My Best Man Betrayed Me in the Worst Way, Hours Before My Wedding

Jacob, 29, recently reached out to our editorial team with a letter that left us in disbelief. He shared a story of betrayal, hurt, and lessons learned the hard way. Jacob confessed that he hadn't allowed his best friend, Anthony, to sabotage one of the most important days of his life—his wedding to Laura.

He had always considered Anthony a brother, someone who would stand by him no matter what. But as Jacob soon discovered, not everyone who claims to have your back truly does.

A man named Jacob reached out for our advice.

Hi Bright Side,

I really need your advice. I thought my best man was a real friend, but he showed his true colors at my wedding. I just don't know if what I did was too harsh.

For context, I recently married the love of my life, Laura, and the day was everything I had hoped for. Almost. Because while I was getting ready to say “I do,” I was also dealing with something that nearly overshadowed it all—my best friend, Anthony.

Anthony and I had been inseparable since high school. He was the kind of friend you expected to have for life, so it was a no-brainer to ask him to be my best man. But looking back, I should’ve paid more attention to the warning signs.

At first, it was little things—jokes that felt just a little too pointed. “You sure you wanna do this?” he’d say, or, “Enjoy the last days of your freedom, man.” He’d brush it off with a laugh, but something about the way he said it never sat right.

Then came the comments about Laura. He’d started nicknaming her "Bore-a", which he swore was a joke, but I didn't appreciate it. He'd also roll his eyes whenever I talked about her. I thought it was just Anthony being Anthony—until the morning of my wedding proved otherwise.

When your best man betrays you.

It was the day of the wedding, and I was getting ready for the ceremony when my brother burst in. Looking upset, he handed me his phone. Well, actually, he threw his phone at me. “Read this. Right. Now,” he said. My hands were shaking. This wasn’t a joke.

On the screen, I saw a group chat with Anthony and the other groomsmen. My stomach dropped as I scrolled. Anthony hadn’t just been making offhand comments—he’d been sending messages tearing Laura down. And worse, he’d sent edited pictures of her, drawing horns on her head and a pitchfork in her hand, like some kind of cartoon villain. Underneath, he’d written: "Bore-a in her final form."

“This is what he thinks of her?” I muttered. There was more.

One message read: “Biggest mistake of his life. They’ll be divorced by the end of the year. At least then I’ll get my bro back.”

I felt my whole body go cold. Anthony always played his mean comments off as humor, but this time he'd gone too far. This was betrayal.

A friendship ruined.

I didn’t hesitate—I went straight to find him. When I did, he barely looked up from his drink.

“You’re done,” I told him. “Get out.”

Anthony blinked, “Dude, what?”

I held up my brother’s phone, “You know exactly what.”

He scoffed, “You’re seriously mad over a joke? Come on, man, don’t be soft.”

By then, the rest of the groomsmen had followed my brother into the room, standing behind me. It wasn’t just me who was done with him—everyone was.

“No,” I said. “You don’t get to stand up there next to me, pretending to support me, when you’re tearing my wife down behind my back. We’re done. Get out.”

His face darkened. “You’re gonna regret this,” he spat before storming out.

I didn’t watch him leave. I just turned back to my brother, who clapped a hand on my shoulder, “You made the right call.”

Did he make a mistake?

The ceremony was perfect. Laura and I exchanged vows, and for the rest of the night, I let myself forget about Anthony. He was gone, and I was exactly where I was supposed to be.

It wasn’t until the reception was winding down that Laura turned to me and asked, “Hey, where’s Anthony?”

For a second, I considered telling her the truth. Showing her the messages, the pictures, the proof of what he’d done. But as I looked at her—happy, glowing, completely in the moment—I couldn’t do it.

“He got sick,” I said, forcing a laugh. “Had to leave early.”

She frowned but shrugged it off, “His loss.”

I felt a pang of guilt. I hated lying to her. But I hated the idea of ruining even a second of her happiness more.

Months after the wedding, I finally confessed the truth to Laura. I hated keeping this secret from her, and I didn't want to start our marriage with a lie. After I'd finally finished telling her the whole story, she put her hand in mine and said, “I know.”

I was shocked. Turns out, after my groomsmen and I kicked Anthony out, he'd tried to sneak back in! One of Laura's bridesmaids saw him skulking around the reception area and knew something was up, especially since he'd missed the ceremony. She told Laura, and they went to confront him.

Anthony told them that he and I had a fight before the ceremony, but he blamed the fight on me! He said that I had cold feet and was snapping at everyone. He told Laura that he was only trying to help me calm down when I lost it and kicked him out.

Luckily, my gorgeous wife saw straight through his lies and discreetly called my brother to kick him out—again! She trusted me fully and knew I would tell her the whole story when I was ready.

I haven't spoken to Anthony since that day. I can't lie and say I don't miss him, we had a long friendship and most of it was amazing. I just don't know if it's worth bringing him back into my life.

So, what do you think? Did I make the right call?

Our advice to Jacob.

Jacob, our advice to you is this: Surround yourself with people who uplift and support you, especially in life’s most pivotal moments.

True friends celebrate your happiness and stand by your side—not out of obligation, but out of genuine care. You’ve learned a tough lesson, but remember that your commitment to Laura and the life you’ve built together is what matters most. Don't let one person’s negativity overshadow the joy that you’ve found in each other.

True friendships can withstand difficult times, but if they’re built on respect and understanding, they’ll only grow stronger. Stay true to yourself, and never let anyone make you doubt the love you deserve.

If you’re interested in reading more about how weddings can sometimes take unexpected turns, check out this article about a bunch of weddings that turned into emotional rollercoasters.