12 Weirdly Successful Side Hustles That’ll Inspire Your Entrepreneurial Spirit

Ashley Macey
Jun 22, 2017

Starting a side hustle is a great way to nurture your creative spirit and earn a little extra moola, but finding the right side hustle that will showcase your specific talents isn’t always a piece of cake. So if searching through side hustles you can start today hasn’t *quite* inspired you to start your own small business just yet, you may want to consider trying something a little more unconventional. Here are 12 quirky side hustles that will inspire you to start your own business ASAP.

1. Making 3D Printed Jewelry: Everyone knows that making 3D printed *anything* is mega cool, but spending your life savings on a pricey 3D printer is probably a little too costly for most starter side hustles. Luckily, tools like Shapeways are here to provide artists and designers with the ability to make custom 3D printed materials without ever having to purchase your own printer. “With traditional jewelry making, there are a lot of tools and space involved,” notes founder of Two Perfect Souls and Latte.A.L Evelyn Leung. “Unfortunately, I live in a small one-bedroom apartment in Manhattan, so space is a luxury item. I began researching on Google, read many forums, and eventually found the 3D printing community Shapeways which provided an easy, full service solution for jewelry design. You can upload an idea you drew on paper that Shapeways can turn into a piece of jewelry which you can then sell on their marketplace, if you decide to do so.” Now her jewelry side hustle is booming. “With all the stress in managing my own business by myself, I am glad to have found this fun hobby to share my designs with others and make some money on the side, and it all just started with an idea and a doodle.”

2. Niche Blogging: One of the most popular side hustles around is starting a blog, but instead of picking a popular topic to write about with tons of competition, co-founder of Bitches Who Brunch Cori Sue Morris decided to choose her blogging side hustle based on something a little more far-fetched. As writers and brand experts, Cori Sue Morris and Becca Loveridge recognized a niche among city-dwelling millennials: brunch. She built a corner of the internet where young professionals could find advice on brunch, fashion, and travel and learn about what was happening in Washington, DC. Hey, we’ll raise a mimosa to that.

3. Creating an App or Chatbot: While creating a tech product may take a little extra know-how, it’s definitely a cool side hustle if you have the time to dedicate to learning something new. Uzma Saeed decided to pursue this as her hustle alongside her regular nine-to-five PR job and helped scale a free Facebook chatbot called Tarjimly that instantly connects refugees to volunteer translators all around the world. If that isn’t inspiration to hit the library and learn how to code, we don’t know what is!

4. Sharing Your Opinion Online: If your side hustle is more about making some extra cash than having a creative outlet, Founder and CEO of dating app Cheekd Lori Cheek suggests checking out some local focus groups. “In 2014, four years after working on Cheekd full time, I was close to running out of money,” she reminisces. So after trying everything from walking dogs to searching jobs on TaskRabbit, Lori decided to investigate different focus groups. “Twice a day I check Craigslist, bulletin boards, and focus-group apps like dscout looking for money-making opportunities. Keywords help guide my search — product test, app test, and focus group — and a few hours of work can be worth hundreds with the right opportunity.” Plus, it doesn’t hurt that she actually found some of the groups to be quite interesting. “A recent focus group had me tasting beer (not a bad way to make $120!) and I’ve even had one-on-one feedback opportunities that pay as much as $400.”

5. Becoming a Wedding or Pet Photographer: If you love taking pictures, starting a side hustle as a photographer could definitely be a lucrative hustle. “Whenever I meet brides and grooms, I candidly joke that I suffer from a split personality disorder,” laughs Jimmy Chan of Pixelicious.ca. “Monday to Friday I happen to be an engineer, only to document weddings during the weekends.” After hearing a ton of bridal photography horror stories (like brides not getting their wedding pics after the event… eek!), he decided to jump in the photography biz himself. Just like anything, we suggest starting small — even if that means taking candid pics at your friend’s wedding or snapping your buddy’s bulldog — and build up a portfolio before charging for your talent.

6. Renting Your Baby Gear: Renting your home as a side hustle on Airbnb is sooo 2016. Babierge (baby + concierge) is a cool new service that allows side hustlers to rent their baby gear to families who are vacationing in the area. Their average renter makes just under $1,000 per month fulfilling orders, but peeps with a high-traffic location like near Disneyland can definitely bring in a lot more dough. Dust off your kiddo’s gently used gear — you could make enough to treat yourself to a tropical summer vacay!

