I Asked 6 Gen Zers How They Found Out Their Partner Was Cheating & The Answers Are Wild, Y’all

In this day and age of social media and dating apps, it’s not surprising that cheating happens frequently. People everywhere have to come to terms with the fact they may not know their partner as well as they thought (anyone else thinking of the Who TF Did I Marry? series too?). It doesn’t matter who you are either, even celebs like Ariana Grande and Beyoncé, are at risk of being cheated on. 

The story of finding out someone is cheating on you is never a happy one, but it can be entertaining — especially when the question is how they found out. When you combine this with the fact that these stories come from Gen Z, you’re bound to be in for a wild ride. 

Gen Z, though still made up of a relatively young age group, has honestly had it rough. I talked to six Gen Zers and, based on their stories, I’m officially scared for everyone in a serious relationship — and I’m even more terrified I’ll be telling a similar story of how I found out I was being cheated on. But, if it does happen, expect a 50-part series detailing all of it. We can call it Who TF Did I Date? — it’s only obvious.

They received the “Hey Girly” Text.

Unfortunately, there are many of us girls who have been on the receiving end of this kind of text message. Once you see the opening “hey girly…” it’s basically a done deal that something sketchy went down between your partner and someone else.

“This was actually the second time I’ve gotten a ‘hey girly’ DM,” shares Sam*, a 20-year-old FSU student. “The DM basically exposed my boyfriend as a cheater but after that, I went through his phone while he was working and found the receipts.” 

@kyleevannewkirkk

like thank you, but you didn’t have to tell me YET. #fyp

♬ LOSER – MAYA.

Alex*, age 21 from USC, shares that she got a “hey girly” text that included video evidence of her boyfriend cheating. “I knew he was at a party with some friends, but then I got that text. They even sent me a video of my boyfriend and some girl making out on a couch,” she says. “When I confronted him about it, he tried to lie and say nothing happened. I was so happy to hand him my phone with the text message and video proof. He was pretty speechless after that.” 

Their partner slipped up and told them… literally. 

It may suck finding out your partner cheated, but knowing that they weren’t smart enough to keep it a secret is bound to bring some satisfaction. 

Tiktoker Taomie Kay (@taomiekayy) shared a two-part series on all the sketchy ways her boyfriend acted and how it was clear he was hiding something. She said “One day I decided you know what, I’m going to give him a ring and just act like I already know something. I said tell me why you lied all of these years, and there was pure silence… that was game over. He started admitting everything.”

@taomiekayy

Replying to @Amina What an emotional rollercoaster that was but I’m so glad to be away from that situation and in a happier, healthier place 😊 #storytimemakeup #cheatingstorytime #part2 #grwmstorytime

♬ original sound – Taomie Kay 💄

Maria* has a similar story and told Her Campus that her boyfriend straight up said during a conversation, “I can’t hang out tonight because I have that date with Chelsea*.” Whether it slipped out by accident or not, it’s wild that he tattled on himself.

they searched their phone.

Maybe it seems like a breach of privacy to go through your partner’s phone, but a woman’s intuition is rarely wrong. A lot of Gen Zers have discovered their partner’s infidelity through some snooping — and let me just say that some of these methods are so clever. 

UGA alum Leah* tells Her Campus that not only did she go through her girlfriend’s phone, but she searched through the Venmo history and found hidden transactions sent to other girls with some very flirty messages. “ “At least I can pull my own girls and don’t have to pay for their time,” she says. Sometimes, you have to get creative with it I guess!

@sarahbispy

if your gut tells you to ever check his phone.. look in the RIGHT spots 🤐🤫 #relationships #dating #relationshiptips #datingtips #gutinstincts

♬ original sound – Sarah Bispy

But sometimes, snooping isn’t a necessity. Riley* says that she didn’t have to search her boyfriend’s phone very hard because once it was unlocked, she saw both Tinder and Hinge apps in a folder on his home screen: “He could’ve at least been creative about it if he was going to cheat. I mean, he wasn’t even trying.” 

There’s no great way to find out that your partner is cheating — what’s done is done and it sucks. Hopefully, you can make sure it doesn’t get any worse from there! Stay safe out there!

*Names have been changed.

• cheating
• dating
• sex and relationship
• wellness