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Phoebe Buffay's past has always been a point of intrigue for everyone. Behind all the optimism and the hippie attitude is a street-smart girl hardened by the difficulties life threw at her.
Unlike the rest of the characters, Phoebe did not have a stable childhood or family and lived a hard life. It was only when she found the Friends gang and became a part of it that she had any semblance of family and stability. However, she could never leave her past behind and would casually blurt out disturbing details every now and then.
5 disturbing stories from Phoebe Buffay's past
Here are five bizarre and disturbing stories Phoebe Buffay shared on the sitcom about her past:
1) Her mother's death
Phoebe Buffay had an unpleasant childhood. She was left with her adoptive mother after her real mother left her, and her father abandoned her soon after. But that isn't the end of it.
When Phoebe was 14, her adoptive mother, Lily, took her own life by sticking her head in an oven. Not only is the imagery of the act very disturbing, but what is even more disturbing is Phoebe's nonchalant attitude towards the whole incident.
2) Phoebe mugged Ross
By the age of 14, Phoebe was already living alone on the streets of New York City and had to fight her way through life to survive. During the Season 9 episode The One with the Mugging, we find out Phoebe once mugged Ross.
When Ross shares a story from his childhood about when he was mugged by a large man outside of a comic book store, Phoebe realizes that she was the one who mugged him. She comes clean to Ross and makes amends for it by returning to him the things she mugged.
3) Twin sister
Phoebe does not like to talk about her estranged identical twin sister, Ursula Buffay. In the Season 6 episode The One Where Chandler Can't Cry, it's revealed that Ursula works in the adult entertainment industry and even uses Phoebe's name as an alias.
4) She attacked a cop
Phoebe had a really eventful and unhappy childhood. In the Season 9 episode The One with Ross's Sandwich, Phoebe casually states in a conversation how she had once cut a cop. While everyone is flabbergasted at the statement, Phoebe defends herself by saying that he attacked her first.
5) Her best friend's death
Phoebe's life is filled with incidents of her losing loved ones. In the Season 1 episode The One Where Nana Dies Twice, Phoebe tries to comfort Ross and Monica after their grandmother passes away by sharing the story of how she feels a connection with her childhood best friend, Debbie, who died under odd circumstances.
Debbie was struck by lightning while playing miniature golf. While the circumstances of the story add humor to the whole incident, if we peel back the humor, it is yet another sad incident in Phoebe's life.