7. Creating a Custom Subscription Box: No matter what your passion is, you can probably create an awesome subscription box out of it — which is why it makes for such a great side hustle! Nick Ehret, who works full-time at Ernst and Young, decided to self-fund a tea subscription box startup called Varieteas while looking for a healthy replacement to coffee. Feeling inspired to take action? Make sure to check out the tons of resources available online for girlbosses looking to start a subscription box, like this handy article from Cratejoy.

8. Sharing Products via Social Media: Already have an awesome social media following or side hustle blog? Make the most out of your popular accounts using services like Maven. This awesome website offers their users the ability to create ensembles and collections of popular products, share it with their social network, and earn up to 25-percent commission if anyone clicks through and purchases from the retailer. Seriously, some of their users are making over $1,000 a month just by creating and sharing a single board per week… get to it!

9. Designing Custom T-Shirts: These days, customization is one of the keys to succeeding in business, which is why using your design skills to create custom t-shirts and garments is definitely a lucrative business. Websites like RedBubble and Spreadshirt allow you tons of flexibility by making it easy to only take on work when you have the time, which makes it perfect for designers looking to earn a bit of cash on the side.

10. Making Planner Stickers: One craze that we are currently *loving* is the throwback vibes of physical planners… so much so that we even created the Brit + Co DIY Planner Collection available at Target. One planner trend that’s huge on Instagram and Etsy is creating custom planner stickers, and there are tons of #plannergirls who actually run crazy successful side hustles just by designing, printing, cutting, and selling planner stickers! You’ll need to invest in a few tools to get started, including design programs, sticker paper, and a silhouette, but it’s actually a really fun way to get creative and satisfy your need for chic organization.

11. Creating and Selling Mickey Ears: Another item that is majorly popular on Etsy is creating custom-themed Mickey ears. The barrier-to-entry for this awesome DIY side hustle is super low — in fact, you can find everything you need to get started in a craft store! Follow along with this helpful tutorial to get started.

12. Becoming a Live Audience Member: Did you know that you can actually get paid to attend certain gigs? That’s right, according to Jackie Lam, you can use sites like Standing Room Only, Central Casting, and Auditions Free to score audience jobs at daytime talk shows, game shows, and cooking shows, depending on the city you live in. Most pay around minimum wage, so it’s a great way to earn some extra cash on your days off doing something fresh and exciting. Plus, sneak peaks, y’all!

Do you have a quirky side-hustle? Tweet us by mentioning @BritandCo.

4 Ways to Side Hustle Your Way Through Summer

We know it's not uncommon to find yourself a little strapped for cash in the summer. And it's definitely not uncommon to want to work for an additional line of income to fund an upcoming big trip or to be able to afford that one-bedroom apartment you've been eyeing and retire from living life with roommates. Getting yourself a side hustle is the best way to put some supplemental money in your pockets. It's not always fun or easy, but it can definitely be rewarding.

With summer in full swing, starting a side hustle is as appealing as ever. Have a beach vacation planned but low on funds? Get a side hustle. Want to be able to take a few Fridays off but worried about missing out on the income from your nine-to-five? Get a side hustle. Going to one too many rooftops for after-work drinks with coworkers? Get a side hustle to pad your wallet, and use budgeting apps like Mint to track your progress. If you share finances with a partner, you can even see where your household could benefit from some added earnings by using Turbo's Household Income feature.

Here are some popular side hustles you can start this summer and smart ways to make those dollars work for you.

1. Become best friends with your neighbor's dog. With dog-walking apps on the rise, it's becoming more and more popular to help out your fellow neighbors by walking their dog when they need it most. Whether it be early in the morning, during the middle of the day when you're working from home already, or for an extended weekend, you can likely find some time into your day-to-day schedule. With tools like Rover and Wag, you can sign up to be a dog walker when it's convenient for you (good for in between classes and after work). A 30-minute stroll through the park costs a pup's human $20 (sometimes more in larger cities), and an hour costs $30.

2. Turn that brain into money. Whether you're a recent graduate looking for extra cash or looking to give back academically, there is definitely money to be made. Colleges are becoming more and more selective in who they admit, making parents more motivated to shell out for tutors across all subjects. Tutoring in specific topics can make you good money, but parents are willing to pay the big bucks for SAT/ACT tutors. If you did well on either of those tests, you can leverage that into charging anywhere from $50-$100 an hour.

