Boyfriend surprises his partner by cooking ‘Riso al Pomodoro.’ The internet rushes to tell her dumping him is the only answer

If you’re looking for proof that the internet is entirely too judgmental, look no further. TikTok user Sophie Minchilli has been convinced by her followers to dump her boyfriend, simply because of the humble dinner he cooked for her and he’s no TikTok chef. This whole situation is wild, and I genuinely can’t believe how quickly people went from viewing a sweet gesture to demanding a breakup.

The drama started when Minchilli shared a video celebrating a milestone: her partner cooked dinner for her for the very first time. She captioned the clip sweetly, writing that her boyfriend said he’d cook and that “he’s so cute he did his best.” The dish in question was deceptively simple: rice topped with steaming tomato sauce. The brief, 12-second video shows the cook dividing an even amount of white rice into two bowls, covering it with sauce, mixing the concoction together, and finishing it off with a drizzle of olive oil.

Minchilli’s final verdict, which she shared in the caption, was overwhelmingly positive. Per Bro Bible, she claimed that the meal “was actually so good!!!” and enjoyed it with a spoon. You’d think that would be the end of it, right? If the person eating the meal is happy, that’s all that matters. Unfortunately, her fellow TikTok users emphatically disagreed, and they came in hot.

It’s not the effort that counts, according to TikTokers

When I saw this, I thought it was awful how quickly people piled on. Making dinner for someone for the first time is nerve-wracking enough, but imagine doing it and then having millions of people scrutinize your choice of ingredients. The majority of the criticism focused on the simplicity of the dish, suggesting that the boyfriend’s effort reflected poorly on Minchilli’s standards.

Here’s the thing, though: the boyfriend didn’t just invent a weird, depressing meal. He was actually making a legitimate, traditional Italian comfort food called “Riso al Pomodoro.” That translates literally to rice with tomato sauce. It’s a classic, humble meal, and its success relies entirely on using quality ingredients. If you’ve ever had a simple meal that was perfectly executed, you know this isn’t bad. People need to chill out; not every meal has to be a gourmet masterpiece.

The entire backlash became so intense that Minchilli addressed it in subsequent videos. In one clip, she dramatically announced that the internet had “convinced her to break up with him,” even asking her followers for dating advice. Given the highly publicized nature of the original post, it seems highly likely she’s trolling the critics. It’s a genius way to handle the situation, honestly.

However, the experience clearly took a toll on her willingness to share her personal life online. She followed up with a clear statement that she won’t be sharing anything about her relationship going forward. She shared, “And this is why I will never be posting about my friends, family or partner ever again on this app.” You can totally understand why she feels that way.

It’s a shame that a sweet moment of culinary happiness turned into a massive internet shaming session, forcing someone to rethink what they share with their followers.