Search Results: hanging out with friends friendship

My boyfriend and I are having a huge fight because I went to a comedy show with my best friend. He's male and straight but he has a girlfriend for 4 yours. We're just friends and there was never anything but friendship between us. My boyfriend and I have been together for about 6 months now and he's living in a different country, I just came back home. I can see that it's difficult for him because he doesn't know my friends personally but I never gave him a reason to question my love and loyalty. He was going on about me being disrespectful and was also making jokes about me being on a date and was very short with me. I told him about having a male friend right away on our first date and he said he was okay with that and that he generally wasn't the jealous type. At first I tried to explain to him that he has nothing to worry about but he was kinda freaking out even more and said it makes it worse when I try to justify this and that trust is earned not given. Then I just said that I'm sorry and that I wasn't aware that it upsets him that much and that I wouldn't meet him alone again. I thought we're back to normal then but he's still very short with me so I asked him and he said he forgave me but he's still kinda mad and that he's now questioning the age gap and he would have already broke up with me if he didn't like me. I don't know what to do because I already apologized although I didn't even do anything. He never said that this is such a dealbreaker for him.

Was anyone of you ever in that situation (both sides) and can help?

Do you believe you can stay friends with a previous partner? If so explain why you believe you can or can't.
I believe you can if it didn't end or having any toxic issues such as cheating or any form of abuse. If you simply ended it because feelings faded or something else, but still have a friendly vibe, I don't see why not.
Maybe some of you believe you can't because there will always be some type of feeling involved.
But what defines friendship when it comes to exes? Actually still talking and meeting up like any other friends you have? Hanging out once a year if that? Or is the ''lets be friends'' just a way of just saying ''you can come for help if ever needed because I have love for you but we will not be talking or hanging out?