Shocking Betrayals: Ranking the 14 Most Heartbreaking Cheating Moments in Grey's Anatomy

Summary

Grey's Anatomy explores various complex relationships, including infidelity, reflecting the complexities of daily life for its characters.

In the broader context, certain creative choices related to cheating in the series were logical, while others completely disrupted the development of the characters' storylines.

Occurrences of infidelity involving well-loved characters such as Jackson, Owen, Alex, Derek, George, and additional individuals resulted in strained relationships and left fans feeling let down.

Relationships within the popular ABC medical drama Grey's Anatomy have always been intricate, showcasing the diverse range of challenges that individuals encounter in their everyday lives, such as infidelity. Even the most adored couples, like Meredith and Derek, have experienced the pain of betrayal. The show delves into the complexities of love, unrequited feelings, and the darker aspects of relationships, leaving no stone unturned.

Originally centered around Meredith Grey (portrayed by Ellen Pompeo) and her fellow residents, Grey's Anatomy gradually expanded to include numerous generations of doctors and medical students. The series delves into the relationships of all these characters, serving as much as a compelling portrayal of human connections as it does a medical drama. Characters have been deeply in love, but have also succumbed to the temptation of infidelity, demonstrating both unexpected and expected twists within the broader narrative.

Jackson Avery On Maggie Pierce

Jackson's faithfulness sets him apart from other characters in Grey's Anatomy who have cheated on their partners. Even though he didn't physically cheat on Maggie, their relationship is still affected when he develops a connection with another woman while they are together. To complicate matters further, Jackson remains in regular contact with his ex-wife April, which makes Maggie feel insecure. Although Jackson denies cheating on Maggie, his lingering feelings for April eventually lead to them reuniting after their divorce.

Owen Hunt On Emma Marling

Despite fans' attachment to certain characters, they may not wholeheartedly support their actions. Many fans disagreed with the outcome of Owen and Emma's relationship, as Owen cheated on her after having a one-night stand with Cristina.

From the fans' point of view, this didn't make sense. Cristina and Owen had already agreed that they were not right for each other, as they desired different things in life. It was perplexing why the writers revisited this storyline. What added to the frustration was that Owen and Emma appeared to be happy together, leaving fans feeling like the writers were hastily trying to remove Emma from the picture.

Alex Karev On Izzie Stevens

Alex Karev started off as arrogant and selfish in the beginning of Grey's Anatomy. His lack of social etiquette was evident. He made the regrettable decision of cheating on Izzie Stevens with nurse Olivia, succumbing to the pressures of their budding relationship. Alex struggled with commitment and opening up to Izzie, leading him to seek comfort in Olivia instead.

Although Izzie and Alex were not officially in a relationship at the time, they were heading towards something positive. Izzie, who had seen a softer and vulnerable side to Alex, advocated for him to be given a second chance. Considering this, Alex betraying Izzie's trust by getting involved with someone else was a disappointing turn of events for his character.

Nathan Riggs On Megan Hunt

Nathan Riggs made only a brief appearance at Grey Sloan Memorial. He had previously worked with Owen Hunt in the military and was engaged to Owen's sister, Megan.

Both Megan and Nathan were discovered to have been unfaithful to each other. However, the details of Megan's actions were never fully revealed, while Owen consistently criticized Nathan for cheating on his sister. It was even revealed that Nathan had given Megan a necklace that belonged to the woman he had cheated with. Despite going to great lengths to support Megan after she was found alive, his history of infidelity could not be erased.

Addison Montgomery On Derek Shepherd

Kate Walsh joined the medical drama as Derek's wife, introducing a fresh dynamic to the love triangle involving Meredith and Derek. Despite initially causing conflict with Meredith, Addison quickly became a beloved character, captivating fans with her presence.

Prior to the events of the show, it was rumored that Addison had been unfaithful to Derek with his best friend Mark Sloan. She later arrived in Seattle to reconcile with Derek, only to have their marriage abruptly end when Derek cheated on her with Meredith. Although it is worth considering that the entire Meredith-Derek storyline may not have occurred had Addison not been unfaithful, it was certainly morally questionable for her to engage in an affair with her husband's closest confidant.

Derek Shepherd On Addison Montgomery

Fans who held out hope for Addison and Derek's marriage were left disillusioned when Derek cheated on Addison once again. The couple had already been struggling since Addison's infidelity, but Derek chose to betray her trust by rekindling his relationship with Meredith. This outcome shouldn't have been surprising, as it was evident that Derek still harbored feelings for Meredith. Instead of being honest with Addison about his dissatisfaction, Derek chose to engage in a physical encounter with Meredith in the on-call room. Despite the excitement among Meredith and Derek fans, many couldn't ignore the pain that Addison would inevitably experience. It seemed contradictory for Derek to repeat the same hurtful behavior he once endured, especially considering the trials they had overcome together.

Owen Hunt On Cristina Yang

Owen professed his love for Cristina multiple times, truly choosing her over Teddy, despite his lingering feelings for her. Yet, like many relationships in Grey's Anatomy, theirs encountered obstacles.

