How do Rachel and Joshua break up?

Last Modified Jun 6, 2025 08:59 EDT
How do Rachel and Joshua break up?
Rachel and Joshua (Source: Screengrab from the show)


Joshua decided to split with Rachel after she asked him to get married to her, as he was not ready to do so.


The famous American sitcom Friends is centered around 6 close friends - Joey, Phoebe, Rachel, Chandler, Monica, and Ross - in their mid-20s-30s navigating through life, relationships, and careers together. The show first aired on September 22, 1994 on NBC.


Friends was created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman and was a huge success post its release. With the tight-knit bond between the characters and impeccable comedic timing, the show was nominated for 62 Primetime Emmy Awards and went on to win the Outstanding Comedy Series award in 2002. In 2021, the cast members of the show returned for a reunion titled Friends: The Reunion.


What was the real reason behind Rachel and Joshua’s split?


In Friends, after witnessing Ross’s marriage to Emily, Rachel wants Joshua to ask her to marry him. For the unversed, Joshua had just overcome a bad divorce and was happily taking baby steps in his relationship with Rachel. However, after Rachel had popped the question about marriage, Joshua clarified that he was not ready for marriage due to his earlier experience and that he needed time.


Things between Rachel and Joshua ended right after the latter absconded Rachel after he saw her in a wedding dress as she opened the door. Joshua misunderstood the situation and assumed that Rachel was not going to leave the marriage topic.


Now, back to the real reason, many would be unaware, but the makers of Friends had to cut off Rachel and Joshua’s storyline in Friends due to Jennifer Aniston's (Rachel Green) and Tate Donovan’s (Joshua Burgin) actual break-up. This turned out to be one of those cases where the bad off-screen vibe ended up showing on-screen too. Aniston and Donovan’s tension and lack of chemistry were too evident, and hence, they decided to let go of the romance.


How did Rachel and Joshua meet?


Rachel Green worked at Bloomingdale’s in Friends. Joshua Burgin appeared on the show in season 4. After Rachel was forced to switch departments to personal shopping at Bloomingdale's, she met Joshua who was one of her clients. Burgin needed a full wardrobe after his ex-wife took virtually all his clothing in their divorce and that’s how he met Rachel.


While Rachel was smitten by Joshua at their first meeting, the same could not be said for Joshua. After many awkward tries and tricks, Rachel finally managed to get him to date her.


How long did Jennifer Aniston and Tate Donovan date each other?


How do Rachel and Joshua break up?
Jennifer Aniston and Tate Donovan (Screengrab from the show)


Jennifer Aniston dated her Friends co-star Tate Donovan for three years, as per People. The two began dating in 1995, right after Donovan broke up with his then girlfriend Sandra Bullock. However, after three years of dating, Aniston and Donovan split just days before he entered Friends as Rachel’s love interest. Due to the tension and lack of chemistry between the two, the makers had to cut short their storyline from the plot. After his divorce from Jennifer, Tate went on to marry Corinne Kingsbury but they got divorced in 2008.


Read more about Friends:


Who is rachels mom in friends

In what episode of Friends did Rachel see Joey in the shower

Who are rachels sisters in friends

Who is rachels mom in friends



FAQ about Rachel Green in Friends

Rachel Green married Ross Geller in Friends.

Rachel Green named her daughter Emma in Friends.

Rachel Green was born on May 5, 1970.

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