Some of our favorite Black movie romances had us rooting for couples who, looking back, probably needed therapy more than anything else.
Between Harper’s messy love life in “The Best Man,” Quincy’s questionable behavior in “Love & Basketball,” and Franklin’s secrets in “Disappearing Acts,” Hollywood has given us plenty of love stories that had us overlooking some serious red flags.
Don’t get us wrong as we still love these films, but being charming, attractive, or knowing how to deliver a romantic speech doesn’t excuse cheating, manipulation, or emotional immaturity.
1. Harper Stewart (Taye Diggs) — “The Best Man,” “The Best Man Holiday,” “The Best Man: Final Chapters”
Harper really had the nerve to write a book exposing his friends’ personal business while hiding some major secrets of his own. Between sleeping with his best friend’s future wife years earlier and entertaining Jordan while Robyn was waiting for commitment, this man was collecting red flags like they were book royalties. And somehow, he still got his happy ending … well, sort of.
2. Lance Sullivan (Morris Chestnut) —”The Best Man,” “The Best Man Holiday,” “The Best Man: Final Chapters”
Lance spent his college years cheating on Mia but nearly lost his mind when he discovered she’d slept with Harper. Sir, how many chances did Mia give you before the wedding? His double standard was bad enough, but nearly throwing his best friend off a balcony? Granted, Harper broke bro code, but karma is a …well, you know the rest.
3. Hedda Tesman (Tessa Thompson) — “Hedda”
Hedda wasn’t just a red flag. She was practically an entire emergency alert system. Between manipulating her former lover Eileen, sabotaging her relationship, and destroying her manuscript, Hedda made it clear that if she couldn’t control someone’s happiness, she’d happily ruin it.
4. Franklin Swift (Wesley Snipes) — “Disappearing Acts”
Franklin was handsome, hardworking, and knew how to make Zora feel special. Unfortunately, he forgot to mention a few things, like the fact that he was still married and had two children. Financial troubles aside, withholding that kind of information while building a serious relationship is a major red flag. Zora deserved the truth before she fell in love.
5. Russell (Leon Robinson) — “Waiting to Exhale”
Russell had Robin caught up in a relationship that was going nowhere because there was one rather important issue: he was married. After years of being his mistress, Robin finally reached a point where she had to choose herself. A man promising you a future while maintaining a whole marriage somewhere else is a dead end.
6. Kenneth Dawkins (Dennis Haysbert) — “Waiting to Exhale”
Kenneth wanted Savannah in his life without actually leaving his wife. He could offer affection, attention, and excuses, but not the relationship she deserved. Savannah spent far too much time waiting for a married man to make a decision. Thankfully, she eventually realized that choosing herself was the better love story.
7. Stella Payne (Angela Bassett) — “How Stella Got Her Groove Back”
We love Stella, but she wasn’t completely innocent in the drama with Winston. Between worrying about how their age difference looked and struggling with his immaturity, Stella sometimes treated her younger boyfriend like someone she needed to manage instead of an equal partner. Having your life together doesn’t automatically mean you know how to make room for someone else’s.
8. Malcolm and Marie (John David Washington and Zendaya) – “Malcom & Marie”
These two needed separate houses, not another argument. Malcolm forgot to thank Marie at his film premiere after drawing heavily from her personal experiences, and what followed was an exhausting night of resentment, insults, and emotional warfare. Marie fired back with some hurtful words of her own. It was a MESS.
9. Mike (Richard T. Jones) — “Why Did I Get Married?”
Where do we even begin with Mike? He constantly belittled Sheila about her weight, cheated with her friend Trina, and left her to travel alone while he continued to the couples’ retreat. And if that wasn’t enough, he drained her bank account after their marriage fell apart. Mike wasn’t giving red flags. He was giving reasons to hire a divorce attorney immediately.
10. Malcolm Moore (Laz Alonso) — “This Christmas”
Malcolm thought he could spend Christmas surrounded by his wife’s family while carrying on an affair. The audacity! Lisa knew something wasn’t right, and once everything came to light, the holiday festivities took a very different turn. Malcolm might have looked good, but that didn’t make him a good husband.
11. Quincy McCall (Omar Epps) — “Love And Basketball”
Quincy wanted Monica to understand his basketball dreams but struggled to extend that same grace to hers. When she couldn’t break curfew to comfort him after learning about his father’s affair, he responded by getting close to another woman. We know the ending was romantic, but why did Monica have to prove her love through a basketball game when Quincy couldn’t even respect her commitment to her career?
12. Darius Lovehall (Larenz Tate) — “Love Jones”
Darius’ relationship with Nina was filled with mixed signals, unspoken expectations, and jealousy. When Nina left for New York to sort out her feelings about her ex, Darius moved on with another woman. Technically, their status was complicated, but maybe a straightforward conversation could’ve saved everyone a lot of trouble.
13. Cousin Faith (Gina Ravera) — “Soul Food”
Imagine opening your home to a family member, only to discover she’s sleeping with your husband. That’s exactly what Teri experienced after welcoming Faith into her life. Faith’s betrayal didn’t just damage a marriage, but it threatened an already struggling family’s trust.
14. Marcus Graham (Eddie Murphy) — “Boomerang”
Marcus spent years treating women like they were disposable until Jacqueline came along and gave him a taste of his own medicine. But apparently, that wasn’t enough to teach him a lesson. After finding something real with Angela, he went right back and slept with Jacqueline, jeopardizing the very relationship he claimed to value. Marcus wanted a woman who would love him genuinely, but struggled to offer that same respect in return. The audacity!
15. Dre Ellis (Taye Diggs) — “Brown Sugar”
Dre was literally hours away from marrying Reese when he found himself kissing his longtime best friend Sidney, and the two nearly took things even further. Instead of addressing those feelings, he went ahead with the wedding anyway. And while Reese wasn’t exactly innocent either, Dre knew his heart was somewhere else before saying “I do.” Taye Diggs is two for two.
16. Shanté Smith and Keith Fenton (Vivica A. Fox and Morris Chestnut) — “Two Can Play That Game”
Keith got caught entertaining another woman, and Shanté responded with an entire strategy designed to regain control. Between jealousy, mind games, and using other people to get reactions, their relationship became a competition nobody was winning. Maybe the real 10-day plan should’ve involved an honest conversation.
17. Drayton “Dray” Jackson (Bill Bellamy) — “How to Be a Player”
Dray was so committed to being a player that he practically made cheating a full-time job. While his girlfriend Lisa thought she was in a committed relationship, he was entertaining multiple women and keeping track of them in his little black book. But when his sister Jenny arranged for all his women to show up at the same party, the tables finally turned. You’d think getting exposed would teach him something, but Dray somehow managed to talk his way out of trouble. Well, until the end.