When Cristina made the decision to forgo having children and later chose to have an abortion, Owen, feeling hurt, sought solace in an affair. He engaged in a romantic encounter with a friend of a patient, leading to a lengthy, emotionally traumatic conversation with Cristina about his betrayal. As Owen and Cristina had been a prominent couple on the show for a significant period of time, fans of their relationship were profoundly saddened by Owen's indiscretion.

Ellis Grey On Thatcher Grey

One significant instance of unfaithfulness occurred prior to the commencement of the series, yet its consequence persisted throughout the show's entirety. Meredith's mother, Ellis, engaged in a protracted extramarital affair with Richard Webber, despite being wedded to Thatcher Grey.

Ellis and Richard harbored genuine affection for each other; however, their relationship resulted in the detrimental repercussions that impacted both Meredith's formative years and her bond with her biological father, Thatcher. Furthermore, the unexpected revelation that Maggie Pierce was Ellis and Richard's daughter left everyone in astonishment. Nonetheless, it brought solace to fans witnessing Meredith uncovering newfound family connections after enduring numerous losses.

Richard Webber On Adele

If Ellis had been unfaithful to Thatcher, it comes as no surprise that Richard also betrayed Adele. Despite their apparent happiness, it didn't take long for viewers to witness the devastating impact of Richard's affair on Adele. Eventually, she even accused Bailey of secretly being involved with her husband, as he was frequently spending nights at the hospital.

Given Adele's genuinely warm and compassionate nature, fans were heartbroken to see her in such pain. Fortunately, the couple eventually resolved their issues and patched up their relationship. However, there was a period when some fans firmly believed that Adele deserved someone who treated her better.

Arizona Robbins On Callie Torres

Fans were wholeheartedly invested in the enduring relationship of Callie and Arizona, supporting them unwaveringly throughout their trials and tribulations. From Callie's unfortunate accident during her pregnancy to the heartbreaking amputation of Arizona's leg following a devastating plane crash, these two individuals undeniably endured numerous hardships together.

However, what perplexed many was Arizona's infidelity with the craniofacial surgeon, Lauren Boswell. Although Arizona faced her own struggles in the aftermath of the plane crash, some fans were unable to comprehend the reasons behind her decision to cheat. The disintegration of this beloved couple left fans utterly devastated, as it seemed impossible for them to salvage their relationship in the end.

Teddy Altman On Owen Hunt

In another scandal at Grey-Sloan, Teddy was caught cheating on Owen with Tom Koracick. Teddy, who is usually level-headed and rational, made a sudden decision to disregard caution and engage in a physical relationship with Tom. This happened even though she had been casually seeing him before Owen proposed to her.

Teddy's unexpected behavior left fans perplexed, especially since she had no intention of reigniting her romance with Tom and still planned to marry Owen. While fans understood that Teddy was confused, they felt it was unfair that she wasn't being truthful and leading Tom on. Everyone involved in this situation deserved a better outcome.

Alex Karev On Jo Wilson

Justin Chambers' departure from Grey's Anatomy in season 16 left fans speculating about how the writers would conclude his character's story. However, the unexpected outcome was that Alex had chosen to leave and relocate to Kansas to be with Izzie and their children. This news delighted many Alex and Izzie supporters but caused a significant backlash from other fans who felt it was inconsistent with his established character. As Alex had been married to Jo and they had been working towards a shared future, his sudden departure and avoidance of Jo seemed illogical and diminished the progress of his character.

Derek Shepherd On Meredith Grey

Derek's moment with his research fellow, Renee, is often considered one of the most heartbreaking betrayals in Grey's Anatomy. In seasons 10 and 11, Meredith and Derek's seemingly perfect relationship encountered difficulties when Derek went to DC. Despite the numerous instances of infidelity in the show, fans never anticipated Derek's betrayal of Meredith.

Meredith's worst fears were almost realized when Derek ended up kissing Renee. However, some argue that this moment served as a wake-up call for Derek, helping him clarify his feelings for Meredith. He eventually returned to Seattle, but for those invested in their relationship, his brief fling with his research fellow was devastating. While it's true that Derek fell in love with Meredith while still married to Addison, witnessing him cheat on Meredith was a heartbreaking blow for fans. For a long time, they had been the central couple of the series.

George O'Malley On Callie Torres

George's sudden betrayal of Callie by sleeping with Izzie seemed utterly inexplicable, given his character traits of goofiness, adorableness, and inherent goodness. Although George and Callie weren't the perfect couple, their issues hardly warranted him acting on his desires for Izzie, especially considering there had been no previous indication of mutual attraction between them. George and Izzie had always been nothing more than friends, with George initially crushing on Meredith and Izzie forming a connection with Alex. Pairing them up seemed to come out of left field. Adding to the frustration, Callie was a genuinely likable character. While Derek cheating on Meredith may have been the most devastating act of infidelity for Grey's Anatomy fans, George's betrayal of Callie made the least amount of sense.