The Big Bang Theory may have revolved around friendships, relationships, and science, but betrayal found its way into this tight-knit group. Despite all the achievements this group had and all of the memories they shared, there were moments when this group hurt each other tremendously.
Whether it was work-related or had to do with a significant other, this group stepped on each other’s toes more than once. Luckily, they always came out on top and didn’t let the betrayals ruin their friendship.
Raj Hooked Up With Penny
Raj and Penny had some of the best friendship moments in The Big Bang Theory. Raj went from not being able to speak to her (because of his selective mutism) whenever he needed help. However, the two took their friendship too far when they spent the night together.
After too much wine, both expressed how lonely they were and wounded up hooking up. Raj made Penny believe they slept together, but she later found out that wasn’t the case. Nevertheless, when Leonard found out about the two, he felt as if they both betrayed him. Leonard was more upset with Raj because he knew how he felt about Penny and he still went through with it.
Raj Should Have Included Howard In His Paper
In ‘The Griffin Equivalency,’ Raj was excited when he was chosen as one of the 30 visionaries under 30 for People Magazine. While everyone was excited, the award went to his head. What was worse was that he betrayed Howard by not mentioning his name or efforts in the trans-Neptunian object 2008 NQ17.
Howard developed the telescope that Howard used, which should have gotten him some recognition. This was an act of betrayal because the award went to Raj’s head, and he acted better than those that helped him get where he needed. In the end, it took Penny to snap him out of his fog, but he burnt a lot of bridges on the way.
Sheldon & Howard Did Not Handle The Free Parking Space Well
When Howard got a new car, he was excited when Caltech gave him a new parking space. The only problem was that Howard’s new parking spot was actually his parking spot. However, Sheldon didn’t have a car.
Considering Howard was given the right to the parking lot, he was bothered when Sheldon went out of his way to make life harder for him. Viewers wondered if Sheldon and Howard were true friends if they were this petty with one another. In this situation, Howard and Sheldon betrayed each other. The two went back and forth bothering each other until someone snapped. The only reason why the constant betrayal ended was because Howard apologized. Sheldon eventually gave him his parking spot but he could take it back when he got a Bat Mobile…
Did Bernadette Know Leonard Cheated On Penny?
One of the biggest betrayals in the series was when Leonard cheated on Penny. Considering Leonard was always worried about Penny cheating on him, it was ironic that he was actually the cheater in the relationship.
What was almost worse than Leonard cheating on Penny was the moment Bernadette admitted that she knew Leonard’s cheating secret for two years. When Penny vented to the girls about Leonard, Bernadette gave her great advice because she already knew about it. With Bernadette being Penny’s best friend, it didn’t make sense that Bernadette wouldn’t have told Penny about Leonard’s betrayal.
Leonard Liked Alex’s Attention Too Much
Leonard never cheated on Penny with Alex, but he enjoyed flirting with Alex and receiving the same admiration from her.
At first, Amy was worried about Alex because she worked so closely with Sheldon. But when Amy and Penny went to Caltech for the day to learn more about Sheldon’s new assistant, they realized that Alex was more interested in Leonard. Penny realized that she may have had more to worry about than she realized. This became especially true when she found out from the guys that Leonard enjoyed the attention he was getting from her. Although nothing happened between Leonard and Alex, it was low to look elsewhere for attention when he was dating Penny.
Sheldon Kept Working With The Air Force Without Howard And Co.
In season 10, Howard’s impressive guidance system got the approval of the US Air Force, and the two collaborated on making it smaller and better for the military. Howard agreed to do it with the help of Leonard and Sheldon. Together, all three worked well together to achieve their goal.
But when the military took their guidance system and cleared their laboratory without warning, the men were confused and hurt. At the end of the season, Howard’s rage over his invention grew when he found out Sheldon was still working on the guidance system with the military. Sheldon matured a lot throughout TBBT, but this was an epic level of betrayal that Howard didn’t think Sheldon was capable of.
Leonard Cheated On Penny
Leonard and Penny’s relationship timeline was a tricky one because they both hurt each other numerous times before finding happiness. However, even when Leonard and Penny were at their best, Leonard pulled the ultimate betrayal when he cheated on her.
