Carrie, Samantha, Miranda, and Charlotte are the best of friends. They share everything and know each other's darkest secrets. Most of the time, anyway. Indeed, there are times when the four friends keep some very crucial information to themselves. The truth always comes out, but the secrecy does often cause some problems between them.
Beyond the group of four, the men in the girls' lives also keep secrets, endangering their relationships in the process. And while the four gals are much more straightforward, some of them also go behind their partner's backs and do some hiding of their own. The show never shies away from confrontation, and although some of these secrets hardly caused any trouble, some were massive and altered the entire storyline.
Miranda Hid Her Real Identity From Harris
In the aptly titled season 3 episode, "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," multiple secrets come to light. Carrie finally reveals her infidelity to Aidan (more on that later), but Miranda also does her fair share of lying. She pretends to be a stewardess and begins dating a doctor, Harris Bragen.
It turns out that Harris is also lying and isn't really a doctor, but rather an assistant manager at a shoe store. Miranda refuses to come clean about her lie and simply asks Harris to leave. It's fun to see the usually uptight Miranda acting so coy and laid-back, and this is certainly not the worst lie ever told on the show.
Samantha Hid Her Cancer From Her Friends
In season 6, Samantha learns she has breast cancer. She immediately confides in Carrie and the two share one of their best scenes. Samantha also tells the news to Charlotte at Miranda's wedding but refuses to tell Miranda until after the ceremony, as she doesn't want to take the attention away from the happy couple.
Miranda, however, senses something is wrong, and Samantha ends up telling her. The four then share a heartwarming scene, confirming that, more than friends, they are soulmates. The secret doesn't last for very long, but it could've.
Miranda Hid Her Words To Big From Carrie
In the first movie, Miranda finds out Steve cheated on her. Angry and hurt, she lashes out at Big and tells him he and Carrie are crazy to get married. "Marriage ruins everything," she says, not thinking about her words. Big, of course, leaves Carrie at the altar, and Miranda realizes the damage her words caused.
She confides in Charlotte, but the two agree Carrie shouldn't know. Months later, Miranda, seeing how confused Carrie still is, finally confesses about what she said to Big. Carrie reacts predictably badly and even stops talking to Miranda for a while. In the end, though, their friendship proves unbreakable, and the two patch things up.
Miranda Hid Her Love For Steve
In season 5, Miranda realizes she still has feelings for Steve. He's in a relationship with a woman named Debbie, and so Miranda decides to keep her feelings to herself. She does so for quite a while, almost half of season 6. She even begins dating a handsome and successful doctor, Robert, but her love for Steve endures.
Miranda finally confesses her love for Steve during Brady's birthday party in the twelfth episode of season six, "One." He, of course, feels the same way, and the two get together and eventually marry. "One" was one of two episodes submitted by Cynthia Nixon to support her bid for Best Supporting Actress at the 2004 Emmys and she ended up winning.
Trey Hid His Performance Issues From Charlotte
Trey and Charlotte meet, fall in love, and get married in the span of five episodes. Her friends tell her she shouldn't be moving so fast, but Charlotte fails to listen. Things take a turn when Charlotte learns that Trey is impotent the day before their wedding.
Trey refuses to discuss the issue, driving a wedge between the newlyweds. It's bad enough he hid the issue from her to begin with, but his refusal to even talk about it ends up causing their first separation.
Big Hid His Paris Trip From Carrie
"La Douleur Exquise!" is a pivotal episode for Carrie. Her relationship with Big seems to be going great, and he even confessed he loved her only two episodes before. However, he throws a curveball when he reveals he'll leave for Paris for six months.
What's worse is Big knew about the move for a while and refused to tell Carrie, waiting until the last minute to do so. Her anger and frustration are understandable, and the two eventually break up when it becomes clear Big simply doesn't want Carrie in his life. This could've been the end of their relationship, but every fan knows it certainly wasn't
Carrie Hid Her Affair From Charlotte
In season three, Carrie infamously cheats on Aidan with Big. The affair is hard to watch, as viewers see Carrie wracked with guilt. Unable to handle carrying the secret any longer, Carrie confesses to Samantha first, knowing she won't judge. She later comes clean to Miranda, whose loyalty proves unwavering.
However, Carrie chooses not to tell Charlotte out of fear of her reaction. Charlotte eventually finds out because she discovers Carrie leaving a hotel and Big chasing after her. She then confronts Carrie and forces her to own up to her actions.
Big Hid His Affair From Natasha
Big, the other half of the cheating duo, married Natasha shortly after his return from Paris. Their marriage proved unstable and unsatisfying, and it wasn't long before he was back pursuing Carrie. The two begin their affair, and, unlike Carrie, he shows no guilt over his actions. He even mentions he'll leave Natasha because the marriage isn't working.
Big's selfishness always was his worst flaw, and he never overcomes it. But seeing him hurting Natasha and Carrie shamelessly and showing no regret was a point of no return for many fans, who began actively disliking him.
Carrie Hid Her Affair From Aidan
Aidan was arguably Carrie's best boyfriend. He was sweet, overly supportive, unbelievably understanding, and unrealistically patient. He loved her for who she was and never once tried to change her, something Carrie never fully appreciated.
Carrie comes clean about her affair in the same episode where Miranda dates Harris, and Aidan breaks up with her. They're both in pain, but he's too heartbroken to stay by her side. Carrie learns a lot from this mistake and it could be the worst thing she ever did during her time on the show.
Aidan Hid His Trust Issues From Carrie
Aidan and Carrie get back together in season 4, and he even proposes to her. She says yes but for the wrong reasons, as she believes it is the right thing to do. However, Aidan, too, proposed for the wrong reasons, as he reveals he still doesn't trust Carrie and sees marriage as a way to make things official between them.
Understandably, Aidan has doubts, but he chose to forgive Carrie and should've trusted her. She was right in telling him that marriage shouldn't be a solution to any problem. They break up again, this time for good, both understanding that their time had passed.