3. Have car, will travel. If you look at the apps on your or your best friend's phone, you're more than likely to see an entire folder dedicated to transportation, e.g., Lyft, Uber, Curb, and Via. The trend of ridesharing and on-demand cars is all the rage, so why not capitalize on it? It's easy to sign up for Lyft and Uber, with one catch: You do need a car. Once you're signed up and ready to hit the road, you're able to turn on the app and pick up passengers whenever it makes sense for your schedule.

4. Be your own boss and start your (fill in the blank) blog. It's not a simple task to start your own blog and gain a strong following, but if you are a subject matter expert in a certain industry (design, travel, fashion, etc.) and have a passion to share your story, it can be very lucrative. If you're passionate about writing in general, you can also look for freelance postings at your local newspaper or an online publication you follow religiously.

Do you have any tips for earning some summer money? Share them with us @BritandCo.

(Photo via Getty)

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WTF Does The "Challengers" Ending Mean?

Challengers is honestly just one giant tennis match. While we watch Zendaya's Tashi, Mike Faist's Art, and Josh O'Connor's Patrick play the game in a literal sense, we also see their personal relationship spiral, ricocheting back and forth as each character plays a different role every couple of years. And the crazy Challengers ending is a culmination of this intense emotional journey because it solidifies Patrick, Tashi, and Art's relationship — both to one another, but also to tennis itself.

What did the ending of The Challengers mean?

Image via Niko Tavernise/Amazon MGM Studios

There is a lot of tension between Tashi, Art, and Patrick throughout the movie, and it all builds to the titular Challenger match. It's Art vs. Patrick, and they're playing for way more than just the title and the money (though of course, they're definitely playing for the title and the money) — this is one final chance to prove themselves to Tashi, who's sitting court-side looking very unimpressed.

Both men lose their cool during different sets, but it's in the third and final set that everything comes to a head. At the end of the match, Patrick confesses to sleeping with Tashi using a tennis ball and racket signal only Art recognizes. For a split second Art is is complete shock, and I expected him to completely lose it. And, technically, he does, but in a totally unexpected way. Rather than jump the net and punch Patrick in the face, Art channels his emotions into his tennis, and the fury he feels actually allows him break through whatever slump he's been stuck in.

Unable to have a conversation about Patrick's secret, Art and Patrick talk with their serves and returns. And because Tashi doesn't catch the signal, for the first time in the whole movie, she's cut out of the conversation.

Did Tashi love Art and Patrick?

Image via Niko Tavernise/Amazon MGM Studios

Tashi's been pulling the strings ever since she met Art and Patrick, and she's never not been in control. After Patrick sends the signal, she knows something is going on between them, she just doesn't know what — and it unnerves her. Thanks to Zendaya's expert subtlety, the twitch of her eyebrow or the particularly anxious way she grips her hands are the only things that give her away. But her confusion, and the men's anger, quickly turn to pure joy in the final moments of the movie.

Patrick and Art end up playing so intensely that they meet at the net and embrace, prompting Tashi's iconic tennis yell before she gives one of her first genuine laughs of the film and the screen cuts to black. The first time I saw the movie, I thought "What?!" but the more I think about it, the clearer the Challengers ending is.

Patrick and Art (whose relationship begins six or seven years before the movie opens) haven't spoken since the big fight surrounding Tashi's injury, and their hug proves they're just happy to be playing together again. It's what they've always loved, and their fight over Tashi almost ended it forever. Tashi's pure elation shows she's happy to watch some good tennis, especially after she failed to help Art break out of his rut.

We've only seen Tashi scream like that once before, when she admits to a perfect tennis match. While Tashi does care for Patrick and Art, the end of Challengers proves the characters' true love was never really each other — it was always the game.

What did you think of the Challengers ending? After you rewatch the movie (and then rewatch it again), check out the other Most-Anticipated Spring Movies For 2024.

Lead image via Niko Tavernise/Amazon MGM Studios

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5 Female Food Entrepreneurs Share the Secret Sauce to Making a Side Hustle Successful

Is this the year you make the leap and become your own boss? Having a side hustle could be the way you do it. So if you love to cook for a crowd, know how to bake killer cookies, or want to bottle the salsa that friends and coworkers all say you should sell, jam on. To help you get started or take your business to the next level, we tapped five female entrepreneurs in the food industry to share their best tips for creating a successful side hustle.

