I Told My Friend I Was in Love with Her, Then She Told Everyone

Where Should We Begin? with Esther Perel

Esther Perel Global Media

Health & Fitness, Society & Culture, Education, Mental Health, Self-improvement

4.7 • 16.4K Ratings

🗓️ 26 January 2026

⏱️ 53 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Esther speaks with a young man whose confession of love for a close friend sets off a chain reaction he never expected. After exposing his love, his secret is out, his five-year relationship ends, and his friend group begins to fracture. He is now navigating heartbreak, betrayal, embarrassment, and what feels like the loss of his village. Esther helps him examine the deeper patterns beneath the chaos. Esther Callings are a one time, 45-60 minute interventional phone call with Esther. They are edited for time, clarity, and anonymity. If you have a question you would like to talk through with Esther, send a voice memo to producer@estherperel.com. Producer’s Note: When our anonymous guests do a session with Esther for the podcast, it is an act of generosity for everyone who listens. These sessions are meant not only to support the people in the room with Esther, but all of us who learn from their stories. Our stories have many chapters, and what you hear is just one moment in someone’s journey. So even though the sessions are anonymous, please remember that real people are behind them and they may be reading your comments. Also, please join me on Entre Nous, my new home on Substack for anyone who wants to live, love, and work with more connection and imagination. I invite you to sign up and become a free or paid member at estherperel.substack.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	Hey Esther. So I have been in love with my close friend now for six years and we're both in
0:10.4	committed relationships, long-term committed relationships, four and five years. And I've always had
0:18.3	this interest in her, but my good friend who introduced me to her and to the friend group that is all around her and I, he said he would not be my friend anymore if I ever hooked up with her or we ever became a thing. So I had a loyalty to him.
0:36.6	Never pursued her, seriously, just as a friend, because I wanted to be a part of her life because I had such as, like, I was so drawn to her.
0:45.3	But now, four or five years later, after she moved back and we become such close friends, I still can't but I wonder if she has the same feelings for me and if she's not meant to be with.
1:02.0	And I can't stop thinking about her and it's almost making me feel insane.
1:08.0	And I definitely could use your services.
1:11.1	Support for Where Should We Begin comes from OLLI.
1:24.6	It's tempting to feel that you need to improve yourself in the new year, but OLLI wants to
1:30.1	offer you an alternative.
1:32.0	Reconnection, not reinvention.
1:34.8	They offer simple, science-backed supplements to support women's wellness.
1:39.2	Ollie has you covered.
1:41.1	If you're stepping into 2026 with presence, not perfection, visit
1:45.7	OLLY.com and explore their wellness lineup. These statements have not been evaluated by the
1:52.5	Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent
1:58.3	any disease. AI is incredible.
2:03.6	It can teach you how to fry an egg and even write a poem, pirate style.
2:08.6	But it knows nothing about your work.
2:12.6	Slackbot is different. It doesn't just know the facts.
2:15.6	It knows your schedule. It can turn a brainstorm
2:19.3	into a brief and it doesn't need to be taught. Because Slackbot isn't just another AI.
	...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Esther Perel Global Media, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of Esther Perel Global Media and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.