The Big Bang Theory: 5 Times Leonard Was Horrible to Penny Will Make You Hate His Sheer Hypocrisy
- Leonard and Penny make for one of the most beloved couples in The Big Bang Theory.
- Throughout the show, Leonard often does things that makes one think if he is the right man for Penny.
- Leonard even seems to have taken issue with Penny's success although he is her foremost supporter.
American actor Johnny Galecki gained worldwide recognition for his role as Leonard Hofstadter in the American television sitcom, The Big Bang Theory, created by Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady. Starting from 2007, the show aired for 12 seasons.
Fans loved the romantic chemistry of Leonard Hofstadter with Penny (played by American actress Kaley Cuoco). They are staged as the central couple of the show. Even though Leonard is liked by all and has been head over heels for Penny, he still does a few things that paint him in a negative light.
Leonard Went Through Penny’s Journal
Even if Penny and Hofstadter were together, by no means it gives the latter a green signal to trespass into the former’s private orbit. In the show, Leonard once read Penny’s journal without her consent. That was quite creepy of him, especially since the journal was his girlfriend’s.
However, Leonard realized his mistake and immediately took a step to compensate for it. He apologized to Penny by holding a confession board while wearing her orange lingerie and embarrassing himself on the screen. Although this was forgivable, it still can’t be overlooked.
Leonard Had A Fling with Priya Shortly After Splitting from Penny
It had not been too long since his split from Penny when Leonard decided that he was ready to date Raj’s (Kunal Nayyar) sister Priya (played by Aarti Mann). Although both Hofstadter and Priya were adults and hence were free to act on their own, that doesn’t mean being insensitive at all.
Leonard didn’t even consult Raj once before dating Priya. Keeping in mind the delicacy of the situation, perhaps he should have refrained from a romantic relationship with his friend’s sister. His affair with Priya had consequences like putting his friendship with Raj in jeopardy. Not to mention that they ultimately split because they were both unfaithful to each other.
Leonard Did Not Hesitate in Poking Fun at Penny’s Ex-Boyfriend
It is no secret that most people struggle to accept that their partners’ are still touch in with their exes. The same was the case with Leonard when Penny introduced him to her ex-boyfriend, Zack Johnson (played by Brian Thomas Smith).
Leonard couldn’t suppress his intrusive thoughts. He and his friends mercilessly ridiculed Zack while discussing science. As the teasing continued, Zack couldn’t sit tight and hence left the room. This incident didn’t go well with Penny as she took it as a misbehavior born out of her boyfriend’s unnecessary insecurities.
Leonard Was Controlling of Penny’s Male Houseguests
Not just Penny’s exes, Leonard was pretty wary of Penny’s houseguests. He never whole-heartedly welcomed any of Penny’s male visitors as he has always been over-possessive about his girlfriend. For instance, when Justin (played by Dawson Fletcher) crashed on Penny’s couch on her call, he made a huge fuss about it. Although Justin and Penny shared a few dates, he wasn’t a threat to their relationship.
Not just Justin, Leonard didn’t want Cole (played by Ryan Cartwright) to study together with Penny. The irony is he was the one who encouraged Penny to join community college and still he was being dramatic about his girlfriend making friends at school. Perhaps, it was at those moments that his hypocrisy was truly apparent.
Leonard Struggled with Accepting Penny’s Financial Independence
Although Leonard was always supportive of Penny’s creative pursuits, he still failed to control his male ego when his girlfriend achieved new financial heights. After Penny got over her obsession with acting, she found a job in pharmaceutical sales and for the first time in her life, she was earning more than the bare minimum.
Instead of celebrating his girlfriend’s financial independence, Leonard was mad about why Penny paid his money back to him by selling the car that he gifted her. This behavior makes one wonder if Leonard was the right partner for any woman, let alone Penny.
Besides this, there were numerous other times when viewers began doubting Leonard’s true character. For instance, he selfishly chooses to tell Penny about the mistake of kissing his co-worker just before their wedding so that he can keep his conscience clean.
He could have just taken the secret to the grave if he did not dare to admit right after he did it., but he chose to ruin his soulmate’s special day. This incident alone is enough to speak about Leonard’s hypocrisy as a person.
The Big Bang Theory is available for streaming on Max.
