The Tell Me Lies Cast’s Red Flags Include Craigslist & Pineapple Pizza

The thing about red flags is that no matter how big they are, how in-your-face they may be, or how often your friends try to point them out, it’s likely that you probably won’t realize they were there at all until it’s too late. The realization will come after the heartbreak, the nights of waiting for a “u up?” text, and the back-and-forth over what exactly your relationship status is. Or, in the case of Tell Me Lies’ Lucy Albright (Grace Van Patten) the realization will come eight years into a toxic on-and-off relationship with your college boyfriend.

Regardless of when you spot a red flag in a romantic relationship, the truth is that we all have them, actions or comments that set off alarm bells in your mind and make you realize that maybe this person isn’t the exact person for you. 

Tell Me Lies, which follows Lucy’s tumultuous relationship with Stephen DeMarco (Jackson White), along with the flings of their friends, triggers memories of the red flags you missed but won’t forget — because in Hulu’s new series, they are a-plenty. If they take you on a date off campus where no one can see you, that’s your cue to exit. If they gaslight you into sleeping with other people, time to delete their number. And any form of cheating or ghosting is a clear “Do Not Pass Go.”

Walking the black carpet for Hulu’s screening event, cohosted with Refinery29, the Tell Me Lies cast shared their most glaring red flags, whether on a first date or in a long-term relationship. Our advice? If a potential romantic partner does any of these, head for the hills. (Although, the jury might still be out on Ben's.)

Grace Van Patten (Lucy): “Any form of dishonesty, any little lies, means there’s going to be lies throughout your relationship. ‘Don’t tell me lies’ — that’s the moral of the story.'”

Catherine Missal (Bree): “If you don’t like their friends, that’s always a red flag. You are who your friends are. But I’m really bad at reading red flags. I like to look at the best in people. But if you can’t bring someone around your friends, or you don’t get along with theirs, that’s a big, big flag.”

Meaghan Oppenheimer (Showrunner/EP): “My boyfriend in college — we were together for quite a while. And back then, there was Craigslist Casual Encounters where people would advertise for anonymous sex. And he had put an ad in it. For an anonymous hookup. With his photo and everything. So that was the end of that.”

Spencer House (Wrigley): “I think a lighter [red flag] would be how she treats the waiter. That’s a quick tell. If she’s just being snappy or rude to them or talking down to them, that’s a bad sign."

Alicia Crowder (Diana): “Seeing a guy hitting on your friends right in front of you. That’s definitely the worst.”

Benjamin Wadsworth (Drew): “Pineapple on pizza.”