Top 10 Worst TV Boyfriends
These are the worst TV boyfriends on TV! For this list, we'll be looking at the very worst boyfriends throughout TV history. These boyfriends can be unsupportive, manipulative, uncaring, or just straight-up jackasses who deserve no sympathy or support. We've included Mon-El from Supergirl, Dan Humphrey from Gossip Girl, Jimmy Lishman from Shameless, Barney Stinson from How I Met Your Mother, Danny Castellano from The Mindy Project, Sheldon Cooper from The Big Bang Theory and more!
#10: Mon-El “Supergirl” (2015-)
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Mon-El is a Daxamite prince who has come to Earth and eventually strikes up a relationship with Kara Danvers, AKA Supergirl. He comes from a race full of bullies, which is not surprising, given Mon-El’s penchant for brutal honesty and his abusive personality. Not to mention, he seems like a coward. He makes Kara question herself, and her role in society, and often blames his own problems on Kara rather than looking inward at himself. Perhaps he means well, but Mon-El is one extremely flawed dude.
#9: Dan Humphrey “Gossip Girl” (2007-12)
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Dan Humphrey may seem like a perfectly nice guy at first, yet he is anything but. We mean (and there’s a massive spoiler alert here, so cover your ears if you don’t wanna hear it), he actually turns out to be Gossip Girl! How can he not make it on this list? Dan is seemingly always causing issues, like, you know, full-on stalking people; and the guy’s always putting the blame on others, like when he slept with Serena and when he broke-up with Blair. He puts on a nice guy façade while secretly ruining lives as Gossip Girl, and really, it doesn’t get much worse than that.
#8: Jimmy Lishman “Shameless” (2011-)
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Throughout “Shameless,” Jimmy Lishman has two major relationships. One is with his true love, Fiona, and the other is with a mob boss’s daughter named Estefania, who uses him to attain immigration status. He constantly switches between the two women; and while he seems devoted to Fiona, he cheats on her with Estefania on numerous occasions. He is also a consummate liar, and is not shy about lying directly to Fiona’s face. He also hates family life with Fiona, and devolves into a whiny brat who cries about everything. He may mean well, but he’s a real selfish bastard.
#7: Barney Stinson “How I Met Your Mother” (2005-14)
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For the first few seasons, Barney Stinson was a consummate ladies’ man. He dressed well, bought drinks, and wooed the ladies like there was no tomorrow. And while Barney later develops feelings, he is never the greatest boyfriend. He retains some semblance of misogyny, and in the early days with Robin, his careless, selfish, and relatively unloving attitude results in him and Robin devolving into horrible versions of themselves. He also blatantly lies to Nora about wanting kids, and cheats on her with Robin, and later distrusts Quinn to such a huge extent that they break up. He may mean well, but Barney is not boyfriend material.
#6: Danny Castellano “The Mindy Project” (2012-17)
Danny Castellano may mean well, but really, the guy is a huge jerk and he makes for one problematic boyfriend. For one thing, his temper definitely needs to be reeled in. He has a very short fuse and is constantly fighting with Mindy over anything and everything. He also has a huge problem with commitment and manipulates those around him. Despite this, he and Mindy get together, where in turn he treats her with disrespect and tells her to give up her career. So yes, his heart is in the right place, but Dan is nevertheless a problematic dude.
#5: Sheldon Cooper “The Big Bang Theory” (2007-)
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Look, we love the adorably nerdy Sheldon Cooper as much as the next person, but you have to admit, he isn’t exactly prime boyfriend material. For one thing, he is very set in his ways, which can get hard to deal with. In general, Sheldon can seem pretty egotistical, and openly condescending to those he considers his close friends. Granted, he has made huge strides at being a better companion, but people with less patience than Amy would have walked away a LONG time ago.
#4: Ross Geller “Friends” (1994-2004)
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Let’s face it: Ross Geller is a horrible boyfriend. For one thing, he said the wrong name at his and Emily’s wedding! Yeah, we understand that he was still in love with Rachel, but come on, it doesn’t get much worse than that. He is also extremely quick to sleep with another woman after a fight and dumps girlfriends like they’re pieces of garbage. He’s also a massive ass towards Rachel, calling her ditzy and not respecting her career; and he’s a needy, whiny, and possessive person who seems far too self-centered for his own good. Sorry, Ross. You may think you’re a nice guy, but you’re not. YEAH, WE SAID IT.
#3: Ryan Howard “The Office” (2005-13)
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We like early “Office” Ryan. He’s quiet and keeps to himself; and while he seems distant towards the obviously-flirtatious Kelly, he seems like a good enough guy. And then . . . he gets a little too big for his britches. After crashing in the corporate job, Ryan convinces Kelly to break-up with Darryl, only to leave her behind when he goes to Thailand (or, more accurately, Fort Lauderdale). They are also extremely hostile towards each other throughout much of the series, and Ryan seems to openly hate being with her. Kelly isn’t exactly a great girlfriend, but then again, Ryan isn’t exactly a great boyfriend. It’s one of TV’s most incompatible relationships . . . yet we love it.
#2: Mr. Big “Sex and the City” (1998-2004)
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The Notorious Biggie is arguably the quintessential mega-jerk boyfriend. Throughout his relationship with Carrie, he is extremely distant with her, repeatedly failing to become more intimate. He has a “Big”-time commitment problem. Now, this commitment phobia wouldn’t be so bad . . . if it weren’t for the fact that he marries another woman after only five months of dating, and absolutely shatters Carrie’s self-confidence. But wait, there’s more! He also pines after Carrie once he’s married, and the two eventually begin an affair. He behaves badly with both Carrie and his own wife, proving that there seems to be no winning with Mr. Big. Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions. George O’Malley “Grey’s Anatomy” (2005-) Dean Forester “Gilmore Girls” (2000-07) Adam Sackler “Girls” (2012-17)
#1: Larry Bloom “Orange Is the New Black” (2013-)
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Whoo boy, where do we even start with Larry Bloom? While Larry is at first quite supportive towards Piper’s life in prison, things quickly turn sour. He generally doesn’t seem to care about her problems, and even uses them as the basis for an article to further his own career. He also goes on radio shows to discuss the inmates, and attain a semblance of fame himself. After he and Piper break up, he has sex with Piper’s best friend in their house, which then causes her to leave her husband. Larry is nothing but a destructive force who will roll over anyone for his own happiness.
