the loss of people in my life. I’ve a new dog now carrying his spirit and he’s quickly becoming my best friend. My my son & husband are my ♡ & soul, but this puppy is a close second. To lack any emotional attachment or empathy is pathological. Dale is a garbage person.

View more commentsArrow down menu
ADVERTISEMENT
RELATED:
    #2

    Man in mask on sofa with tablet and pulse oximeter, reflecting on former friendship. Friends for 20 years. She didn't drive so pretty much the entire friendship I would take her grocery shopping every week. I took her cats to the vet. Helped her when she lost her house. For 20 years I asked her for nothing.

    My husband ended up suddenly being diagnosed with brain cancer. The day he was released from the hospital after having a tumor the size of a lemon removed, I called in a prescription he needed and our local pharmacy didn't have it so I would have to drive an hour round trip and my husband wasn't able to handle that amount of time in the car so I called to ask if she could stay with him while I got his meds. She told me no because she wanted to go to the store with her boyfriend. I called my neighbor and she watched him.

    I never talked to her again. It's been almost 10 years.

    softshoulder313 , prostooleh / freepik Report

    #3

    Group of friends laughing together outdoors, highlighting former best friend connections. I met some new people and I noticed that I liked hanging out with them more because they didn't make me feel like c**p. I didn't really notice it at the time but looking back on it now, I realize that the guy I considered my best friend was actually my biggest bully. He was constantly insulting me, embarrassing me on front of other people, belittling me... And I just thought that's what friends did. I had to make real friends to learn that's not the case.

    ImInJeopardy , imagesourcecurated / envato Report

    ADVERTISEMENT

    To learn more about friendships and why they sometimes need to come to an end, we got in touch with Olivia Brouillette-Wardhono, Founder, Lead Psychologist and Integrative Somatic Practitioner at Therapy With Olivia. First, we wanted to know what being a good friend means to her.

    "That's something I've found myself asking throughout periods of my life. And, just like with everything, what it means to be a good friend depends on the person, but we can look at the general idea of a good friend, and what makes us feel good within our friendships," Olivia shared.

    "A good friend is someone you feel safe with, secure with, someone you can depend on when you need and you would offer the same to them; they're the people in your life where you get just as much as you give, and you will always be there for them like they would be there for you," the therapist explained. "It's great when a friend shares similar interests and values, but even if you don't, there's equal respect for one another."

    ADVERTISEMENT
    #5

    Man in party hat looking at cake, reflecting on ending friendship. My dad died. I asked if a few of my friends would hang out and have a low-key night playing video games. I told them I didn't want to have a big party. They said that was cool. I showed up and they'd invited a ton of people for a huge house party. Then they got pissed that I was "just sulking on the couch" and got s****y with me. Our friendship never recovered and now we don't talk at all.

    Responsible-Onion860 , freepik Report

    #6

    Man in denim shirt looking at phone, pondering friendship issues. Didn't end it myself, but accepted it ended when I realized if I stopped talking, I'd never hear from him again.

    Starkscream , Drazen Zigic / freepik Report

    Add photo comments
    POST
    ॐBoyGanesh
    Community Member
    1 day ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I left Fb & most social media about 5 years ago. I did it to weed out all the noise from people who are now merely acquaintances & who had too much of my attention. This also allowed my truly close friendships to weed their way through a ton of online, barely tertiary friends. Most friendships are fluid. They come & go. Right now I know who means the most to me and who I mean the most to, because we’ve kept in constant contact irl.

    View more commentsArrow down menu

    So how do we know when a friendship has run its course?

    "Each person will have a different idea of when any relationship needs to come to an end, but here are some common things I see in friendships (or any relationship) that ends," Olivia says. "Disrespect; lack of shared interests/things that kept the bond strong, or lack of respect for each other's interests; lying or hiding things from one another; a lack of trust and safety with the person; and, of course, any time there is violence between two people (verbal, emotional, physical, doesn't really matter – once you cross that line, it's incredibly difficult to come back from it)."

    ADVERTISEMENT
    #7

    Person in hospital bed reading a book, reflecting on former best friends, with light coming from a window. The second I got brain cancer I stopped being included in their lives.

    healingalltheway , freepik Report

    Add photo comments
    POST
    Billo66
    Community Member
    Premium
    1 day ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Funny how that works. As soon as I was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma mine found a new healthy replacement right away. I kept my kids though. so win win except for the cancer but honestlt it's almost worth it to be rid of her. Very toxic.