Start slow

Getting to the point where your side hustle is your main source of income takes time. Megan Gordon, founder of Marge Granola, says, “Honestly, unless you have an impressive financial cushion, give yourself a break and start slow (preferably even while working for someone else to ensure you have some solid income). I see a lot of under-funded businesses and struggling small businesses, and making smart fiscal decisions for the company can become really hard if you’re in a desperate spot yourself.” Gordon started her granola company in 2010 after making a transition from teaching in a high school to food writing and catering. She sold Marge Granola in 2017, all the while writing about food for income and as a creative outlet. Gordon stresses the importance of keeping an eye on finances. “While it’s awesome following your passion and seeing a dream through, it’s important to realize you may not pay yourself for at least a year (I waited two years), so as unsexy as it is to think through the financial reality, it is really critical,” she says.

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Mary Capone of Bella Gluten Free shared her new #glutenfree sugar cookies with food editor Beth Hillson and me at #ExpoWest. DELICIOUS! No wonder these two look so happy. #aneditorslife #expoblogger

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Fulfill a need

“Today there are hundreds of gluten-free mix companies alone,” says Beth Hillson. When she started Gluten-Free Pantry in 1992, none of that existed. She’d been recently diagnosed with celiac disease and that diagnosis kick-started her packaged mix company, which she ran from her basement for the first three years so she could keep costs down and take care of her son until he became school-aged. It took two years to make it her primary business, and she eventually sold the company in 2005. Over time and as a result of building a customer base, she found community with her customers too. “Gluten Free Pantry filled an important need for them. As Gluten Free Pantry grew, our relationships grew stronger. Our customers became my best sales force,” Hillson says.

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Roosevelt Square 12-3 come visit!

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Allow yourself freedom to pivot

Gordon didn’t start with granola as the focus of her company. Instead, Marge began as a baked goods company which offered pies, cookies, and brownies. “I narrowed it down to just granola a few years in as it was extremely popular and shelf-stable, and I could see a way to market to wholesale clients (pie is hard!),” says Gordon. “Plus, I became tired of all the overly sweet granola and cereal on store shelves, and knew I could make a superior product.”

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Just met the new neighbors for the first time and happened to be wearing this shirt. At least they'll know what they're in for with us next door! 😋 #Glutenfree #ilovetobake #glutenfreebaking #celiac

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Be a part of your customer market

Jules Shepard of gfJules says, “This business is too hard, too time consuming, [and] too draining to do it because you think you’re going to make a buck. You may, or may not, but your heart has to be in it to get you through the tough times, and the best way I know to have your heart in it is to be a part of the group you’re serving.” Shepard started her original flour company in 2008 before dissolving it over a disagreement with investors and later creating gfJules, a gluten-free flour company, in 2014. She currently augments her flour business by writing and working as associate editor at Gluten-Free & More magazine, as well as consulting on recipe projects.

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Hey! Marge is now making gluten-free granola (this small batch available online beginning tomorrow!) 👋 to @jmerrillblount , my awesome baker.

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Phone a friend

Gordon says that when you’re in the planning stages of starting a new business, it’s key to talk to people who are in the field you want to be in. “Don’t be afraid to reach out! You’d be surprised how many people will be willing to talk with you about their journey — or even field specific questions,” says Gordon. She’s paid it forward and finds it inspiring when others reach out with food business questions, as it reminds her of when she started out and the people who helped her.

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Happy to report we raised 400 BUCKS for Hood River County Search & Rescue in our Gorge Fire fundraiser last month! They brought 153 people to safety when things got real, and you chipped in to help us show our gratitude to the brave men & women of this wonderful organization. And you can bet we'll be volunteering come springtime! • #redduckfoods #elevateyourfood #byok #elevateyourbbq #organic #artisan #condiments #sauce #craftfood #pdx #pdxlife #pdxnow #portlandoregon #madeinoregon #madeinportland #smallbiz #shoplocal #buylocal #womanowned #homegrown #eatrealfood #junkfree #cleaneats #eatclean #northwestisbest #gorgefire #oregonlove #fundraiser

