Lisa Kudrow Says Ross Was a ‘Horrible’ Boyfriend in Friends Break Debate

Lisa Kudrow says the famous “Friends” debate about Ross and Rachel being “on a break” misses the real issue: Ross was simply a bad boyfriend.

Kudrow shared her opinion during an appearance on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” on Monday night. Fallon asked her about the long-running argument among “Friends” fans over whether Ross Geller was wrong to sleep with another woman after he and Rachel Green said they were “on a break.”

At first, Kudrow joked that she was nervous to discuss the topic because fans feel so strongly about it. But she eventually gave a clear answer.

“Well, no,” she said when asked if they were really on a break. Then she added, “It’s beyond break or not — he was a bad boyfriend.”

The audience loudly agreed with her comments, which surprised Kudrow.

She explained that during the 2021 “Friends” reunion, many people defended Ross by saying Rachel overreacted. But Kudrow said she has changed her mind about the situation.

“She shouldn’t have gotten back with him because he was horrible,” Kudrow said.

The actress argued that Rachel was busy dealing with problems at work and Ross reacted badly because she could not spend enough time with him for a few days.

“To me, it’s like, I don’t care if he slept with three other women or no other women,” she said. “You had a crisis at work, so you weren’t available for a few nights, and he flipped out.”

Fallon then asked whether David Schwimmer, who played Ross, knew about her opinion. Kudrow did not answer directly, but Fallon joked, “He knows now.”

Schwimmer has publicly defended Ross before. During a 2020 interview with Fallon, he said, “It’s not even a question. They were on a break.”

Jennifer Aniston, who played Rachel, has also weighed in on the debate. In a 2021 ad featuring the “Friends” cast, she joked, “For the record… we were SO not on a break.”

Kudrow also spoke about rewatching “Friends” after the death of co-star Matthew Perry in 2023. She said she previously avoided watching the show because she felt embarrassed seeing herself on screen. But after Perry’s death, she started watching again to remember him and celebrate how funny he was.

She said rewatching the series has been enjoyable because “everyone’s hilarious,” and she still laughs while watching it.