The Girlfriend star Robin Wright reveals unexpected reason Laura and Cherry hate each other

The events of the new Prime Video series The Girlfriend would never have happened if it weren’t for Laura and Cherry despising each other. According to actress and executive producer Robin Wright, there’s an unexpected reason for their hatred. 

Based on Michelle Frances’ 2017 novel of the same name, The Girlfriend follows two unreliable narrators: Laura (Wright), a woman who has it all, and Cherry (Olivia Cooke), a woman who wants it all. 

At the center of their lives is Daniel (Laurie Davidson), Laura’s son and Cherry’s boyfriend. When Laura becomes convinced that Cherry is hiding dark secrets, their conflict reaches bloody heights, all of which builds to a truly unhinged ending. 

The ‘future mother-in-law butts heads with new girlfriend’ is a tale as old as time, but there are plenty of fresh twists on this trope in the new TV show, including the reason why Laura and Cherry don’t get on. 

Why Laura and Cherry hate each other in The Girlfriend

On the surface, Laura and Cherry’s lives couldn’t be more different – Laura comes from a privileged background while Cherry has had to climb the ladder. But according to Wright, at a base level, they’re exactly the same, and that’s why they hate each other. 

Think about it: both women have the same goal, which is having Daniel’s full attention. And both will play dirty to get it.

In an interview with Harper’s Bazaar, Wright – who plays Laura while executive producing and directing three episodes – said they’re two sides of the same coin. 

“If there wasn’t this conflict that ensues called ‘My Son and Her Boyfriend,’ they probably would’ve been BFFs and went to the Maldives together with other women,” she told the outlet.  

“When you think everything’s going to be fine and they’re going to become friends in Episode 2, you see the similarities. They come from the same foundational place, i.e., ‘We get what we want, we are in the driver’s seat.’ And if that starts to go dark, especially with women, there’s hell to pay.”

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As stated by Olivia Cooke, due to their stubbornness, neither Cherry nor Laura can see the faults in their own actions. 

“They both think the other has ruined their respective lives, and there’s no admission of guilt, so revenge needs to be enacted,” she explained. “They’re just propelled by blind rage and anger. They feel like they’re in the right and losing control.”

The stars elaborated on what it is that grinds their respective gears, with Wright saying, “You see how tight-knit the Sanderson family is because Laura controls that wheel. 

“Cherry comes in and starts to penetrate, saying, ‘Accept me. Allow me to be a part of this, because I’m in love with your son.’ And that’s when the competition, the fight, the struggle and the tug of war becomes more amplified, because neither one’s going to give up… 

“[Cherry] just wants to be liked and accepted. I want to love her, because I’ve never seen my son so in love with someone. And it quickly takes a turn because instinctually, a mother knows when white lies are being made or exaggerations of truth are being told.”

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Cooke added, “Cherry’s challenging Daniel in a way that he’s not been challenged before,” which is “an affront to Laura”. She went on to highlight one of the most contentious aspects of The Girlfriend: Laura’s mothering of her son. 

You see, ultimately, Cherry is the bigger threat. She glasses herself in the head to make Laura look bad, she incapacitated her own father and then lies about his existence, and even her own mother thinks she’s a danger. 

However, Laura’s no angel, telling Cherry that Daniel has died when he’s still very much alive and deceiving her own son into thinking his girlfriend has done a runner. But she’s also a little too close to Daniel. 

The Cherry vs Laura debate

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Due to the hit series telling the story from both women’s perspectives, viewers are split in their opinions: some are team Cherry, others side with Laura, and then there are those who think they’re both awful. 

Taking to Reddit, one wrote, “I just finished it. I thought it was great. And yes, they were both horrible.” Another said, “Just finished it. They were both psycho, only victim was the poor, weak son.”

A third added, “I just finished it and OMG I genuinely was more on the side of the mom to be honest. Cherry just gave me the creeps the whole time and I felt like I hated her more and more as the show went on. Also I was afraid of what she might do. 

“The mom was extreme and her relationship with Daniel was giving Oedipal but I kind of understood her motive to protect her son even though she went too far.”

A fourth chimed in, “I would have defended the mother if she didn’t lie about the death. Being over protective is not as bad as being manipulative to make you hate your own mother.”

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Over on X/Twitter, one said, “Just finished The Girlfriend on Prime and honestly the end didn’t tell me something I didn’t know. Both Laura and Cherry are insane but Cherry wouldn’t have done half of what she did if Laura wasn’t batsh*t.”

Whichever side you’re on, there’s one thing everyone can agree with: Laura and Daniel’s relationship gets a little bit creepy. 

One skin-crawling scene shows her kissing Daniel on the lips, while another sees her wrapping her arm around his waist, not realizing that he’s masturbating to Cherry. 

As said by a viewer, “Yes, he was sweet, but the mom/son relationship was disturbing. I have two grown sons and would never be that way with them, nor would they want me to be.”

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Another stated, “It was downright creepy indeed. I just felt like turning away whenever she would grab him like he was her partner not her son. He was very affectionate with her as well. I felt so bad for her husband, another sweet man.”

“The girlfriend is very entertaining but to be honest I don’t get why we’re supposed to hate Cherry? This icon is only getting revenge on people who hurt her ffs,” added a third. 

“Laura is the crazy one. She has a weird and obsessive incest-y relationship with her son and takes it out on his girlfriend.”

The Girlfriend is streaming on Prime Video now. You can also check out the new shows coming to Netflix this month and find everything that’s coming up with our 2025 TV show release calendar.