Although audiences are supposed to laugh out loud at comedy shows, modern sitcoms definitely have a lot of upsetting, heartbreaking moments. Once fans choose their favorite, relatable character, their hearts shatter upon seeing them get hurt, specifically dumped.
The Big Bang Theory is no stranger to this as all the couples on the show have either broken up for good or reunited at some point down the road. There aren't many noteworthy breakups that caused endless heartache, but there are certainly several that make the cut, leaving a scar on the ones that are dumped.
Amy & Sheldon's First Breakup
In the beginning, these two don't have many facial expressions that validate any pain they feel. But, in their first breakup, "Shamy" is in the cafeteria debating neuroscience versus psychics.
Amy reveals how brilliant of a fighter she is in her quick and witty retorts against Sheldon. When the two agree on a termination of their relationship, viewers think nothing of it, until Sheldon's mom reveals the truth. After bringing Amy over because he was "losing [his] mind over [her]" audiences can then see what this little breakup did to Sheldon.
Bernadette & Howard
This brief separation is a painful one but only because of why they break up in the first place. Poor Bernadette walks in to see Howard "cheating" on her with a video game character (basically a more involved porno for him).
Howard is clearly upset about this and resorts to begging Penny to talk to Bernadette for him. It's a mystery to many viewers why Bernadette ever reunited with him, let alone stayed with Howard, but their love story is entertaining.
Raj & Anu
This split appears to be pretty painful for Raj, even though it's only brief. Anu can't be blamed for her aversion to Raj's rather ill-hearted marriage idea. Marrying someone because everyone else is in a relationship is not the healthiest start to anything.
Raj is so remorseful of his actions that he goes to Anu's apartment and writes flashcards to initially convince her to open the door for him. Poor Raj, but it's a good thing he admits his mistake and formally asks her out.
Penny & Mike
The only reason why this breakup is super painful is because viewers literally see Penny sobbing about what she witnesses. After taking her anger out on Leonard, he finds out that Mike moved on from her pretty quickly as Penny then gives a graphic description of what she witnessed in her attempt to make up with him.
Penny looks pretty broken up about this because this is another guy who cheated and couldn't care less about her. The only good thing about this awful breakup is that it leads to her agreement to go out with Leonard (thanks for breaking her heart, Mike).
Leonard & Priya
Their breakup happened over the course of some time, but it starts with Priya moving back to India. Their super long-distance relationship then hits rock bottom as they both don't stay true to one another.
This breakup really hurts Leonard, as viewers see him crestfallen as he sadly reveals that his girlfriend is leaving. Dating Priya helped Leonard move on from Penny and it showed how happy he is with another woman who isn't Penny. Unfortunately, not everything lasts forever. But, for all Penny and Leonard fans, these two later rekindle their relationship with Priya now out of the picture.
Raj & Lucy
Raj really can't catch a break, can he? The dude just doesn't have the best luck when it comes to women and the show tries to attribute that to his so-called poor dating skills. while that may be true, this breakup isn't entirely his fault.
The sweet and innocent Lucy seems like a good match for Raj, at first, until she dumps him via text and Howard has to read it out loud. What an embarrassment for Raj, although they all understand it's due to her anxiety. Still, Lucy's departure hurts Raj a lot.
Raj & Emily
What a shame when Emily and Raj don't work out! These two really form a sweet and interesting relationship and Emily even looks like she's becoming part of the girl group with the others.
But, alas, Raj with his ways, the two break up because Raj actually discovers he isn't as interested in her anymore upon meeting the bartender, Claire. The breakup really has an impact on Emily, who tries everything to convince him to stay with her, and this ultimately hurts both of them.
Amy & Sheldon's Second Breakup
Amy made video chat a trend, especially with breakups! She calls Sheldon to tell him how she feels undervalued and exhausted as his girlfriend. This newfound confidence the audience sees in Amy is refreshing, but sad at the same time.
She knows it's the right thing to do to break up with him, but what viewers see next really shook things up on the show for good. Once Sheldon pulls out that engagement ring and asks what he should do with it now, the audience gasps. Nobody expected to see that as Sheldon is the epitome of an emotionless, person for most of the show at least.
Penny & Leonard
Penny and Leonard have one official breakup on the show, although it seems like they have an on-off relationship for years. They do, but their formal breakup is difficult for both of them. After telling Penny he loves her, she gets scared and feels pressured by him.
All of these feelings start to burst at the bowling alley and Penny starts to cry when she tells Leonard that this isn't fair to him. What's really painful about this split is that Penny wants to feel the same way that Leonard does for her, but she is unable to at the moment. She's gotten so used to shorter relationships, without much deep love in them, so this is new territory for her. It obviously also hurts Leonard as he truly loves Penny, which is revealed later on when he pulls an engagement ring out of his wallet (good thing they get back together later).
Penny & Stuart
No, the two don't ever officially date on the show, but they do go out twice and things look like they're heating up until that one disastrous date that Stuart recounts to the guys.
Penny apparently says Leonard's name rather than Stuart's when she kisses him, to his dismay and to Leonard's satisfaction. Poor Stuart is scarred from this experience and viewers don't see him in a serious, long-term relationship until he meets Denise later in time. This "breakup" isn't so painful for Penny, but it is indeed upsetting for Stuart.