The Big Bang Theory may have been centered around Sheldon's genius, but the show also focused a lot on relationships. Sheldon, Leonard, and Howard are lucky their wives got along so well and became their own group of best friends as it made the show flow so well. Before viewers saw Leonard and Penny's happily ever after, TBBT fans saw his unique relationship with Raj's sister, Priya.
Their relationship was doomed from the start with Raj hating the fact that Leonard was "defiling" his sister, making him completely uncomfortable. Things became trickier for the couple when their cultural differences collided and they (finally) broke up. However, this relationship was not as positive as Leonard once thought. The two had enough red flags to ever keep them from walking down the aisle.
Updated on September 12th, 2022, by Lynn Gibbs: One of Leonard’s more important storylines throughout The Big Bang Theory was his relationship with Penny. However, during one of his breakups with Penny, he found himself in the arms of Raj’s sister, Priya. Out of all the girlfriends Leonard had, Priya was the closest thing Leonard had to love since Penny. Sadly, the two were far more toxic than he realized. From being Raj’s sister to Priya hanging Leonard’s personality, these two were never meant to be endgame.
Priya Didn't Like Leonard's Friendship With Penny
If Leonard and Penny's relationship timeline didn't lead them to marriage, she would have had an issue with any woman he brought home. Having an ex-girlfriend in their circle of friends was not easy, especially when Penny is as beautiful as she is. Just like Leonard's ex-girlfriend Stephanie, Priya also had an issue with Leonard's friendship with Penny. She tells Leonard that he can't be friends with Penny anymore and that he had to have a conversation with her about boundaries. Per Priya, a person can't be friends with people they've slept with.
Her controlling nature put Leonard in an uncomfortable situation and practically tore Leonard and Penny's friendship apart. Leonard didn't want to end his friendship with Penny and didn't appreciate the conversation.
...But Later Talked Behind Leonard's Back To Penny
If Priya was so against Penny's presence in the already-established group of friends, then why did she confide in her when the gang was at the hospital waiting for Howard's mom? The two women began exchanging stories about Leonard and were reveling in each other's experiences with him. They even leave the rest of the group to grab a coffee while giggling like longtime friends.
While there is nothing wrong with befriending a person she didn't like at first, what's troubling is that she was so quick to go behind Leonard's back and start talking smack about him while simultaneously scolding him for being friends with her. Out of all Leonard's relationships, Priya could be one of the more diabolical.
Leonard Dated Her Knowing It Would Upset Raj
When viewers first meet Priya, they quickly learned that she and Leonard had relations in the past. Raj warned the guys that Priya was off-limits, but Leonard followed his heart instead of his friend's plea. Knowing Raj would be upset, Leonard and Priya kept their relationship a secret for a while. This secrecy made Leonard get worse and worse because it was disrespectful.
Leonard knew from the start that seeing Priya would have started issues with Raj, placing the relationship on a downward spiral. Starting out in a toxic way was a rough way to start.
Priya Got In Between Leonard And Sheldon's Friendship
Luckily for Leonard, Sheldon gets along with Penny and has come to understand her way of living. Leonard never had to make a friendship or relationship-ending decision between Sheldon and Penny.
Priya, on the other hand, was a different story. Sheldon was impressed by Priya's intellect but the two were extremely strong-minded and butted heads often. It came to the point where Sheldon didn't even want to be in the same room as Priya and ed girls' night to escape her. If Priya and Leonard lasted long-term, one of them would have moved out far sooner because of their intolerance of one another.
Leonard Cheated On Priya With Alice
When Priya went back to India for work, the two tried to do long-distance, but it appears Leonard's loneliness got the best of him when he met Alice.
Alice is a woman he met in the comic book store who was brave enough to ask Leonard for his number. The two ended up meeting and making out while they discussed comic books. They met again for a second date but Leonard came clean about his relationship with Priya before things went too far. Cheating on his girlfriend did not age well for Leonard.
...And Priya Cheated On Leonard With Her Ex-Boyfriend
After Leonard kissed Alice, he felt horrible aTon Priya. In an effort to come clean, Leonard told Priya what happened, which surprisingly went well... a little too well.
As it turned out, Priya also cheated on Leonard but she did more than just kiss another man. She slept with her ex-boyfriend and only told Leonard when she found out Leonard cheated on her. If Leonard never told Priya about Alice, it's hard to tell if she would have told him about her indiscretion.
Priya Never Told Her Parents About Leonard
Leonard has been on good with Raj's parents for years. He and Raj are close friends and were comfortable with each other's families. Since his parents are based in India, they Skype Raj often and remain close. However, when Leonard learned that Priya's parents didn't know they were in a relationship, he began to second guess their union.
Leonard felt like Priya was ashamed of him, but in reality, Priya told Leonard her parents wouldn't approve of their relationship and didn't want to tell them until one of her other siblings messed up. Priya quickly became one of the TBBT because of this. Leonard was all-in with this relationship and hearing that her parents wouldn't approve of their union made him wonder what they were doing dating in the first place.
And She Never Told Leonard About Moving Back To India
Another toxic trait about this couple was that Leonard and Priya hid a lot from each other. She kept their relationship a secret from her parents, she didn't tell him about cheating on him until he said something similar, and she never told him that she was moving back to India for her job.
Moving away from a significant other is a major life discussion, but Priya left him in the dark until the last minute. He only found out about her move by accident. If Leonard didn't learn about Priya's big move from her parents, who's to say when he would have found out.
Priya Turned Down Leonard's Idea To Move To India
When Priya is back in California for a few days, she sleeps over at Leonard's without telling anybody. While in bed, Leonard tells Priya that there are a bunch of research facilities in New Delhi that he could work at.
Before he's able to get another word in, Priya shuts down his idea and says she just wants to have fun with him and nothing else. From the start, Priya never saw Leonard as something serious and didn't want to get even more serious than what they were.
Leonard Was Never Good Enough
When Priya had the possibility of staying in Los Angeles for work, she and Leonard became exclusive They started spending more time together and were practically living with each other in Raj's apartment.
Eventually, Priya got annoyed by Leonard's fondness for comic books and video games. He even lied to her about his whereabouts when the gang went on a hunt for the person who virtually stole from Sheldon. Priya made Leonard get lenses (which he hated) and changed the way he dressed. If she loved Leonard the way he was, she wouldn't have tried to change him. Leonard and Penny weren't perfect, but she never tried to change Leonard from anything other than what he was.
