Is The Risk Worth The Reward To Date A Best Friend?

Bravo‘s poll reveals 42% of women rather be celibate for the rest of their lives than have sex with their bestie? Or that 29% marries but only 51% get their bestie back
when the relationship fails? WHAT! Did you know that?! Click over and read more stats about besties gone *coupies (couples*, get into it)!

Bravo Media released a national study conducted by Research Now to determine if the risk of dating a best friend is worth the reward of finding love. In a world of “catfishing” and dating swipe errors, 75% of people have pursued a romantic or sexual relationship with a friend. Over 1,000 people between the ages of 18-54 were polled, and results prove that of the 76% who took the leap of faith to find love with their friend, 29% of those relationships resulted in marriage. However, only 51% got their buddy back if the relationship didn’t work out. The survey coincides with the launch of Bravo’s new social experiment docu-series, Friends To Lovers? premiering on Monday, January 12 at 10 PM ET/PT.

Are Men or Women The Risk Takers?
Beginning a relationship with a friend is a risky proposition, and unrequited love for a friend is quite common. It can be life-shattering when feelings aren’t reciprocated, so who is the risk taker?

· 76% of men are open to a romantic or a sexual relationship with someone they consider a friend (vs. 58% of women)
· 82% of both men and women believe the best relationships begin platonically, not romantically
· 19% of people are very averse and rather date their first cousin than their best friend (this is consistent among men and women)
· Men are twice as likely as women to be attracted to someone who is just a platonic friend
· 73% of men have had sexual fantasies about a friend (vs. 51% of women)
· 54% of all men admitted they’ve fallen in love with a friend without them ever knowing
· 50% of all men regret never telling their friend about the romantic feelings they’ve had for them (vs. 30% of women)
· Some men think outside their sexual preference as 27% of straight men with a best friend of the same gender have wished they were gay so they could date

Complications
Dating a bestie may mean changing a relationship status from “single” to “taken,” but more times than not, it shifts along the way to “it’s complicated.” Does “friends with benefits” really exist? Results prove love and sex among friends is possible, but for those who fail, the person they relied on for everything may quickly become a hated ex of the past, while causing complications among mutual friends.

· 54% of men say they would hook up with a friend if they knew no strings were attached (vs. 22% of women)
· 60% of women think sex ruins a friendship (vs. 51% of men)
· 42% of women rather be celibate for the rest of their lives than have sex with their best friend (vs. 25% of men)
· 45% of people who have been in a “friends turned lovers” relationship found sex with their buddy to be more awkward
· 65% of adults have seen friendships destroyed by trying to date
· 60% of adults have seen full groups of friends fall apart because two friends-turned-lovers ended sourly
· 47% have had mutual friends become jealous when they found out about their two friend’s new-found relationship, and 38% thought it was a bad idea

The Back-Up Plan
Hollywood classics across the Romantic Comedy genre all attempt to propose a solution to the same age-old question – should we establish a back-up plan for love?

· 62% of people would start dating a friend if they are not married by a specific age
· 57% of people would consider marrying their best friend if they are not married by a specific age
· 36% of adults confirmed they would have an agreement to marry a friend if neither has found a partner by a designated age

Source: Research Now. P18-54. N=1002. November 2014. Research Now is a leader in digital data collection.

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