Friends creator finally responds to that dark Phoebe fan theory

Friends, with its gentle, inoffensive humour, is pretty much the perfect show for repeat binge-watching – meaning that more likely than not you have some pretty happy memories of curling up and watching it on the sofa.

Enter this, considerably less happy, fan theory:

According to Twitter user strnks, Phoebe was actually “meth-addled” and “homeless” and had simply projected herself onto the lives of the other friends –because she had none of her own. Even her Season 10 marriage to love of her life Mike was fake, apparently, and not even in a “love is not real and you will die alone” way. She made it all up!

And the theory proved pretty controversial amongst the show’s huge fanbase. Over 2,500 retweets and nearly 3,000 favourites later and fans are still arguing over it.

“Get this episode aired!” one fan wrote. “Everyone wanted a "reunion" episode!”. Others weren’t so sure: “Friends is comedy show not A fantasy or science fiction” said Ahsan Iqbal. “Really?? sorry but, even though it is original I wouldn't change anything of the finale, this series is a comedy, for God's sake!” said Ali. A firmly mixed bag when it comes to fans, then.

And series creator Marta Kauffman has a pretty strong opinion on the whole thing too. 

Speaking to ET Online, Kauffman was not entirely on board when told of the theory.

“That's the saddest thing I've ever heard,” she said.

“That's a terrible theory. That's, like, that's like crazy alt-television theory. Wow. I just think that someone needs a life. Someone needs a life, that's all I'm saying.”

Pretty definitive, really. 

(Images: Rex Features)