    View more commentsArrow down menu
    #8

    Woman sitting on a bed, gazing down, reflecting on friendship changes and former best friends. Because I terminated a complicated pregnancy.


    She sure wears that p***y hat and feminist sweatshirt proudly. .

    No-Solid-4255 , pvproductions / freepik Report

    Add photo comments
    POST
    Orysha
    Community Member
    1 day ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Feminist until you do something she disagrees with : those fakers are the worst.

    View more commentsArrow down menu
    ADVERTISEMENT
    #9

    A child in a picnic setting looking upset, held by a woman in a blue polka dot dress, reflecting lost friendships. She told my kids they were the reason I tried to self delete. 25 years of friendship, someone I talked to every day no matter what state or country she was stationed in. I don’t even have to words to describe the emotion I feel. Heartbreak, anger, confusion… none of them apply. I’m just numb to her.

    kytamore , nikolast1 / Envato Report

    We also asked Olivia why ending a friendship is often so painful.

    "I think friendship breakups hurt way more than a romantic relationship breakup," she told Bored Panda. "Generally speaking, I think that's because we don't usually think that a friendship will come to an end, as we may with romantic relationships."

    ADVERTISEMENT

    "We expect for us to make long lasting friendships, expecting our friends to be with us through thick and thin, in a way we don't expect from anyone else. We share things with friends that we wouldn't share with family or partners; we create bonds that dependent on shared interest and care for each other, with no expectations towards one another," the therapist explained. "So, when a friendship comes to an end, it almost feels like a death. And usually, our brains can't really tell the difference in grief. So in a way, it is like mourning a death."

    #10

    Two men in a cafe having an intense discussion about former best friends, one holding a laptop. We were friends for over 40 years. Friends since childhood.
    We entered into a business together and he completely screwed me over, taking most of the money with him, and leaving me in crushing debt.
    Years later I asked why he did it. His answer; "Because you're an atheist. You rejected god, so you deserve everything you get."
    And that, was that.

    Virtual-Werewolf-310 , GaudiLab / envato Report

    Add photo comments
    POST
    Robert Cosgrove
    Community Member
    1 day ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    So he believes his God is okay with stealing money and ruining people ?

    View more commentsArrow down menu
    #11

    Woman looking stressed on phone, symbolizing why people end communication with former best friends. Every problem she had was an emergency that I needed to drop everything for and give her my undivided immediate attention. But when I was having a rough time, the reply I got from her was 'stop your s**t'.

    oh_sheaintright , YuriArcursPeopleimages / envato Report

    Add photo comments
    POST
    ॐBoyGanesh
    Community Member
    1 day ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    When you realize they always see themselves as the main character & you as merely an extra.

    View more commentsArrow down menu
    #12

    Man holding a $20 bill over eyes, outdoors, symbolizing lost connection with former best friend. He robbed me of a pathetically small amount of money that I would have given him if he had just asked.

    anon , EyeEm / freepik Report

    Add photo comments
    POST
    ChugChug
    Community Member
    1 day ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Same happened. He literally stole from me. We see eachother a lot because its a small town but I always turn my head away.

    View more commentsArrow down menu

    If you're going through a friendship breakup, Olivia recommends letting your grief out without judgement. "Any time anything comes to an end, including relationships that needed to end, there will be pain. That's just a natural, human experience," she shared.

    "But that sadness and grief happens only when we have deep love and care towards someone or something. If you're dealing with a friendship breakup, you're allowed to be hurt and sad, it just shows how much you love and care for that person and that relationship," Olivia continued. "Lean on the people that you do have in your life and try to focus on surrounding yourself with love. Take care of yourself like you would if you were going through a breakup with a partner."

    #13

    A person sitting on a bed wrapped in a gray blanket, holding a mug, reflecting on former best friends. In 2018, I was really sick with kidney failure and was in and out of the ER multiple times before I finally got diagnosed with CKD.

    My friend didn't like that I was getting a lot of attention from our other friends and people in our small town. She decides to go around school and lie to people, saying I was lying about being sick and just wanted attention.

