What Does "Hurt Bae" Mean?

If you’ve signed onto social media today, you may be wondering, “What does “#HurtBae” mean? And why is it all over Twitter?” The simplest answer is this: #HurtBae is a woman in a video from The Scene who confronts the guy who cheated on her, and it’s emotional AF. The REAL answer, however, is that #HurtBae IS ALL OF US. Yes, ALL OF US.

Yesterday, The Scene (operated by Condé Nast Entertainment) released a video of a former couple — Kourtney and Leonard — sitting down to talk about their relationship — and, specifically, why he cheated on her like crazy when they were together. At one point she asks him, “How many times did you cheat on me?” His response: “I don’t know…. I wasn’t counting.”

Oof. Can you feel the rage building?

Kourtney and Leonard’s tale of betrayal and heartbreak struck a chord with viewers in a massive way — less than 24 hours since it was posted, the video has racked up more than 369,000 “likes,” Kourtney has become a new internet icon called “#HurtBae,” and Leonard is facing the formidable wrath of the Twitterverse.

#HurtBae’s popularity stems, I think, from the fact that her situation is so relatable. Maybe not everyone has been cheated on in the way that she has been (though it’s a fairly common occurrence), but I’d bet that most of us have had the experience of feeling emotionally shredded by a partner, and of staying with someone far too long — even when you know that he or she is bad for you. We can look at the intense Twitter reaction to #HurtBae as one giant, collective catharsis.

Ugh, her pain is palpable.

Many viewers have taken to Twitter to express their support for #HurtBae and their rage at her ex-boyfriend.

Seriously, people are pissed:

Some viewers are looking at #HurtBae's relationship as a learning experience:

Let's just be happy that #HurtBae appears to be moving on with her life (and away from the ex). As anyone who's gotten through a bad breakup knows, the hurt doesn't last forever.