The Shocking ‘Friends’ Reveal That Changed Everything Turns 25

When Friends first premiered in 1994, the couple to watch was Rachel (Jennifer Aniston) and Ross (David Schwimmer). By the end of the first season, when they shared their first kiss, fans were hooked and expected to one day see them wed. Surprisingly, the “friends” to tie the knot first were Monica (Courteney Cox) and Chandler (Matthew Perry). Their 2001 wedding delivered one of the show’s biggest stunners, but the big news wasn’t about the bride and groom at all.

The One Where Some Friends Make a Mistake

As Monica and Chandler prepared for their May 17, 2001, wedding, Phoebe and Rachel came across a pregnancy test in the trash can, with Phoebe (Lisa Kudrow) immediately jumping to the conclusion that Monica was pregnant. Rachel seemed just as excited as Phoebe. An already nervous Chandler overhears Rachel and Phoebe discussing the positive test and panics. For the second time in one day, he nearly becomes a runaway groom before realizing fatherhood might not be so bad, per IMDb.

Finally, Joey (Matt LeBlanc) officiates and the wedding goes off without a hitch, but not without a little confusion. After Chandler kisses his bride, he whispers to her that he knows about the baby. A perplexed Monica tells her new husband that she is not pregnant, just as the camera pans to Phoebe and Rachel. “Look at them,” Phoebe gushes. “And they’re gonna have a baby.”

That’s when the camera zooms in on Rachel, who could only say, “Uh-huh.” The cat-that-ate-the-canary look on her face clearly revealed that she was the one who was pregnant. You can relive that scene here.

That was how season 7 ended, but season 8 brought yet another surprise. Not only was Rachel pregnant, but Ross was her baby’s father. The pair had had a one-night stand while addressing Monica and Chandler’s wedding invitations. Their little girl, Emma, was born at the end of the season, but it took until the series finale on May 6, 2004, for Rachel and Ross to officially become a couple again.