If you ever shared a BFF necklace with someone in your kindergarten class or got a matching tattoo with your college roommate, you know how strong the bond of friendship can be. But unfortunately, life is unpredictable, and sometimes we need to shut the door on people who were once our closest companions.
One curious Reddit user recently asked others to share reasons why their former friendships have ended, and hundreds of people weighed in with heartbreakingly honest responses. Below, you can read all about these friendships that reached their expiration dates, as well as hear from Licensed Clinical Social Worker Sarah Betz, and be sure to upvote the stories that resonate with you.
#21

Feelings made things complicated. He knew I’d had a crush on him when we were in college, but he started to treat me like more than a friend – told me he’d want to date me if he wasn’t with his girlfriend, called me his soulmate, I was his lock screen picture on his phone, he spontaneously invited himself on my solo trip to Europe the week after he broke up with said girlfriend – and I fell for him, bigtime.
I went to therapy to talk everything out, then finally worked up the nerve to tell him how I felt. I told him I loved him and that we needed to be more than friends or we couldn’t be anything at all, because this weird in-between we’d been floating in was messing me up in the head. He told me he couldn’t reciprocate my feelings so we agreed to give each other space.
That was 4 years ago now and neither of us has reached out since that final conversation. I still miss him, but I don’t regret speaking up for myself
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76points
#22

I found out she’d been a willing participant, and even architect of, several good people losing their jobs or being scapegoated for stuff they didn’t do. She’s a horrible person. And that was that.
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74points
#23

I felt she only wanted me around when my life was a mess and worse then hers. Once I got a house and got engaged she distanced herself as I no longer had a purpose to her.
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72points
#24

He kept having kids with different girls and bailing on them. Coming from a "went out for a pack of smokes" Dad myself, I just couldn't watch it anymore. Bailed after the third one. Think he's up to 6 now.
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68points
#26

She slept with my husband. They are now starting a cult together.
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60points
#27

My former best friend got married and his “ posh” wife decided that she doesn’t want her husband to be seen with less rich people and he listened to her , the sad fact is , 3 years later her dad filed for bankruptcy and her husband ( my former friend) had to look for a new job which pays far less than all of us ( his former friends).
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59points
#28
Every interaction was draining, and they always needed something. It should feel good to be around friends, not like a chore to keep somebody else going
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58points
#29
After almost 10 years of friendship, they (M) fell in love with me (M). He was straight to my knowledge, had a girlfriend and all until a breakup.
I am straight as well, and had recently broken off a 5year relationship. He made a move, I turned him down very respectfully, 0 judgement but was not interested
Instead of accepting this, he wanted me to give it a shot. Became super toxic and I broke off all contact
Still feel like I lost a brother
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57points
#30
She constantly kept stealing money from my purse/wallet when I went to the restroom when we were out (left it with her to “watch”). She made more money than me but thought I was some wealthy person?!? When I stopped hanging out with that group I realized just how much she had been stealing when I started having all kinds of extra money.
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54points
#31
Constantly being the butt of every joke, and then they (literally “they,” it was more than one person) always said “I’m/We’re just joking” yet they never “joked” liked that with each other. I can take a joke, but when it’s just me, that’s a red flag. That and we used to work together. As soon as I quit, hardly a peep from any of them. No calls, texts, nothing.
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47points
#32

Because they were f*****g toxic and I was too dumb to realize it.
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44points
#33

I identified an attitude of only doing plans with me if it was convenient to them, the last straw was this:
We hadn't seen each other in a while, I ran into them at campus, I said they should take a ride home with me so we could catch up while we got home (lived near each other) they said okay, and that they would leave their sibling with their car to take back home
After I waited for like an hour they just texted me that their sibling had already finished classes and that they would go home together
I had waited for them and this wasn't a favor I was doing them, it was an excuse to spend time together, so I just felt like spending time with me (even if it was for a little while) didn't matter, so I just stopped talking to them, and they never reached out
I've been wanting to text them for a while but never get to it
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43points
#34
He burned down his house because his wife demanded a bigger house and collected the insurance money.
Then, he grew a big head about having an expensive house in the better part of town. But, I was proud of him, assuming he did it the right way.
Then while we were hanging out, drinking of course, his wife wanted to know what we were talking about. So after a while he's too loaded to type and passes me the phone, too drunk to remember what he's been saying.....and I see it.
" I did what he couldn't do, in half the time".
" I did what he couldn't do, in half the time".
I see it, control my rage, toss the phone back at him, and say " I think you can handle that chief".
Then he spills his guts about burning the old house down, because he can't handle the guilt.
A few weeks go by, and I refuse to bring it up because I know how I'll handle it. He asks my advice about buying a car he wants. But she doesn't want him to have it. I tell him to get it, because...f**k it...why not.
She has a ghost app that let's her see everything on his phone, and sees me encouraging him to get the car. She goes on Facebook and posts some s****y drawn out victim type sob story about losing all respect for " a person I thought was a good man, but he encouraged my husband to go against me".
Then he spills his guts about burning the old house down, because he can't handle the guilt.
A few weeks go by, and I refuse to bring it up because I know how I'll handle it. He asks my advice about buying a car he wants. But she doesn't want him to have it. I tell him to get it, because...f**k it...why not.
She has a ghost app that let's her see everything on his phone, and sees me encouraging him to get the car. She goes on Facebook and posts some s****y drawn out victim type sob story about losing all respect for " a person I thought was a good man, but he encouraged my husband to go against me".
So I called her up, and let her know I never respected her, and I damn well don't respect a coward posing as a man, that commits fraud by burning a house down for the insurance money.
I loved that a*****e like a brother. F**k'em both.
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39points
#35
They found other people that they consider to be more enjoyable than me
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38points



