Top 20 Worst TV Boyfriends
Sure, they might be handsome... but that's about all they truly have going for them. Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the fictional TV boyfriends who give us the ick in a major way. Beware of spoilers!
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00:00Hello there. Who are you?
00:04Welcome to Miss Mojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the fictional TV boyfriends who gave us the ick in a major way.
00:12Beware of spoilers.
00:13I hear you've been badmouthing me to Kelly.
00:15All I did was remind her that you used to treat her badly.
00:18Well, that's your opinion, and it's her opinion, but it's not my opinion.
00:22Number 20. Damon Salvatore, The Vampire Diaries
00:26I'm sorry if I make you uncomfortable.
00:28That's just not my intention.
00:30Yes, it is.
00:32Otherwise, you wouldn't put an alternate meaning behind everything you say.
00:36Damon is either a sassy, sarcastic king one wants to fix,
00:40or a toxic and manipulative villain who should have stayed far away from his brother Stefan's girlfriend.
00:46It pretty much depends on who you ask.
00:48We say Damon Salvatore isn't just a bad boyfriend.
00:52He rarely values any of the relationships in his life.
00:55Go ahead, wish me an eternity of misery.
00:57Believe me, you'll get over it.
01:01The fact he can't back off his own sibling's partner,
01:04despite the fact that Stefan puts himself on the line for Damon several times,
01:08is proof of his endless selfishness.
01:11Of course, if he had backed off, we wouldn't have the series' big love triangle,
01:15and fans wouldn't swoon over those moments when he managed to not be totally awful.
01:21You should have met me in 1864.
01:26Hey, who would have liked me?
01:33Years later, fans still argue over which one of Rory Gilmore's boyfriends was the best.
01:38They might argue even more bitterly over which one was the worst.
01:42While Yeoman Logan and Bad Boy Jess have their fans and haters,
01:46most viewers would agree that Dean is not the right guy.
01:50What am I doing here, Rory?
01:52You're picking me up.
01:55I don't belong here.
01:59Not anymore.
02:00Though he can be caring and sweet, he's insecure long before Jess enters the picture,
02:05and his temper is troubling at times.
02:07Sure, it's not like Rory treats him that well either.
02:10They're both young when they first start seeing each other.
02:13But they also make some of their worst mistakes together.
02:17Let's not forget he cheats on his wife.
02:19That's not a good boyfriend or husband.
02:22I heard everybody. I heard Lindsay, I heard her parents, I heard my parents.
02:25And now I'm back at home and you're in Europe with your grandmother.
02:28And what the hell was I thinking?
02:30I mean, what am I doing? What's wrong with me?
02:36Yes, Jim and Pam are endgame.
02:38And that's more than enough reason to dislike her first fiancé.
02:42But Rory more than earns our hate.
02:44He's a neglectful boyfriend to Pam all throughout the first seasons
02:48and treats her and her office mates like garbage.
02:51I'm glad she has a friend at work she can get through the day with.
02:53I wish she'd done all bop, bop, bop, bop when she gets home.
02:56Yeah, I like talking to her too.
02:58When it comes to showing interest in her art, life, or literally anything she says,
03:02Rory is missing in action, if not downright indignant.
03:06It isn't all bad though.
03:07He actually has one of the biggest character arcs in the series.
03:11By the end, he's done a lot of growing up.
03:14When it comes to being Pam's partner though, he's the worst.
03:18Just listen.
03:19I am listening. That's the problem. I'm listening.
03:21Don't yell.
03:22Don't yell?
03:28This is over.
03:33Look, we love the adorably nerdy Sheldon Cooper as much as the next person.
03:38But you have to admit, he isn't exactly prime boyfriend material.
03:42For one thing, he is very set in his ways, which can get hard to deal with.
03:47Are we celebrating anything special tonight?
03:49Oh, yes.
03:50Our relationship agreement specifies that the second Thursday of every month,
03:54or the third Thursday in a month with five Thursdays, is date night.
