Top 20 TV Couples Who Are Actually Toxic

#20: Diane Chambers & Sam Malone

“Cheers” (1982-93)

When the show begins, we’re hoping these two end up together. By the finale, though, we’re breathing a sigh of relief that it never happened. Despite being polar opposites, the chemistry between Sam and Diane is unmatched. But while that makes for great TV, there was no way they were ever going to last. Always at each other’s throats, their entire relationship is built on tension and mutual antagonism. Sure, the sparks are there, but their attraction is defined by conflict and fantasy, not love. If there was ever any doubt, their explosive season 2 breakup shows just how toxic they are. Fortunately, in the end, “Cheers” chose realism over “happily ever after,” acknowledging that Diane and Sam were never meant to be.

#19: All the Couples

“Glee” (2009-15)

The show may look bright and colorful, but just about every “Glee” romance is rotten to the core. Whether it’s Finn and Rachel’s constant guilt-tripping, Kurt and Blaine’s lies, cheating, and melodrama, or Santana and Brittany’s unhealthy co-dependency, “Glee” pretty much teaches us how not to be in relationships. We might forgive their immaturity as high school growing pains, yet the characters keep behaving the same way well into adulthood. If that wasn’t bad enough, Will’s poisonous love triangle with Terri and Emma unfolds in all the worst ways possible. The show lazily blows through all these issues by the end, ignoring the many years of trauma each character put their significant other through.

#18: Olivia Pope & Fitz Grant

“Scandal” (2012-18)

These two don’t just gaslight each other; they gaslight us into believing they’re worth rooting for. Falling for a married man is never a good idea, but Fitz isn’t just any man – he’s the president of the United States. Their relationship is never easy, from fiery screaming matches to tearful ultimatums. While fans equate their volatile affair as raging passion, their dynamic is deeply problematic from the get-go. He controls her through emotional manipulation and grand declarations of love, while she spirals into a cycle of self-destructive habits. Is it hot and passionate? Absolutely. Should it be glorified as true love? Absolutely not.

#17: Peyton Sawyer & Lucas Scott

“One Tree Hill” (2003-12)

When it comes to Peyton, Lucas has zero loyalty towards anyone else. Although branded as the “good guy” of Tree Hill, Lucas sheds all morality the moment Peyton’s in the picture. And yet, the pair can’t figure out what they want when they’re together. Ironically, their romance burns brightest when either one is taken. Stuck in an emotional tug of war, they leave a trail of broken hearts and damaged friendships along the way, only fully committing years later. The show portrays them as soulmates, but their happy ending arrives on the heels of questionable decisions, betrayals, and a total lack of accountability.

#16: Serena van der Woodsen & Dan Humphrey

“Gossip Girl” (2007-12)

A relationship based on bitterness and hostility sounds like a recipe for disaster. Still, Dan and Serena are portrayed as “Gossip Girl”’s “It” couple. He starts off mainly interested in her image and social standing, then spends their entire relationship resenting her for it. It doesn’t help that he hooks up with both her best friend and her sworn enemy along the way. Meanwhile, Serena strings him along like her safety net, putting her own needs first and undermining his problems. Oh, and there’s the little fact that he’s Gossip Girl all along, actively stalking and humiliating his own girlfriend the whole time. Dan and Serena ending up together makes no sense, but then again, neither does their relationship.

#15: Cristina Yang & Owen Hunt

“Grey’s Anatomy” (2005-)

What do you get when you pair an unapologetically career-oriented woman with a so-called “nice guy” who wants everything his way? A relationship that’s doomed from the start, that’s what. Cristina knows exactly what she wants, while Owen keeps second-guessing himself. He’s too emotionally invested, while she’s distant and detached. Despite undeniable chemistry, their relationship devolves into power struggles and blame games, leaving us wondering why they’re still together. Their romance proves that natural chemistry isn’t enough when both partners want completely different things. Although they had their moments, the pair ultimately dragged each other down for years over a relationship whose foundation was shaky at best.