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Keep your head

While she was a full-time graduate student in 2013, Jessica Hilbert co-founded Red Duck Foods, a line of ketchups and BBQ sauces. She and her collaborators wanted to start a company from the ground up, be their own bosses, and set their own schedules. Since then, she’s learned that there’s no way to get around the fact that running your own business is hard. “There will absolutely be times when the water seems like it’s continuing to rise at such a fast rate that you aren’t sure if you can keep your face above its surface,” Hilbert says. “But then you have a really good day and that water level falls just as fast as it seemed to rise.” For the first two years after co-founding the company, she worked there part-time, working several “odds and ends jobs” on the side as well for about three years before being solely at Red Duck. Hilbert also emphasizes the importance of sharing the wins and losses of running your own company. “I learned how important it is to really like and respect your team (no matter how big or small) as people first and foremost because it makes the highs taste that much sweeter and the lows that much less bitter,” she says.

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Spotted while visiting my old haunt @wholefoodsmarketsf where I used to shop 11 years ago when #adampascal was shooting the #rent movie. Thrilled they carry our @cybelesfreetoeat cookies. We 💖 @wholefoods who were our very first customer!

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Be Patient

“Tenacity goes a long way. Many people quit. It’s the ones who hang on who make it,” says Cybele Pascal of Cybele’s Free to Eat, a food-allergy-friendly pasta and cookie company started in 2012 that grew out of her cookbooks and subsequent reader requests. It took her two to three years after conception for her company to become her main thing. “It’s really true that success, the kind that sticks, usually takes a long time to build. Be patient. Know there are cycles. And things shift quickly,” Pascal says. She suggests finding a mentor or two who have been where you want to go and can provide insights about what they’ve learned.

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Hey we're at a really huge (!!) factory advising on the printing of new #margegranola boxes

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Create lasting relationships

To make her granola company great, Gordon discovered the secret sauce came down to cultivating good relationships across the board. “Food trends come and go, but to really hang in there and become a strong regional (and even national brand), you’ve got to put in your time and connect with people,” she says. By the time she sold her company, Marge Granola, her granola was available in Whole Foods in the Pacific Northwest, as well as in regional grocery chains and nationwide via her website. For her, that meant connecting with customers personally online, [and] strengthening ties in-store with grocery team members knowing “who to call at a particular store if there was an issue and [being able to] chat with them about the weather or their mom’s health.” Connecting in-person when possible with her maple supplier forged a friendship and also helped her better understand the sourcing of the ingredient.

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Look who I found in the #press room... the lovely and talented #bethhillson She is such an inspiration as a #ladyboss #author #businessowner and #academic #expowest #editor @glutenfreelivingmag #naturalproductsexpowest #expoblogger #anaheim

A post shared by Jennifer | GF Go-To Guide | 🍑 (@gfgotoguide) on

Don’t try to do everything yourself

Begin to delegate functions to others so you can free yourself to focus on growing the business,” Beth Hillson says. By the time she sold her company, it had national distribution in natural food and grocery stores, along with international coverage. Growing and scaling her business didn’t mean necessarily adding to the head count, but rather entailed smart thinking about where she could outsource. “Every day hundreds of problems and distractions come up,” she says. “The more you can build resources like a payroll service, co-packer, [and] sales team, the more you can stay focused on the primary goals of the company.”

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Am I weird to crave banana bread at night? Weird or no, I needed a late night banana bread fix & the easiest way I know is with my muffin mix. Added a few ingredients (like banana!) & voila! Mix: https://shop.gfjules.com/products/gfjules-gluten-free-muffin-mix-0-85-lbs (link in bio) . #glutenfree #glutenfreebread #bananabread #glutenfreebananabread #glutenfreebaking #glutenfreelife #glutenfreerecipes #glutenfreeeats #eeeeeats #latenightmunchies #munchies #celiac #glutenfreeliving

A post shared by jules shepard (@gfjules) on

Know your worth

Over the years of working in the food business, Shepard has learned a valuable lesson: “You have to stand up for yourself and not allow yourself to be put down. You know what you’re capable of, and never let anyone take that from you.”

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Getting our Monday morning fix. #coffee and #cookies #FreeFrom

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Hire other women

“Female-led businesses have better success rates. So I’ve been told,” says Pascal. “I have an all-female team except for my sales manager. And he grew up with four sisters and a single mother.” Above all, Jessica Hilbert keeps it real. “Don’t forget to laugh. At the end of the day, it’s just ketchup and BBQ sauce. Or cupcakes. Or granola. Or whatever your food business ends up being,” she says.