While away for work, Leonard had too much to drink and kissed a fellow scientist. To make things worse, he didn’t tell Penny until the night of their wedding — years later. He betrayed his longtime girlfriend, fiance, and friend while subconsciously sabotaging their relationship.
The Group Ruined Howard’s Chance To Get Security Clearance
In season 4, Howard was trying to get security clearance and needed to be cleared by the FBI. An attractive FBI agent visited Sheldon, Howard, and Raj to see what kind of man and worker Howard was. Considering the group of best friends were close, Howard was confident in his friends.
Sadly, all three men ruined Howard’s chances and embarrassed themselves. Leonard flirted with her, Sheldon depicted Howard as unreliable, and Raj’s anxiety made the interaction more about him than about Howard. It was as if Sheldon, Leonard, and Raj weren’t true friends with Howard. He wasn’t given clearance in the end because of his friends’ betrayals.
The Gang Lied To Sheldon About His North Pole Experiment
At the end of season 2, Sheldon and the guys prepared for a trip to the North Pole so that Sheldon could find more data on his theory for String Theory. At the start of season 3, Sheldon and co. were back from the North Pole, with Sheldon boasting about their results.
It was one of the group’s best storylines in TBBT because of the continuation between seasons. Nevertheless, while Sheldon thought a Nobel Prize was in his future for his experiment, it turned out that Leonard, Howard, and Raj altered the experiment. Using static from an electric can opener, Sheldon’s experiment was ruined, and he felt betrayed.
Leonard Betrayed Howard By Dating Dr. Stephanie
Before Howard and Bernadette’s relationship developed, he met a woman named Stephanie and tried to woo her. However, once she met Leonard, Howard’s chances went out the window. Leonard and Stephanie quietly saw each other without Howard knowing.
Stephanie could have said something to Howard, but it was Leonard who should have said something sooner. Leonard was one of Howard’s best friends and continued dating a woman Howard liked behind his back. Howard was upset when he eventually found out, creating awkward tension.
Amy Ruined Bernadette’s Award
In season 8, Bernadette was excited to be one of 50 of the Sexiest Scientists in California. Amy, however, was anything but happy for Bernadette. Amy thought it was horrible that magazines were focusing on her looks instead of her scientific research. Her words hurt Bernadette deeply.
Later, Bernadette told Amy she appreciated where she was coming from and that the article was scrapped. In a shocking twist, Amy told Bernadette that she was the one behind the magazine article getting canceled. Bernadette felt betrayed by Amy and felt it came from jealousy. Amy should have supported Bernadette instead of ruining her accomplishments.
Howard Didn’t Invite Raj To Halley’s Birthday
Howard and Raj’s friendship timeline entered a strange stage in later seasons. Although they were best friends, Raj felt like Howard treated him poorly and didn’t support him enough. Despite being the Godfather of Howard’s daughter Halley, the two had a falling out.
Raj felt the ultimate betrayal when Howard disinvited him to Halley’s first birthday party. Raj loved Halley and felt Howard went too far by separating him from his family.
Leonard Made A Move On Priya, Despite Raj’s Plea
When Raj’s sister came to town, he reminded Howard and Leonard about his plea: no one was allowed to flirt with or make a move on Priya. Leonard betrayed Howard and Raj by kissing her anyway. The two then started a relationship behind everyone’s back until Sheldon caught them together.
When Raj found out that Leonard and Priya were seeing each other, he felt like Leonard betrayed his trust. Leonard crossed boundaries without much remorse or an apology.
Amy & Bernadette Lied To Penny & Sheldon
When Penny was filming an awful movie that she wasn’t proud of, she did nothing but complain about it. Sheldon joined her pity party and complained about work as well. To get work off their minds, they reinstated “anything can happen Thursday” with Leonard.
Shockingly, when they were walking around town, the trio saw Bernadette and Amy having a glass of wine at a local bar. Both women lied to Sheldon and Penny, saying they were working or sick when they were enjoying themselves. Penny and Sheldon felt betrayed by the two and made Leonard stay behind with the women as they did their own thing. Penny thought Amy and Bernadette were her best friends but their behavior made her rethink.