03:58In general, Sheldon can seem pretty egotistical
04:01and openly condescending to those he considers his close friends.
04:05Granted, he has made huge strides at being a better companion,
04:08but people with less patience than Amy would have walked away a long time ago.
04:13I agree.
04:15I move our relationship terminate immediately.
04:19Seconded.
04:20There being no objections,
04:24the motion carries.
04:25Good day, Amy Farrah Fowler.
04:27Good day, Sheldon Cooper.
04:33No matter how dreamy Chad Michael Murray is in the role,
04:36it doesn't really change the fact that his protagonist is often a morally self-righteous tool.
04:42Lucas Scott always expects more from the women in his life than he ever gives them.
04:47I love you, Brooke.
04:52I don't know how else to say it.
04:53How about how you show it?
04:55Cheating on his girlfriend Brooke with her best friend Peyton multiple times is bad enough.
04:59But that's not all.
05:01He also makes an obnoxious show of his goodness one too many times.
05:06Indeed, the fact that he constantly acts like a good guy or victim
05:09whenever any girlfriend tries to hold him accountable makes it hard to root for him.
05:14I hate you.
05:18What?
05:21I wish you never came back.
05:24You ruined my life.
05:30He's a touch more sensitive than a lot of his fellow interns,
05:33but that just makes his romantic faux pas even more upsetting.
05:37And George O'Malley messes up a lot.
05:39His constant pining after his friends Meredith and Izzy borders on obsessive.
05:44But when he finally does land a great girlfriend-turned-wife,
05:48he fumbles it so hard it's a wonder he doesn't leave Seattle Grace immediately.
05:53Who am I to you, George?
05:55Am I your girlfriend?
05:57Am I somebody you mess around with?
05:59Do you even know?
06:00He betrays Dr. Callie Torres by instantly lying to her,
06:04taking her for granted and ultimately cheating on her with Izzy.
06:08He also hides behind the fact that he isn't as callous and abrasive as men like Alex Karev.
06:13If anything, that just makes him more of a disappointment.
06:17O'Malley, you are a sad excuse for a man.
06:22Excuse me?
06:23I know you heard me.
06:2514. Adam Sackler – Girls
06:28This is another one of those situations where both of the people in a relationship are terrible for each other.
06:35All the characters' narcissism becomes a huge part of the entire narrative arc of Girls.
06:41But Adam's gracelessness and clear anger problems are on full display during some of Hannah's lowest moments.
06:47Look, I'm sorry about the album.
06:50I shouldn't have sent you such hostile songs.
06:52No, because you shouldn't have written me any songs and you shouldn't be here right now.
06:56Somehow, his aggression and constant lack of consideration for her feelings
07:00make even Hannah's worst points seem forgivable at certain times.
07:04Even after he starts dating her friend Jessa,
07:07it seems like he was almost destined to be the guy you spend years trying to heal from.
07:12These things have an expiration date, okay?
07:14Six months or until someone stops having fun.
07:17But I'm having fun.
07:18No, you're not.
07:19You're like all...
07:21secretly sad.
07:22And that's not cool for you and that's not fun for me.
07:2413. Fitzgerald Grant III – Scandal
07:28Being President of the United States is a lot of pressure.
07:32Unfortunately, Fitz is as bad at politics as he is in relationships.
07:37Am I here to stroke your ego? Am I your cheerleader?
07:40Am I here to wipe your tears? Am I your nanny?
07:42Am I here to fight the bullies? Am I your bodyguard today?
07:45Maybe I'm here to make you feel good.
07:46Maybe I'm your dealer.
07:47Or maybe I'm here to make you feel hot.
07:50Not only does he seem completely oblivious
07:53or unwilling to see just how much Olivia Pope has sacrificed to put him in the Oval Office,
07:58but his sense of entitlement stinks up all of Washington, D.C.
08:02It's why Olivia's attraction to him feels more like a bad habit than a true romance.
