China scraps lesbian plotline and suggestive dialogue on Friends

Published February 12, 2022 6:39pm ET



Chinese content streamers have edited out a lesbian-related plotline and sexually suggestive dialogue from the first episode of the popular sitcom Friends, sparking outrage from the show’s loyal fans in the country.

Viewers noticed that references to character Ross’s lesbian ex-wife were scrubbed when the show started streaming Friday on Chinese platforms, including Bilibili, Tencent, Youku, Sohu, and iQiyi, according to CNN. The tag #FriendsCensored became the No. 1 trending topic on Chinese social media outlet Weibo on Friday following the discovery with 54 million results, until it too disappeared on Saturday morning.

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