#14: Mindy Lahiri & Danny Castellano

“The Mindy Project” (2012-17)

Danny and Mindy’s flirty banter instantly warms them up to fans, only for reality to hit them hard and fast. He keeps trying to mold Mindy into his image of the ideal partner, guilt-tripping her into becoming a full-time mother and asking her to abandon her career. Despite being with someone unwilling to compromise, Mindy keeps trying to win Danny’s approval, existing in a toxic bubble of repressed animosity. The distance between them grows through a combination of passive aggression and miscommunication. Although the show ultimately pushes them back together, it’s clear that somewhere along the way, Danny and Mindy simply outgrew each other.

#13: Rory Gilmore & Dean Forrester

“Gilmore Girls” (2000-07)

Among the earliest shows to popularize shipping culture, the “Gilmore Girls” fandom remains split between Team Dean, Team Jess, and Team Logan. While Dean was Rory’s first love, their relationship hasn’t aged well. Insecure and possessive, Dean’s immaturity ruins their connection the first time around. It doesn’t get better with time. Rory escalates their dysfunctional dynamic, having an affair with him while he’s married to someone else. To make things worse, she originally catches feelings for Jess while still dating Dean. It was only a matter of time before their on-again, off-again cycle blew up, so it’s best for everyone when the pair finally go their separate ways.

#12: Penny & Leonard Hofstadter

“The Big Bang Theory” (2007-19)

From the very first episode, Penny and Leonard are built up as “TBBT”’s central romance. Beginning as a classic opposites-attract story, their relationship buckles under pressure the longer they hold on. Leonard’s need for validation and emotional stability clashes with Penny’s fear of commitment and self-doubt. Where he hopes to build a life together, she values freedom and independence. And so, the pair continues to ignore obvious red flags. After spending the first half of the series falling in and out of love, they settle for a marriage that hangs by a thread. Sure, the show gives them a quick fix and a feel-good ending, but the deeper issues in their relationship are never truly resolved.

#11: Robin Scherbatsky & Ted Mosby

“How I Met Your Mother” (2005-14)

Don’t be fooled by the title, because for much of its run, “HIMYM” revolves around the drawn-out drama between Ted and Robin. Though the first season hints at a meaningful connection, their disastrous relationship confirms that they’re fundamentally incompatible. Still, Ted spends years hopelessly pining after her, sabotaging their collective love lives in the process. While the show insists they’re meant for each other, their romance always feels forced and unconvincing, especially compared to her natural chemistry with Barney. After nine seasons of seeing why Ted and Robin just don’t work, watching them back together in the finale honestly feels like being on the losing end of a Slap Bet we never agreed to!

#10: Piper Chapman & Alex Vause

“Orange Is the New Black” (2013-19)

It’s not a good sign when your fights end in jail time. While Alex is the reason Piper is in prison at the start of the series, Piper is no innocent herself. During their on-and-off relationship, they either cheat on each other, or with each other, rekindling their romance while Piper is still engaged to Larry. This kind of behavior is bad enough, but the two also go to great lengths to extend each other’s jail times for their own petty reasons. They weren’t 100% loyal following their “prison marriage” in the season six finale either, though they did choose each other in the end.

#9: Ross Geller & Rachel Green

“Friends” (1994-2004)

One of the most iconic couples of the ‘90s, Ross and Rachel have undeniable chemistry, but that doesn’t stop some fans from pointing out their shortcomings. Ross’ jealousy of Rachel’s coworker Mark leads to the infamous ‘we were on a break’ situation, and Rachel later uses Mark to get back at Ross. For much of the series, the pair do everything they can to sabotage each others’ relationships, with Rachel even travelling to London to stop Ross’ wedding. At first, not even having a kid together could force them to work through their problems . . . making us ask ourselves if Rachel should’ve taken that plane to Paris after all.

#8: Aria Montgomery & Ezra Fitz

“Pretty Little Liars” (2010-17)

There’s just something appealing about a forbidden romance and these two seem to tick all the right boxes for it. Because Ezra is Aria’s teacher, the pair have to dodge the suspicions of her classmates and face the wrath of her family to stay together. Later in the show however, we find out that not only does Ezra have a child, or at least believes he does, which he’s kept secret, but also that he was using Aria in the beginning to write a book about Alison’s murder. The pair continue to have an on-and-off romance till the end of the series but many fans just couldn’t look at them the same after that.