Find ideas for starting your own side hustle by following us on Instagram!

(Photo via Brittany Griffin / Brit + Co)

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7 Devastating TV Breakups That Almost Broke Us

While it's always nice to see something realistic represented in our favorite TV shows, there are few things more painful than watching a TV breakup. Even when we don't actually know fictional characters IRL, it's absolutely devastating to see them break each other's hearts. (Although, it's equally as bad as never seeing your favorite prospective couple get together — I will never forgive The 100 for what they did to Clarke and Bellamy!!).

Keep reading to see some of our most heartbreaking splits — and then check outWhat Being Team Conrad Or Jeremiah Says About Your Dream TV Boyfriendto put a smile back on your face.

Image via NBC

Ross and Rachel from Friends

Friends is one of the most iconic sitcoms of all times, and Ross and Rachel is definitely one of the most devastating TV breakups. In season 3, this iconic couple decides to take a break in and in "The One with the Morning After," Ross wakes up with another woman named Chloe at the exact moment Rachel shows up at his door. Rachel finds out about the affair, and after a fight in Monica's living room, the couple calls it quits.

Regardless of how you feel about Ross claiming they "were on a break" when he slept with Chloe, seeing Rachel's reaction (and knowing the trust between them was broken) is one of the worst moments in the whole show. Just thinking about it makes my stomach bottom out!

Image via The CW/WB

Rory and Jess from Gilmore Girls

This is one of my personal most-devastating TV breakups because it seems like, out of all of Rory's boyfriends, Rory and Jess are just perfect for each other when they start dating. Not only does their love of books bring them closer together, but their personalities are so compatible. But when Jess leaves for California at the end of season 3 — without saying anything to Rory, I might add — is unacceptable! It breaks my heart, and based on the final look he gives Rory during A Year in the Life, he also regrets it BIG TIME.

Image via The CW/WB

Damon and Elena from The Vampire Diaries

This Vampire Diaries couple was truly endgame, and the will-they-won't-they of it all was one of my favorite things about the show. So when they broke up (to my horror), I was devastated.

Damon and Elena admit they're bad for each other in the season 5 episode "While You Were Sleeping" (then Damon tells her he doesn't even want to be friends. Ouch!!), but it's the season finale, "Home," that makes me extra emotional. When Damon gets stuck with Bonnie on the Other Side, he says goodbye to Elena, who's begging him not to leave but can neither see nor hear him. Say it with me: gut! wrenching!

Image via Erika Doss/Prime Video

Conrad and Belly from The Summer I Turned Pretty

The Summer I Turned Pretty fans are PASSIONATE about whether they're team Conrad or team Jeremiah (trick question, my OTP is Taylor and Stephen), and even the most dedicated Conrad stan hates the prom scene. You know, when he breaks up with Belly at her prom, in the rain. I know he just thinks Belly deserves better, but it's still very painful to watch.

Image via FOX

Schmidt and Cece from New Girl

When I hear "devastating TV breakup" I IMMEDIATELY think of Schmidt and Cece from New Girl. Schmidt gets away with a lot of ridiculous things throughout this show, but dating two girls at one time is not one of them. After Nick has a hard time keeping Schmidt's love life a secret, Schmidt finally comes clean to Cece in "Double Date," leaving both her and me in tears. No matter how many times you rewatch the show, it truly feels like their relationship (and maybe even the friend group) will never recover.

Image via BBC/Prime Video

Fleabag and The Priest on Fleabag

In the history of TV, I don't think I've ever heard anything as heartbreaking as "I love you," "It'll pass." Like, who approved that line?! The viral moment comes at the end of the Fleabag series finale, when Fleabag is sitting with The Priest at the bus stop. Over the course of the series, we not only see how much these two care about each other, but how well they know each other (like how The Priest recognizes when Fleabag zones out). To be loved is to be known, and that's what makes this devastating TV breakup even more devastating.

Image via HBO

Carrie and Aidan on Sex and the City

After so much back and forth, it's hard to accept Carrie and Aidan's final breakup on SATC. But in season 4's "Change of a Dress," Carrie realizes she's not ready for marriage and Aidan realizes he doesn't trust her after her affair with Big. The combo of broken trust and being at two different life stages makes this extra painful to watch, and I don't think any amount of rewatches (or And Just Like That binges) is going to change that.

