AITA for breaking up with my girlfriend because of a “caught cheating” prank?

A Reddit user shared their emotional decision to break up with their girlfriend after she staged a “caught cheating” prank with a mutual friend. The prank, meant to be a joke, involved an intimate and realistic scenario that left the user feeling deeply hurt and betrayed. While their girlfriend insists it was harmless, the user felt the line of trust had been crossed. Read the full story below for all the details.

‘ AITA for breaking up with my girlfriend because of a “caught cheating” prank?’

I (26M) broke up with my girlfriend (25F) of 2 years because of something that happened recently, and now my friends are saying I massively overreacted.

So, a few days ago, my girlfriend and a close mutual friend decided to play a prank on me. The prank was that they filmed a scenario where I “caught” them in bed together, pretending they were h**king up. They set up a hidden camera in the bedroom, and when I walked in, I saw him in just b*xers and my girlfriend in a br* and p*nties, str*ddling him, acting like they were mid-h**kup. To make it more realistic, they even made some noises and tried to act like it was happening for real.

I was shocked, furious, and immediately confronted them as I thought it was real at first (like an actual betrayal) and then I walked out of the room and started leaving the house, when they followed me screaming it was just a prank and then showed me the video they’d been recording.

To be honest, I felt completely betrayed not just by the idea of the prank, but also because of how they had gotten undressed to film it. I know it’s meant to be funny to some people, but for me, it felt disrespectful, and I was hurt. The whole thing felt like a violation of trust, even though I know they weren’t actually cheating.

I told her I couldn’t be in a relationship with someone who would do something like that, and I ended things right there. She’s devastated, and our friends have been telling me I overreacted. They think it was just a harmless prank and I should’ve taken it better. But I can’t shake the feeling that it crossed a line for me, especially with how intimate and uncomfortable it felt to see them in that situation, even if it wasn’t real.

Now I’m left wondering if I made the right decision. I’m starting to doubt myself because everyone else seems to think I blew it out of proportion.

Here’s the feedback from the Reddit community:

dr_lucia −  You made the right decision. Other people don’t get to decide what sort of prank goes past your line for pranks. If your ex-gf really was devastated maybe she’ll learn that trying to pull elaborate pranks can backfire on her and she won’t do it to other people in the future.. NTA.

twoturntablesanda −  “Let’s prank my boyfriend by staging the most traumatic and deep betrayal of a relationship that is possible. It’s going to be hillarrrrrious.” Yeah no. Feel no remorse in cutting both of them loose from your life. NTA.

Also… I mean, maybe I”m being a c**spiracy theorist, but some people like to film themselves banging. It could be you caught them at the start of the act and they’re just quick thinkers (as much as “It’s just a prank” can be considered quick thinking). Either way… you can start 2025 with some trash removed.

Away-Understanding34 −  NTA at all. They were nearly n**ed doing a prank that was designed to cause you pain. They are at best, insensitive idiots and so are the friends calling it a harmless prank. It’s not harmless. That situation is something that causes harm. 

“especially with how intimate and uncomfortable it felt to see them in that situation, even if it wasn’t real” – but it was real in a way. They may not have had s** in that instance but she was in her bra and p*nties straddling him. Why was she so comfortable doing that? I would never do that with any of my guy friends.

They could have kept their clothes on and just made noises while sitting apart behind the closed door. What they did was intimate so clearly they are comfortable with each other in that way. I am not fully convinced nothing has ever happened.  She can be devastated all she wants but hopefully this serves as a lesson to her to respect the relationship she’s in. Move on to someone more mature and ready to be in a committed adult relationship. 

Nonda25 −  So two “adults” who were comfortable enough being in their underwear together and assuming a s** position think YOU are overreacting?

Ill-Pride-2312 −  Cheating pranks always do permanent damage to a relationship. Prank or not, straddling someone in underwear is grounds for breakup.. Nta.

Infinite-Wish1763 −  NTA. How does your gf of 2 years not know you well enough to know what you’d find funny. Like even if you prank all the time with each other… she should know YOU and what YOU would find actually funny. If you’re not laughing, it’s not actually a prank. It’s just them hurting you and then blaming you for being hurt.

ThisEnvironment6627 −  NTA and you were not comfortable with that and that’s ok. Play stupid games win stupid prizes I say. Do what you feel is best and on a side not THERE IS NO REASON to strip for a dumb prank like that lol. And straddling in underwear…. That’s just disrespectful.

MikeReddit74 −  NTA. They thought the idea of her cheating on you was a good prank to play on you. Get a girlfriend with more than one brain cell.

Qtatum74 −  Easy reality check: if you had done that to her what would the reaction be? Ask your friends the same thing, NTA.

Excellent-Highway884 −  Your “friends” aren’t your friends if they’re supporting your ex-girlfriend and saying you’re overreacting. Honestly I wouldn’t want people like that around me.

And what outcome did the two of them expect? You to be “okay funny haha” and be able to move on and trust them both. You walking out is underreacting and just breaking off the relationship is definitely nowhere near overreacting. A lot of people would have resorted to some form of “overreaction” with their hands if put in that situation. And yet you were the mature one and walked away. Be proud of yourself and how you handled it.. NTA.