#7: Damon Salvatore & Elena Gilbert

“The Vampire Diaries” (2009-17)

People have been rooting for these two ever since their first meeting. Elena brings out Damon’s better side over the series and the pair share many intense moments, but a lot of that happens while Elena is in a happy relationship with his brother Stefan. After Elena becomes a vampire herself, Damon pushes her to embrace it, whereas Stefan wants to restore her humanity. Romantically, their relationship is complicated at the best of times thanks to their sire bond, the ghosts of Damon’s past, and growing co-dependence. While they do acknowledge the toxic nature of their relationship, that doesn’t stop their destructive behavior over the series.

#6: Kara Zor-El & Mon-El

“Supergirl” (2015-21)

Opposites often attract . . . but don’t always make an ideal couple. When the two first meet, Mon-El is just a superpowered boy, standing in front of a superpowered girl, and asking . . . where the heck had he crash landed? There are problems with their pairing from the start, with Mon-El lying about his real royal identity, and only doing good deeds to impress her. His admission that his life was easier when he objectified women wasn’t exactly a selling point either. Although Mon-El mends his ways, it’s all too much for Kara, who doesn’t allow her strong feelings for him to cloud her judgement.

#5: Buffy Summers & Spike

“Buffy the Vampire Slayer” (1997-2003)

This choice might cause controversy, as the debate about which vampire is the best match for Buffy continues even today. While Buffy and Spike’s chemistry is groundbreaking – literally – their pairing is problematic from the start, with Spike building himself a BuffyBot and a creepy shrine. When Buffy falls into depression after coming back from the dead, the two start a secret, mutually destructive relationship that ends with the infamous scene in the show’s history. Horrified at himself, Spike travels to Africa to get his soul back, but while Buffy forgives him, it’s safe to say there’s too much damage done to ever look at this couple the same way.

#4: Chuck Bass & Blair Waldorf

“Gossip Girl” (2007-12)

These devious schemers are beloved by fans but a lot of their actions are concerning, to say the least. Shortly after they get together, Chuck pimps Blair out to his uncle in exchange for a hotel, ending their romance. Neither can move on so they resort to sabotaging each other’s relationships, which reaches a breaking point when Chuck physically attacks Blair after she announces her engagement to Louis. The episode is easily the most controversial one in the whole show and while Chuck makes a huge effort to become a better person in order to be with Blair, some things just can’t be forgotten.

#3: Rumpelstiltskin & Belle

“Once Upon a Time” (2011-18)

A list about problematic relationships wouldn’t be complete without some Beauty and the Beast. What starts as a different take on their romance turns toxic when Rumple can’t seem to let go of his Dark One side. He goes as far as tricking Belle into thinking she has control of his magical dagger, a lie that leads her to banish him from Storybrooke. Even that isn’t enough for Rumple to learn from his mistakes, since he betrays Belle yet again after she forgives him. With such a turn of events, we can’t help but wish this story remained only a Disney film.

#2: Tate Langdon & Violet Harmon

“American Horror Story” (2011-)

There are twisted love stories and then there’s this one. While Violet and her ghost love interest Tate connect through the problems they share in common, things take a turn for the worse when Violet learns that Tate died after committing a major crime at school and didn’t tell her. He then tries to convince her to take her own life to be with him forever . . . having hid the fact that she’s already dead. As if that’s not messed up enough, he pretends to be Violet’s father and impregnates her mother with the Antichrist. The ‘Apocalypse’ season blames the Murder House itself for Tate’s actions, but that doesn’t exactly make their relationship healthy.

#1: Mr. Big & Carrie Bradshaw

“Sex and the City” (1998-2004)

It was obvious from the very first episode these two would be the Alpha Couple. However, none of us knew how difficult their romance would be. Big is emotionally unavailable, thanks to past disappointments, and Carrie is impatient and insecure, leading to multiple breakups. When Big marries just a few months into a new relationship, he initiates an affair with Carrie, who’s also cheating on her partner. Big only seems to want Carrie when she’s unavailable, and even changes his mind on their wedding day. The pair may have ultimately married, but this is one relationship that’s just too much stress and drama to ever be on our couples goals list.

Which TV couple do you think is toxic AF? Let us know in the comments.