What's YOUR most devastating TV breakup? Let us know on Facebook!

Lead image via The CW/The WB

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Sophia Bush And Ashlyn Harris Made Their Relationship Red Carpet Official

Sophia Bush and Ashlyn Harris caused quite a stir at Elton John's Oscars afterparty, but for good reason! After dodging dating rumors for quite awhile, they dressed to impress and made their first public debut as a couple! Sophia even wore her best accessory — a mega-watt smile — that further confirms this blissful pair.

While some people love to know whencelebrity couples fell in love, the details about Sophia Bush and Ashlyn Harris' relationship have people wondering when this couple actually got together. Well, our wait is over because Sophia decided to open about what led to her romance with Ashlyn Harris and why certain rumors hold no merit!

Since we're clearly tuned in to this love story, here's everything you need to know about Sophia Bush and Ashlyn Harris's relationship!

Who is Sophia Bush?

Image via Robin L Marshall/Getty Images

Sophia Bush has had a lengthy career as an actress, and she's most recognized for her portrayal of Brooke Davis in the hit TV series One Tree Hill. She's also appeared in Nip/Tuck, Chicago Fire, Incredibles 2, and John Tucker Must Die. When she's not showing off her acting chops, she hosts the Drama Queens podcast alongside former One Tree Hill castmates Hilarie Burton and Bethany Joy Lenz!

Who is Ashlyn Harris?

Image via Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for W Magazine

Ashlyn Harris is a former U.S. soccer player who had a successful run — no pun intended — as a goalkeeper during the career. She also won the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada and continued making an impressionable mark. However, she announced her retirementin 2022 and — per her Instagrampage — has gone on to become the Global Creative Advisor for Gotham FC and Adidas Football.

When did the dating rumors about Sophia Bush and Ashlyn Harris start?

Image via Frazer Harrison/Getty Images and Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

June 2023

Rumors about a possible connection between Sophia Bush and Ashlyn Harris swirled last summer when Cosmopolitanreported they were on a panel at Cannes Lion International Festival of Creativity. Sophia shared a pic of the two at the festival on Instagramand wrote, "Love you @ashlynharris24 and @sophieannkelly" towards the end of her caption.

A source told Page Six, "It’s very new...They are definitely a couple.” But, Sophia Bush and Ashlyn Harris didn't confirm or deny anything at that time.

When did Sophia Bush file for divorce from Grant Hughes?

Image via Leigh Vogel/Getty Images

August 2023

A couple of months after Sophia Bush and Ashlyn Harris were seen getting cozy together, Sophia filed for divorce from her former husband Grant Hughes. Peopleshared that they were only married for a little over a year — 13 months — but didn't end on a bad terms. A source then told Entertainment Tonight, "Grant and Sophia are better off as friends and they weren’t getting enough time with each other before their breakup."

When did Ashlyn Harris and Ali Krieger file for divorce?

Image via Roy Rochlin/Getty Images

October 2023

While things seemed to quiet down, Ashlyn Harris soon filed for divorce from Ali Krieger after getting married towards the end of 2019. What's interesting is that a source told Peoplethis decision wasn't surprising. "Although it’s new information to the public, Ashlyn and Ali’s divorce began months ago and they have been living apart since the summer,” the source said.

This is also around the time it was speculated Sophia Bush and Ashlyn Harris had their first official date. A rep told People, "Grant will always want the best for Sophia, and is supportive of all that makes her happy and fulfilled." We guess it helps he and Sophia had a solid friendship before getting married!

As for Ali Krieger, she basically let the world know things were business as usual with an Instagrampost. She captioned a pic of her playing soccer with, "Preparing for playoffs while in my Beyoncé lemonade era." A comment from user @lgbtlfg said, "the fact that a lot of players in these comment’s usually mind their business and stay out of drama but are supporting ali should tell everyone all they need to know."

The only thing Ashlyn said about it on Instagramis that she never intended for her and Ali's divorce to be made a public matter. A portion of her note says, "This process is never easy, but we were making our way through."

Have Sophia Bush and Ashlyn Harris publicly talked about their relationship?

