How I Lost a Friendship by Calling Out a Bridezilla: My Bridesmaid Horror Story

Hi everyone, I'm here to share my experience. My long-time friend got engaged and asked me to be her bridesmaid. She's in her early 30s and has been a bridesmaid at several weddings, often complaining about demanding and unfair brides, vowing never to be like them. She even said, "If I start acting crazy, tell me I'm being a c--t."

Fast forward a few months, and she mentions she's been texting an old fling. She has a history of cheating on her partners, but I hoped she had moved past that. That was the first red flag.

The second red flag appeared when she sat me down to inform me that my ex-girlfriend would also be a bridesmaid and that I should be kind and polite to her. Although my ex and the bride had been friends, they hadn't spoken for 2-3 years before the engagement. For background, I "dated" this ex for less than a year when I was 16/17 and she was 21. After we broke up, she harassed me at parties, spread rumors about my sexuality, and contacted my family. I’ve always remained civil, but I resent her for how she treated me. I felt insulted by the bride's insinuation that I might cause trouble, especially since my ex now struggles with alcohol and drugs and is way more likely to cause a scene. Nonetheless, I decided to let it go for the sake of her wedding.

The final red flag occurred when we started a group chat with the bridesmaids. One night, the bride shared photos of her wedding shoes, and the Maid of Honor (MOH) shared a picture of her baby. I liked and commented on both. The next morning, I woke up to a rude text from the bride, instructing me not to like or comment on the MOH's baby pictures because she didn't want MOH's baby to overshadow her wedding, which was still over a year away. Initially, I thought I'd let it slide and simply responded "okay." Then I remembered all our previous conversations and complaints. In response, I did what she had once asked—I told her she was being a c--t.

She flipped out, criticized me, threw some low blows, and insulted me. At that point, I decided to drop out of the wedding and told her to find another friend and bridesmaid. From what I’ve heard, they did go through with the wedding, she continues to cheat, and still badmouths me whenever she gets the chance. As for me, I’m so thankful I didn’t get involved any further