    When I was finally getting better and was actually home for more then a few days she came over with a few of her friends and was laughing trying to embarrass me infront of them trying to get me to say I was infact lying about being sick.

    Wasn't until I pulled out all the meds I was on and proved that I was yellowish in the skin (it was f*****g obvious when you actually looked at my eyes)

    I Embarrassed her infront of everyone she cried and played victim. Ran out the house and I haven't talked to her since.

    Bit sad bc we wore friends since kindergarten, but I igs that's what jealousy does to people so 🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️.

    lilwolfie420 , freepik Report

    #14

    Woman in hospital gown cradling newborn, symbolizing change in relationships with former best friends. She slept with my husband while I was in the hospital *having his baby*.

    holdonwhileipoop , rodvaljulio / Envato Report

    Add photo comments
    POST
    ॐBoyGanesh
    Community Member
    1 day ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Again, takes two to tango. Both the friend and the husband are trash.

    View more commentsArrow down menu
    #15

    A thoughtful man in a blue shirt sits on a couch, reflecting on former best friends. F****r went and died on me.

    Simple-Wrangler-9909 , freepik Report

    Add photo comments
    POST
    ॐBoyGanesh
    Community Member
    1 day ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Same same. 6 months after her husband was KIA and shortly after giving birth to a beautiful child who is now my & my husband’s 11yo son.

    View more commentsArrow down menu

    "It's important to remember that, like any relationship, friendships take work to maintain and to feel good for both people involved," Olivia added. "It can take time to build a strong, meaningful connection with others, and just because it may take time with a friend does not mean that friendship isn't 'good' for you. And it's super normal to have disagreements – you don't have to agree with everything a friend says in order to stay friends. But as long as you share similar values, a friendship can withstand a lot."

    ADVERTISEMENT
    #16

    “I Never Talked To Her Again”: 35 Heartbreaking Stories Of How Friendships Ended She texted me she was taking a bottle of pills, a goodbye letter to her mom, and all her passwords and info because she was committing s*****e while I was 2 hours away. She wouldn’t answer the phone for 20 minutes. I called 911.

    She blamed me for an ambulance showing up to her apartment for a wellness check and said I overreacted.

    Miss_Fierce , garetsvisual / freepik Report

    #17

    “I Never Talked To Her Again”: 35 Heartbreaking Stories Of How Friendships Ended Didn’t want to be her friend anymore.. So now we’re engaged!

    _Royal_Insylum , freepik Report

    Add photo comments
    POST
    SheamusFanFrom1987
    Community Member
    1 day ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    You do realize your spouse-to-be is also meant to be your friend as well, right...? Either way, congratulations.

    View more commentsArrow down menu
    #18

    “I Never Talked To Her Again”: 35 Heartbreaking Stories Of How Friendships Ended We had a dumb teenage falling out and both of us were too stubborn to reach out and apologize. Finally about 4 years later I reach out and we meet in person and reconcile. It was a nice reconciliation but we were never as close after that. I also realized in hindsight through the whole ordeal that I was always the one who had to be the “adult” or bigger person in our friendship. I think that’s why I waited 4 years to reach out, I wanted to see if they cared enough about me or the friendship to do it. And after we reconciled it felt like the responsibility to keep the friendship going was solely on me. As you grow up and make new friends in adulthood, you reach a point where you end friendships that are more work than they should be. In hindsight our friendship would have ended with or without the falling out, the falling out just made it happen sooner.

    To this day I consider them my greatest childhood friend. But I don’t think our friendship was made to last into adulthood from the beginning. That’s life tho.

    Actrivia24 , freepik Report

    Add photo comments
    POST
    Wysteria_Rose
    Community Member
    1 day ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    It's fine to make up and realize that it can't be the same. I have an ex best friend who I was asked if I ever would consider forgiving them for their part in the destruction of our relationship (one I tried to save but to little result). I have always said, "Yes, if he meant it, I would. But I could not trust him again, so a relationship wouldn't be possible. I would still wish him well though."