Image via Vivien Killilea/Getty Images for Tequila Don Julio

March 2024

Besides showing up to Elton John's Oscars afterparty together, Sophia Bush and Ashlyn Harris were previously tight-lipped about their relationship. The only hint Sophia offered was much more of a reflective post about 2023 on Instagramat the beginning of January. She said, "This year taught me to listen to myself and no one else. To let go of expectation that wounds and grasp possibility that frees. To not care about optics and instead invest in honesty."

But, she's since chosen to own where she is in life.

Image via Lauren Dukoff/Glamour Magazine

Sophia Bush on the cover of Glamour Magazine

April 2024

Sophia Bush has now reached a point where she's publicly ready to stand in her truth regarding her life and her relationship status so much that she penned her own cover story for Glamour. The first thing she did was open up about how she really felt about her marriage and fertility struggles.

She wrote, "But after the wedding I found myself in the depths and heartbreak of the fertility process, which was the most clarifying experience of my life. It feels like society is finally making space for brutally honest conversations about how hard and painful any fertility journey is, but I kept mine private. I was trying to get through months of endless ultrasounds, hormone shots, so many blood draws that I have scar tissue in my veins, and retrieval after retrieval, while simultaneously realizing the person I had chosen to be my partner didn’t necessarily speak the same emotional language I did.”

Image via Lauren Dukoff/Glamour Magazine

As far as her relationship with Ashlyn Harris is concerned, the star is enjoying the love that exists between them. Contrary to alleged rumors, their initial relationship was a platonic one that stemmed from a place of understanding and support.

She told Glamour,“I didn’t expect to find love in this support system. I don’t know how else to say it other than: I didn’t see it until I saw it. And I think it’s very easy not to see something that’s been in front of your face for a long time when you’d never looked at it as an option and you had never been looked at as an option. What I saw was a friend with her big, happy life. And now I know she thought the same thing about me.”

She also added, "A lot of effort was made to be graceful with other people’s processing, their time and obligations, and their feelings. What felt like seconds after I started to see what was in front of me, the online rumor mill began to spit in the ugliest ways. There were blatant lies. Violent threats. There were the accusations of being a home-wrecker. The ones who said I’d left my ex because I suddenly realized I wanted to be with women—my partners have known what I’m into for as long as I have (so that’s not it, y’all, sorry!).”

Image via Lauren Dukoff/Glamour Magazine

It's safe to say that Sophia Bush is thoroughly comfortable with her love life and identity as a queer woman. She said, "I’ve experienced so much safety, respect, and love in the queer community, as an ally all of my life, that, as I came into myself, I already felt it was my home. I think I’ve always known that my sexuality exists on a spectrum. Right now I think the word that best defines it is queer. I can’t say it without smiling, actually. And that feels pretty great.”

And this is what it looks like to reclaim your narrative when so many people are looking at a brief glimpse of the lives of celebrities. We love that Sophia Bush and Ashlyn Harris are loving each other on their terms without feeling pressured to share anything before they were ready to. Our hope is that their love story continues to unfold beautifully.

Be sure to watch Sophia Bush's interview with Glamour's Editor-in-Chief Samantha Barry here!

Full Credits From Glamour Magazine:

Writer: Sophia Bush

Photographer: Lauren Dukoff

Stylist: Deborah Afshani

Hair: Matthew Collins

Makeup: Afton Williams

Manicure: Brittney Boyce

Have Sophia Bush and Ashlyn Harris made their official red carpet debut?

Image via Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images for Kimball Stroud & Associates

April 27, 2024

Per Glamour, Sophia Bush and Ashlyn made their official red carpet debut as a couple on Friday. They attended the White House Correspondent's dinner where they were dressed to impress in complementing black ensembles.

It's easy to see the glowing couple couldn't stop laughing and smiling as they posed for pictures that seemed to capture every good angle of their faces and style.

Image via Paul Morigi/Getty Images

After the dinner, Sophia Bush and Ashlyn Harris posed for more pictures on the red carpet leading to the Correspondent's after-party. Now that we're able to see their full faces, we have to talk about how well their hair and makeup complements their outfits. It's clear that Ashlyn's contour and bronzer were expertly applied to her face while Sophia's blush gave her a natural flush.

*Sigh* Their smiles are the only confirmation we need that they're enjoying the bliss of being a couple.

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This article has been updated.

Lead image via Paul Morigi/Getty Images

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