08:07It also adds an extra layer of grossness to him cheating on his wife with her.
08:11Olivia is as capable, clever, and underhanded as anyone in the Capitol.
08:16Hiding in his shadow is strategically advantageous for her.
08:20Unfortunately, his whiny entitlement and unearned heroism wears pretty thin.
08:26You think I don't want to be a better man?
08:27You think that I don't want to dedicate myself to my marriage?
08:30You don't think I want to be honorable to be the man that you voted for?
08:3312. Dan Humphrey – Gossip Girl
08:37Dan Humphrey may seem like a perfectly nice guy at first, yet he is anything but.
08:43We mean, and there's a massive spoiler alert here, so cover your ears if you don't want to hear it,
08:47he actually turned out to be Gossip Girl.
08:50How can he not make this list?
08:52Dan, I cannot believe you were the one responsible for all of this poison.
08:55The damage you've done to your friends, to your family, to your own sister!
08:58Dan is seemingly always causing issues, like, you know, full-on stalking people.
09:03Plus, the guy's always putting the blame on others,
09:06like when he slept with Serena and when he broke up with Blair.
09:09He puts on a nice guy facade while secretly ruining lives as Gossip Girl.
09:14And really, it doesn't get much worse than that.
09:17He cares more for a pretty blonde than he does his own future,
09:19and in the end, none of his friends are happy for his success.
09:22They all turn their backs on him, and he deserves it.
09:25Yeah, he does.
09:2711. Nate Jacobs – Euphoria
09:30The football jock's crimes are far too numerous, evil, and YouTube unfriendly to list here.
09:36But his constant mistreatment of his girlfriends Maddie and Cassie
09:39throughout the first and second seasons of the controversial HBO series
09:43just gets worse as it goes on.
09:46Can you imagine if I was sitting here with a gun, forcing you to accept my apology?
09:53You're scaring me.
09:55Yeah, that's kind of the point.
09:59Hateful and violent, Nate isn't afraid to lash out at anyone he dates.
10:04It's fair to say that he didn't exactly have the best chance at breaking the cycle,
10:08given his awful home life.
10:11Still, that's really no excuse for his horrid behavior,
10:14especially when you consider how complicated everyone's life seems to be on this show.
10:19Needless to say, his behavior easily ranks him as the worst boyfriend in the bunch.
10:24Make sure you've given her some forethought.
10:27I know over the years you've lost some brain cells.
10:30I wouldn't want you to say something you might regret.
10:3310. Chuck Bass – Gossip Girl
10:36Not only is he a terrible on-again, off-again boyfriend to Blair Waldorf
10:40once they start seeing each other,
10:42but Chuck's constant manipulations make him one of the show's biggest overall villains.
10:47Indeed, the Upper East Side playboy proves himself to be a rotten,
10:52predatory person from the very first episode.
10:55Son of a... What the hell is your problem?
10:58It's a party. Things happen.
11:00Now, we know no one on Gossip Girl is a saint,
11:03and unfortunately, the show centering Chuck as one of the main characters
11:07means they have to be a little too forgiving of his crimes at times.
11:11But it's hard to downplay his terrible traits.
11:14He literally trades Blair for a hotel in one episode,
11:17and then he has the nerve to act like a jerk when she's rightfully upset about it?
11:22He's unhinged.
11:23You said you would stand by me through anything.
11:28This, Blair, is anything.
11:31I never thought that the worst thing you would ever do would be to me.
11:349. Mon-El – Supergirl
11:37Mon-El is a Daxamite prince who has come to Earth
11:40and eventually strikes up a relationship with Kara Danvers, a.k.a. Supergirl.
11:45He comes from a race full of bullies,
11:47which is not surprising given Mon-El's penchant for brutal honesty and his abusive personality,
11:52not to mention the fact that he seems like a coward.
11:55I vouched for you at my place of employment,
11:59and then you had Eve do all of your work for you,
12:01and then you screwed her in the closet.
