Sadly, our parents don’t always approve of the people we choose to be with.
For the most part, it’s just because they want the best for their kids, but other times they let their own prejudice cloud their judgment.
Related: 13 Romances Ruined By Age
We created a slideshow below of 21 TV couples who were threatened by a parent’s disapproval.
Fallon and Culhane – Dynasty
There’s a history of bad blood between Culhane and Blake Carrington. Unfortunately, this put a damper on Fallon and Culhane’s relationship.
Carol and Susan – Friends
Carol’s parents were not happy about her marrying a woman. Their refusal to come to the wedding almost made Carol call it off altogether, but she realized that she was getting married because she loved Susan and not to gain her parents’ approval.
Ryan and Marissa – The O.C.
Ryan and Marissa’s case is an extreme example of parental disapproval. Julie Cooper nearly had Marissa committed in order to keep her away from Ryan. Talk about crossing a line.
Cheryl and Toni – Riverdale
Cheryl’s mom was so against her being with a girl that she locked her up and forced her to undergo conversion therapy. Thankfully, Toni wasn’t letting anything happen to Cheryl and she broke in to rescue her girl from the Sisters of Quiet Mercy.
Anastasia and Will – Once Upon A Time in Wonderland
Anastasia’s mother said if she ran off with Will she would eventually learn that you cannot live on love, but she would not be welcomed back home except to clean the chamber pots. If you can’t tell, she wasn’t a big fan of her daughter’s relationship.
Veronica and Duncan – Veronica Mars
Veronica’s best friend warned her that their mom would do anything to break her and Duncan up. As it turns out, she was right and Duncan’s mom succeeded.
George and Lemon – Hart of Dixie
We might have found George and Lemon adorable, but George’s mom had a different opinion. She found Lemon silly and high strung and was increasingly horrible to her.
Harvey and Sabrina – Chilling Adventures of Sabrina
Sabrina’s parents weren’t as big of an issue as much as her coven was. Sabrina is a witch while Harvey is not, and her coven didn’t approve of her dating a mortal
Michael and Alex – Roswell, New Mexico
One thing to know about Roswell, New Mexico, is that Alex’s father is the worst character. He was abusive and unaccepting of his son’s sexuality. When he caught Michael and Alex together he tried to attack Alex, but Michael jumped in between them. He broke Michael’s hand, which was scarred for a decade.
Emily and Daniel – Revenge
Daniel’s mother, Victoria, despised Emily and we do kind of understand it. After all, Emily was actually Amanda Clarke and she had been playing Daniel for quite some time.
Samantha and Darrin – Bewitched
Samantha’s mom, Endora, hated that Samantha married a mortal. She never called him by his correct name to illustrate her dissatisfaction and it was a running gag throughout Bewitched.
Magnus and Alec – Shadowhunters
It’s hard to believe how against this relationship Maryse Lightwood was at the beginning of Shadowhunters. But she’s grown significantly since the start of the show and is now the number one Malec stan.
Emily and Maya – Pretty Little Liars
Emily’s mom tried to get on board with her daughter being a lesbian, but she always saw it as something she couldn’t get past. When Emily first started dating Maya, her mom thought that it was repulsive. But she had a lot of character development and even gave Alison the family ring to propose to her daughter.
Brandon and Callie – The Fosters
Brandon and Callie’s situation was a bit complicated. They fell in love when Brandon’s parents took Callie in as a foster child, but they eventually wanted to adopt her. That couldn’t happen if Brandon and Callie were romantically involved, so the entire thing was conflicting for the characters and the audience.
Jake and Amy – Brooklyn Nine-Nine
Amy’s dad was not a huge fan of Jake when they first met. Even after solving a case together and having time to bond, Mr. Santiago was not on board. He did, however, come to accept that if his daughter loved Jake he could live with it.
Bay and Emmett – Switched at Birth
Emmett’s mom didn’t like that Emmett was dating a hearing girl. She went out of her way to be rude to Bay, and it took a long time for her to finally soften up towards her.
Kara and Mon El – Supergirl
Mon El’s parents and the people of Daxam hate Kryptonians. Kara and Mon El didn’t get along themselves when they first met for this very reason. But despite Rhea’s best efforts to keep them apart, Kara and Mon El found each other every time.
Scott and Allison – Teen Wolf
Both of Allison’s parents tried to kill Scott on multiple occasions, so it’s safe to say they weren’t a big advocate of their relationship. Werewolves and werewolf hunters usually don’t mix well.
Buffy and Angel – Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Buffy and Angel’s love may have been strong, but when it comes to their children parents don’t give up. Joyce even managed to break up Angel and Buffy at one point.
Santana and Brittany – Glee
Santana’s grandmother didn’t approve of her sexuality which reduced Santana to tears. Her sexuality had always been a hard thing for her to accept, and hearing such cruel words from her grandmother made it even more difficult.
Jane and Rafael – Jane the Virgin
Both of Jane’s parents were Team Michael, and we can’t blame them. Jane’s mom even declined a call from Rafael when she saw that she and Michael were starting to bond again.
