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Apparently 'Friends' was wrong about lobsters mating for life, and we're devastated

Phoebe Buffay famously said on "Friends" that lobsters mate for life, but it turns out it was all a lie.
Friends - Season 2
NBC/Getty Images
/ Source: TODAY

Bad news for anyone hoping to meet their “lobster.”

For more than two decades, “Friends” fans have lived under the impression that lobsters pair for life, thanks to a famous comment from Phoebe Buffay (Lisa Kudrow) in season two.

"It's a known fact that lobsters fall in love and mate for life. You can actually see old lobster couples walking around their tank, holding claws,” Phoebe said in a fan-favorite episode from 1996, “The One with the Prom Video.”

Image: The Final Days Of "Friends"
Phoebe seemed so sure about lobsters.David Hume Kennerly/Getty Images

Love on land may come and go, but there has always been something nice about the idea that at any given time, a lobster is finding The One and settling down. And of course, this has given countless fans hope that somewhere, they'll find a “lobster” of their own.

However, it turns out everything we thought we knew about crustacean commitment is a lie.

"Lobsters, by nature, are not monogamous and do not pair for life," Curt Brown, Ready Seafood's in-house marine biologist, said in a statement to E! News.

And as if that wasn’t enough of a bombshell, Brown went on to describe the creatures’ decidedly non-monogamous mating habits.

"A dominant male will actually mate with multiple females during encounters that last days to weeks,” he said. “A literal example of ‘love on the rocks!'"

Lobster
Has a lobster ever really loved?Shutterstock

This is just the latest sad “Friends” revelation fans have weathered, after producer Marta Kauffman confirmed earlier this year that there will never, ever be a “Friends” revival.

"The show is about a time in your life when your friends are your family. It’s not that time anymore," she told Rolling Stone. "All we’d be doing is putting those six actors back together, but the heart of the show would be gone."

So, “Friends” is over for good, and now it turns out that Phoebe was wrong about lobsters.

This is definitely disappointing, but don't despair — long-term love is very real and possible. Maybe just don’t look to lobsters for inspiration!