    View more commentsArrow down menu
    #19

    “I Never Talked To Her Again”: 35 Heartbreaking Stories Of How Friendships Ended I just couldn't get on board with her anymore. Her fake influencer job, genuinely believing she was a psychic. Raising her child on benefits but preaching to her followers that they should all follow their dreams and quit their job like her. Anti vaxxer. Doesn't wear a seatbelt when driving because she thinks it's more likely to k**l her in a crash. The list goes on. I just can't resonate with any of her beliefs anymore.

    glitternails74 , Anastasia Kazakova / freepik Report

    See Also on Bored Panda
    #20

    A couple embracing in a sunlit landscape, symbolizing friendship and connection. He told me he was gonna steal my girlfriend and then proceeded to steal my girlfriend. Man of his word at least.

    mr_kenobi , pikisuperstar / freepik Report

    Add photo comments
    POST
    ॐBoyGanesh
    Community Member
    1 day ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    He didn’t steal her. She opted to be with him. Women aren’t mindless, inanimate objects. The friend was a complete POS for making moves on OP’s girlfriend, but let’s at least give her credit for being able to make decisions.

    View more commentsArrow down menu
    #21

    “I Never Talked To Her Again”: 35 Heartbreaking Stories Of How Friendships Ended Realized he was using me the whole 10 year friendship. Dude also was really controlling and just a massive hypocrite.

    It got even worse when dude became more religious. He just became this sanctimonious a*****e.

    Looking back I was warned about him by multiple people that this is who he is.

    When I blocked him I swear it felt like a weight had been lifted.

    KingLeopard40063 , freepik Report

    Add photo comments
    POST
    Dog Mom to Zoe
    Community Member
    1 day ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    It's funny how it really does actually feel like weight being lifted when you end a toxic relationship. I had to let a 20-year relationship go and wow, that weight was gone.

    View more commentsArrow down menu
    #22

    “I Never Talked To Her Again”: 35 Heartbreaking Stories Of How Friendships Ended I spent years dying of organ failure. My friends began to see me as a burden. A reminder of their own mortality. So they stopped answering when I called and stopped coming by to visit. I spent months in the hospital withering in pain and no one came to see me besides my mom.

    I got a transplant and I’m all better now, but I’m quite lonely and sad.

    nightglitter89x , freepik Report

    #23

    Party scene with people distant around balloons, reflecting on former best friends and past relationships. Best friend threw a party. Another friend sexually harassed me at said party. Tried to tell my best friend what happened and she said in these exact words “You should try seeing it from her side.” A whole lot of drama ensued afterward, which resulted in me losing all of my friends from that friend group. It really f*****g sucked but I’m doing my best to move on from the situation.

    blaidd_halfwolf , DC_Studio / Envato Report

    #24

    “I Never Talked To Her Again”: 35 Heartbreaking Stories Of How Friendships Ended They got way to deep into conspiracies.. even going so far as traveling to France to join demonstrations. We're from Germany.

    Yeah.. it sucks 😮‍💨.

    Berloxx , freepik Report

    #25

    “I Never Talked To Her Again”: 35 Heartbreaking Stories Of How Friendships Ended M**h k**led her. One day I realized I was trying to love a stranger for the sake of a memory.

    MyFireElf , travelarium / freepik Report

    Add photo comments
    POST
    *raspberry sound
    Community Member
    1 day ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    "Trying to love a stranger for the sake of a memory" profoundly beautiful wording

    View more commentsArrow down menu
    #26

    “I Never Talked To Her Again”: 35 Heartbreaking Stories Of How Friendships Ended I got clean from d***s and he didn’t. Still care about him and hope the best for him, but he just doesn’t want to get clean. I tried to be his support for a while but it was just taking a toll on myself for no forward progress for him.

    Stinkus_Winkus , prostooleh / freepik Report

    Add photo comments
    POST
    LakotaWolf (she/her)
    Community Member
    1 day ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    An add!ct will not get clean/sober up until they WANT to, until they have a reason to that THEY believe in. Here's a photo of the reason why I've been clean for 4 years :) kohl_kohl_...04ac24.jpg kohl_kohl_jelly_roll-67dbd5f04ac24.jpg

    View more commentsArrow down menu
    #27

    “I Never Talked To Her Again”: 35 Heartbreaking Stories Of How Friendships Ended After 15 years of taking my friendship for granted, I finally had enough. Though it was not my intention.