12:03You didn't apologize for that and shock her.
12:05I apologize to you for trying to make you into a better person.
12:09I hear you.
12:10He makes Kara question herself and her role in society
12:13and often blames his own problems on her rather than looking inward.
12:17Perhaps he means well, but Mon-El is one extremely flawed dude.
12:21I thought you'd changed. I really did.
12:23But you are still the same macho.
12:25Oh, here it is.
12:26Daxamite? He's a Daxamite.
12:28Yes, you have always been.
12:308. Jimmy Lishman – Shameless
12:33We should get together, have lunch, just catch up.
12:36I'm seeing someone.
12:38So am I.
12:39Imported or domestic?
12:40Throughout Shameless, Jimmy Lishman has two major relationships,
12:44one with his true love Fiona
12:46and the other is with a mob boss's daughter named Estefania
12:50who uses him to attain immigration status.
12:53He constantly switches between the two women
12:56and while he seems devoted to Fiona,
12:58he cheats on her with Estefania on numerous occasions.
13:02He is also a consummate liar
13:05and is not shy about lying directly to Fiona's face.
13:08He also hates family life with Fiona
13:10and devolves into a whiny brat who cries about everything.
13:14He may mean well, but he's a real selfish bastard.
13:18What's important to me should be important to you.
13:21Look at us.
13:23We are literally digging up a body.
13:27How do you even compare our situations?
13:307. Ross Geller – Friends
13:33Let's face it, Ross Geller is a horrible boyfriend.
13:37For one thing, he said the wrong name at his and Emily's wedding.
13:40Hi, Ross.
13:41Take thee, Emily.
13:43Take thee, Rachel.
13:44Yeah, we understand that he was still in love with Rachel,
13:47but come on, it doesn't get much worse than that.
13:50He is also extremely quick to sleep with another woman after a fight
13:54and dumps girlfriends like they're pieces of garbage.
13:57We were on a break.
13:58That, for all I knew, could last forever.
14:00That, to me, is a break up.
14:02You think you're gonna get out of this on a technicality?
14:04I'm not trying to get out of anything, okay?
14:06I thought our relationship was dead.
14:08Well, you sure had a hell of a time at the wake.
14:11He's also a massive jerk towards Rachel,
14:14calling her ditzy and not respecting her career.
14:16And he's a needy, whiny, and possessive person
14:20who seems far too self-centered for his own good.
14:23Sorry, Ross.
14:24You may think you're a nice guy, but you're not.
14:26Yeah, we said it.
14:286. Barney Stinson
14:30How I Met Your Mother
14:32For the first few seasons, Barney Stinson was a consummate ladies' man.
14:37He dressed well, bought drinks, and wooed women like there was no tomorrow.
14:41And while Barney later develops feelings,
14:44he is never the greatest boyfriend.
14:46What happened?
14:48Did I pass out?
14:49Please stop hitting me!
14:50He retains some semblance of misogyny,
14:53and in the early days with Robin,
14:55his careless, selfish, and relatively unloving attitude
14:58results in the pair devolving into horrible versions of themselves.
15:02He also blatantly lies to Nora about wanting kids
15:05and cheats on her with Robin
15:07and later distrusts Quinn to such a huge extent that they break up.
15:11He may mean well, but Barney is not boyfriend material.
15:15Do we really need something this complicated to get married?
15:23Yeah.
15:255. Danny Castellano – The Mindy Project
15:29Danny Castellano may mean well,
15:32but really, the guy is a huge jerk,
15:34and he makes for one problematic boyfriend.
15:37For one thing, his temper definitely needs to be reeled in.
15:41He has a very short fuse
15:43and is constantly fighting with Mindy over anything and everything.
15:47He also has a huge problem with commitment
15:50and manipulates those around him.
15:53Despite this, he and Mindy get together,
15:56where in turn he treats her with disrespect
15:59and tells her to give up her career.
16:01So yes, his heart is in the right place,
16:04but Dan is nevertheless a problematic dude.
