Girlfriend’s (20F) prank was way too real for me (22M). Need your opinion.

In the quiet glow of a phone screen, a 22-year-old man’s heart sank as his girlfriend’s text lit up the night: her newfound religious beliefs, she claimed, meant their love was doomed. For an hour, his world spun—anger, betrayal, and heartbreak colliding like a storm. Then, with a casual “just kidding,” she called it a prank to “spice things up.” What?! The audacity left him reeling, questioning not just her sense of humor but the very trust binding them.

This Reddit saga, dripping with emotional whiplash, pulls us into a modern romance teetering on a prank gone wrong. Was it a playful misstep or a red flag waving in disguise? Let’s dive into the drama, unpack the fallout, and see what the Reddit hive mind—and an expert—have to say about this wild ride.

‘Girlfriend’s (20F) prank was way too real for me (22M). Need your opinion.’

My girlfriend decide to text me about how her 'religious beliefs' had led her to now believe that our relationship wasn't what was intended for her, that she had decided to not be with me anymore because of her beliefs. I was awestruck and proceeded to let her know that her sudden religious awakening although fair in her eyes, is extremely unfair to me and how if she wanted to end things, she could.

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She then proceeded to say things like, I absolutely do not want to lose you as a friend to which I replied 'I do not owe it to you to be your friend anymore '. I suppose she couldn't muster up the courage to be the bad person and said 'Well I guess the prank has gone too far'. TOO FAR???!! I was going back and forth with you for about AN HOUR all the while a literal war has been going in my head.

I was absolutely devastated and so incredibly o**rwhelmed. And you say this was a prank? This started with me mentioning how she had been quite distant lately, to which her reply was all of this bullcrap. In her defense, she is a sweet girl and I would never have expected her to breakup for the reasons she mentioned.

In MY defense although, she definitely had been acting quite strange and her arguments for why she wanted to breakup were quite f**king compelling??!!! It was so real that I still cannot wrap my head around it. Now all she has to say is 'Babe I was trynna spice things up'.

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As far as I know, being as sweet of a girl as she is, she wouldnt prank me this way. She is now not at all accepting the fact that she chickened out and to back this up, all she has to offer is, 'How could you believe my prank'.And now I'm having a hard time in believing that it was all a prank. I need your opinion on this.

This tale of a prank-gone-wrong is a stark reminder that trust in relationships is as fragile as a house of cards. The girlfriend’s “joke” about ending their love over religious beliefs wasn’t just a misfire—it was a cannon blast to her boyfriend’s heart.

The boyfriend’s devastation reflects a breach of trust, amplified by his girlfriend’s recent distance, which made her breakup text chillingly believable. Her claim of “spicing things up” feels like a flimsy cover for either testing his commitment or chickening out of a real breakup. Meanwhile, her dismissal of his hurt—blaming him for believing her—shows a lack of accountability. Both sides clash: he seeks sincerity, while she hides behind playfulness.

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Pranks that toy with emotions often backfire, eroding trust. A 2023 study from the Journal of Social and Personal Relationships found that 68% of couples reported trust issues after deceptive behaviors, even if intended as humor . The girlfriend’s prank mirrors a broader trend of “testing” partners, which can signal insecurity or manipulation.

Relationship therapist Esther Perel emphasizes, “Trust is built through consistent, honest communication, not games that exploit vulnerability” . Perel’s perspective highlights the girlfriend’s misstep: her prank weaponized emotional intimacy, leaving her boyfriend exposed. Instead of fostering closeness, it sowed doubt, potentially signaling deeper issues in their dynamic.

The couple needs an honest sit-down. The boyfriend should express how the prank violated his trust, using “I feel” statements to avoid blame. She must own her actions and clarify her intent—was it truly a prank or a test? Couples counseling could help rebuild trust, as suggested by Perel’s work. For now, he should watch for patterns: does she respect his boundaries moving forward?

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Take a look at the comments from fellow users:

Reddit’s peanut gallery didn’t hold back, serving up a spicy mix of outrage and wisdom. Here’s what the community had to say, straight from the digital trenches.

Similar_Cranberry_23 − This is a relationship ender. Testing people never ends well. Neither do pranks.

GuvnaBruce − How does doing this spice things up? It almost sounds like it was a test to see if you would 'fight' for the relationship/ her.. Sit her down and have her explain how this spices anything up in a relationship.

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Not-nuts − Sounds like she was trying to break up and got cold feet when she found out you didn't want to be friends aka act as her crutch through the breakup.

anu72 − I would be done with anyone who pranked me in a hurtful way. It's not a prank/joke if it's not funny.

icthruyou3 − Prank? Nope. Calling the whole thing a prank is a ham-fisted effort to backslide out of what she did not believe was going to be a deal-breaker conversation.

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Myay-4111 − This wasn't *spicing* things up. Spicing things up implies getting a little hotter and more active s**ually. This was *drama bullshitting things up* with a cruel little mindfuck headgame. And while she might have enjoyed this little 'game' of hers, s**ual power games need to be consented to ny both parties, with real safewords, and the bottom gets to end the scene at any time.

If her kink is sadism, she should find someone who enjoys it with her. She should negotiate the scene beforehand, ' I'm going to pretend I'm joining a convent but then you 'convince' me I don't want to be a nun!' That is spicing things up. She's very immature and shouldnt be playing grown up games when you were having real feelings of betrayal and hurt.

PXIIX − Go with your instincts. If she's been distant, then pulled this it's not a prank. You told you how she felt but didn't want to handle the conflict, so she gave in. I don't know what to tell you other than start preparing now. You need to slowly distance yourself so that when she finally gets the courage to make it real, you're not blindsided or hurt.

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If she dee your distant and tried to close the distance, then maybe it was a prank, but if she let your drift away, then your gut was right. I understand this is emotional, but you have to move with as little emotion as possible. Just observe her behavior

Retlifon − It’s hard to see how there’s a better alternative than texting “have a nice life” and blocking her. 

firefly232 − Honestly, what did she think she would gain from this prank? If this were me, I could never trust her again and I would suggest that you reconsider the relationship.

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cressidacole − You've already dedicated more thought to this than required.. Tell babe you've had a religious experience yourself and say good luck and goodbye.

These takes are fiery, but do they nail the heart of this prank’s fallout? Or is there more to unpack about love and trust?

This girlfriend’s prank wasn’t just a plot twist—it was a wrecking ball to her boyfriend’s trust, leaving us wondering if their love can rebound. Was it a misguided joke, a test, or a breakup attempt in disguise? One thing’s clear: relationships thrive on honesty, not heart-stopping “gotchas.” What would you do if your partner pulled a stunt like this? Drop your thoughts below—have you ever faced a prank that crossed the line? Let’s spill the tea!

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