9 Iconic Onscreen Couples That People Think Are Relationship Goals But Actually Toxic AF

We all love couples with great chemistry. We root for their stories and love them as much as they love each other. This is the same reason why many of us romanticize many tropes that will be very problematic in real life. Looking back at all the movie and TV show couples, turns out the duos we always think of as relationship goals aren’t really good at all.
So let’s open your eyes and see which the couple is famous on screen but is toxic AF. Do you spot your favorite duo on the list?

1. Allie and Noah - The Notebook

Source: New Line Cinema

Often regarded as one of the greatest love stories on-screen, The Notebook is actually quite problematic. Noah is obsessed with Allie. He emotionally manipulated her into dating him even when she had a boyfriend, recklessly hanging from a Ferris wheel where Allie was sitting with her date, and threatening to suicide until she agreed to go out with him. He is the creepy guy that won’t take “no” for an answer. Without Ryan Gosling’s good look, this movie would feel like a crime thriller rather than a romance.

2. Tom And Summer - 500 Days of Summer

Source: Fox

Tom is the perfect example of how just because the guy in the movie wants somebody so bad, he should be able to win them over. Lucky for us, the writer didn’t follow that path. If you watched the movie from Summer’s POV, you would notice that Tom ignored all the signals she gave him and assumed she was attracted to him in the same way he was to her. The guy victimized himself when Summer said no in the end.

3. Jim and Pam - The Office

Source: NBC

Jim and Pam might be sweet at first, but the fact was they bonded mainly over talking behind their fellow co-workers' backs. Pam flirted and led Jim on, then became more and more controlling up to the point Jim had to continuously give up all his dreams and end up losing himself completely.
Jim wasn’t a great guy himself. He flirted with Pam despite knowing she was engaged, and he always found ways to be near her. Plus, they both had trust issues.

4. Rue Bennett and Jules Vaughn - Euphoria

Source: HBO Entertainment

We root for the Rue and Jules ship, but perhaps it’s better for them if this ship doesn’t sail. Their chemistry is great, and so does the toxicity of their complex relationship. Rue depends on Jules and sees her as the perfect substitute for drugs. She is nervous around Jules, and not the good kind of butterflies-in-your-stomach either. She’s nervous because she is trying to anticipate what kind of behavior would Jules approve of.
Jules starts growing increasingly distant once she realizes how Rue's mental health depends on her. She feels suffocated as she too has issues of her own but she can’t show them to Rue. It’s an incredibly toxic trait to have in a relationship.

5. Ross And Rachel - Friends

Source: NBC

Ross And Rachel might be cute together, but it doesn’t mean that they should be a relationship goal. There are a ton of red flags in their relationship, like how they are both incredibly selfish and inconsiderate. Every time Rachel makes something of herself, Ross's first reaction is to get clingy and insecure. Rachel doesn’t care about Ross's feelings. She maintains a close relationship with someone despite Ross repeatedly admitting he's jealous.
Both try to sabotage the other person when they try to move on with someone else. Plus, they also don't trust each other.

6. Ted and Robin - How I Met Your Mother

Source: 20th Television

At the first glance, Ted and Robin might be a true match. However, upon closer inspection, Ted is really creepy in this relationship. He spent years pining after her, even relentlessly trying to pursue her to the point it became stalker-ish (if you recall the Blue French horn). He wants somebody to settle down and the rest of his life with, she doesn’t. They weren't compatible from the start!

7. Blair and Chuck - Gossip Girl

Source: Warner Bros. Television

This is the case of two toxic people getting together. Chuck is a physical and emotional abuser. He once took revenge against Blair by sleeping with her enemy, Jenny Humphrey. He even attempted to assault Blair's BFF, Serena.
Blair is no better. She manipulated him to tell her that he loved her before he was ready. She was also willing to lie, steal and cheat to get exactly what she wants.

8. Bella and Edward - Twilight

Source: Summit Entertainment

Bella and Edward might be the dream boat for many Twilight fans, but it doesn't mean they’re not creepy AF. Edward would sneak into Bella's room while she was sleeping to watch her, which is something stalkers do with their victims. Even the guy who played Edward, Robert Pattinson, told everyone should run away if they meet somebody like him in real life.
Bella was so blinded by her infatuation with him that she was willing to die for him, first with her suicide attempt when she couldn't be with Edward, then the second time when he transformed her into one of his kind.

9. Veronica And Archie - Riverdale

Source: Warner Bros. Television

Veronica and Archie shouldn’t be together. Archie never got over his abused past with Miss Grundy. On top of that, he had to deal with Veronica's father and his ways of tormenting Archie. Veronica rarely stood up for her boyfriend. And the worst part about their relationship was that there was no real communication between them, just sex. The fact that they're both teens makes it super problematic. The couple is famous on screen but is toxic AF.