16:224. Ryan Howard – The Office
16:31We like early office Ryan.
16:33He's quiet and keeps to himself,
16:35and while he seems distant towards the obviously flirtatious Kelly,
16:39he seems like a good enough guy,
16:41and then he gets a little too big for his britches.
16:49After crashing in the corporate job,
16:51Ryan convinces Kelly to break up with Daryl
16:54only to leave her behind when he goes to Thailand,
16:57or more accurately, Fort Lauderdale.
17:00They are also extremely hostile towards each other
17:03throughout much of the series,
17:05and Ryan seems to openly hate being with her.
17:08Kelly isn't exactly a great girlfriend,
17:10but then again, Ryan isn't exactly a great boyfriend.
17:14It's one of TV's most incompatible relationships,
17:17and while we love watching it,
17:19we wouldn't recommend dating him.
17:293. Mr. Big – Sex and the City and And Just Like That
17:34The notorious Biggie is arguably the quintessential mega-jerk boyfriend.
17:39Throughout his relationship with Carrie,
17:41he is extremely distant with her,
17:43repeatedly failing to become more intimate.
17:46He has a big time commitment problem.
18:05Now this commitment phobia wouldn't be so bad
18:08if it weren't for the fact that he marries another woman
18:11after only 5 months of dating,
18:13and absolutely shatters Carrie's self-confidence.
18:16But wait, there's more.
18:18He also pines after her once he's married,
18:21and the two eventually begin an affair.
18:31They end up together, but at what cost?
18:34Perhaps it's no surprise that when he died on And Just Like That,
18:38no one was all that upset about it,
18:40except maybe the people at Peloton.
18:43Classic John, just always a puzzle.
18:46At least with me.
18:482. Larry Bloom – Orange is the New Black
18:52Oh boy, where do we even start with Larry Bloom?
18:55While Larry is at first quite supportive towards Piper's life in prison,
18:59things quickly turn sour.
19:02He generally doesn't seem to care about her problems,
19:05and even uses them as the basis for an article to further his own career.
19:09I wasn't expecting it, but I got the call last night.
19:11So apparently they pulled Randy's story
19:13about the surge in home breweries in Brooklyn
19:16because the New Yorker is running one on the surge in home wineries in Brooklyn,
19:19so they ran mine instead.
19:21He also goes on radio shows to discuss the inmates
19:24and attain a semblance of fame himself.
19:27Plus, after he and Piper break up,
19:29he's intimate with her best friend in their house,
19:32which then causes the latter to leave her husband.
19:35Larry is nothing but a destructive force
19:38who will rule over anyone for his own happiness.
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20:031. Joe Goldberg – You
20:07No one on this list is quite as charming and dangerous as Joe Goldberg.
20:12He's a stalker and murderer
20:14who treats romantic relationships like undercover operations.
20:18He's a trained agent, efficient, enigmatic,
20:21and endearing in the way he burrows his way into his target's heart.
20:25The scariest thing is that in his own twisted mind,
20:29he thinks he's doing it all out of love.
20:31I know this is a lot. Honestly, I'm terrified.
20:34Sharing this with you, but if we're being honest,
20:37your life has been better since you met me.
20:39You just didn't know how or why until now.
20:44Beck, I love you.
20:46And loving someone means you will do anything for them.
20:49Being with Joe typically means meeting an early end.
20:53Whether it's because the woman finds out
20:55all he's done to manipulate her like Beck,
20:58or because she tries to go toe-to-toe with him like love,
21:01entanglements with him usually end badly.
21:04If one does manage to escape like Marion,
21:07it won't be without serious trauma.
21:10Beck, it's not true.
21:12You're just a good man who did a bad thing.
21:19You're a murderer, Joe.
21:21Who's your pick for worst TV boyfriend?
21:24Weigh in in the comments.
21:26I'm telling you before I take it all back, all right?
21:28Just go.
21:31Go.
21:37Do you agree with our picks?
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