    The last thing I told them was, "One day soon, you're gonna look up, and I won't be there." 3 weeks had passed, and I'd been taking the time to type out exactly what I was going to say and how I felt, for the next time I saw them.


    Then I got a message asking, "Are you cutting me off?"


    At that moment, I decided that the answer was "yes."


    I had also decided that they did not deserve an explanation, nor did they deserve a 10th chance.

    JabroniBeaterPiEater , karlyukav / freepik Report

    #28

    “I Never Talked To Her Again”: 35 Heartbreaking Stories Of How Friendships Ended She neglects her eldest child, while doting on the new baby/now toddler. The eldest child has some obvious learning/developmental disabilities, but his mother is in extreme denial. She has a weird attitude towards science/medicine/psychology and refuses to get him any help. She says he's 'fine'. He has no friends at school, and cannot stop himself from talking when not appropriate. He is also 11 years old, 200 POUNDS, and lives on an exclusively McDonald's diet. It's very sad to watch this kid try to walk.

    Any time we went to spend time together, she'd always bring both the kids and would constantly SCREAM at the eldest child in front of me. It was brutal.

    The final straw was when I drove 7 hours to visit them, and the entire visit was her just screaming at this kid to behave. He told me, "I'm sorry I'm so bad and ruined your visit. I'm just a bad kid, I don't know what to do."

    It broke my heart, broke my trust in my friend, and ultimately broke our friendship. She ended up constantly messaging me and my family members to no avail, because she REALLY wanted me in her d**n wedding (guess which kid was left out of ALL family photos).

    It took me more than 20 years to see this person for who she really is: extremely selfish/self-centered, attention-seeking, and a terrible mother.

    Initial-Web2855 , freepik Report

    #29

    “I Never Talked To Her Again”: 35 Heartbreaking Stories Of How Friendships Ended I made a new female friend. Best friend was a female. She saw competition and kept trying to gaslight me about how apparently new friend was just trying to sleep with me and was super fake. I was just like ???

    I tried to get them together to play DnD. Old friend couldn't stand to be around new friend cause she hated everything about new friends voice and personality. Old friend started hanging out with a new guy I didn't like. She said either I choose her or she leaves to hang out with new guy.

    Bye. Me and new friend have had the best friendship I've experienced so far purely platonic and we make each other laugh so hard. I didn't realise how much old friend manipulated me and gaslit me. I feel free.

    StealerofCookies , cookie_studio / freepik Report

    See Also on Bored Panda
    #30

    “I Never Talked To Her Again”: 35 Heartbreaking Stories Of How Friendships Ended Condescending jokes were only funny when she made them, and setting boundaries was a personal attack on her.

    ElizaWolf8 , kues1 / freepik Report

    Add photo comments
    POST
    Robin DJW
    Community Member
    1 day ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    So basically being hypocritical. Funny how toxic that is, am I right?

    #32

    1993 I think -- he failed to pay traffic tickets. I posted bail. He said he would pay me back. I put it on the back burner and said nothing about it to anyone. Less than a week later our mutual friend asked why I was hounding him for the $$. So he borrowed money and then insulted me to our friends. I should have listened to his Dad and let him sit for a few days.

    genxer Report

    #33

    In middle school I had my first best friend, we'd play videogames together, had sleepovers, etc. When we got older he got into World of Warcraft which my parents understandably didn't want to pay the subscription for. He started hanging out with me less and eventually joined in on being a bit of a bully to me because I was weird and nerdy. Eventually we just stopped hanging out. It sucked at the time but I found new and better friend that I am still friends with now at 30.

    But yeah, a friendship ending over World of Warcraft is pretty funny looking back lol.

    DrScienceSpaceCat Report

    #34

    Hands counting money, relating to reasons for not speaking to former best friends anymore. I ended the friendship after lending money. It’s true what they say money ruins relationships.

    Complex-Bobcat5391 , wirestock / envato Report

    #35

    Man sitting on stairs, distressed while looking at phone, reflecting on former best friend. A couple of months before my wedding, he told me he didn't want to be my best man anymore... via WhatsApp. The conversation that followed revealed that he was extremely jealous of the relationship my now wife and I have. We had been friends for 20 years.

    brotherfrank , voronaman111 / envato Report

    Note: this post originally had 65 images. It’s been shortened to the top 35 images based on user votes.