A series of p,p'-disubstituted 7-phenyl-7-(2-fluorophenyl)norbornanes 5xy has been prepared, and the barrier (Delta G(#)) to 160 degrees libration around the 2-fluoroaryl-norbornane bond has been measured by DNMR. There is spectroscopic evidence of strong homoconjugative and charge-transfer (CT) interactions between both aryl groups of 5xy. However, the relationship between Delta G(#) and the nature of the substituents X and Y is accounted for only by electrostatic interactions between both aryl groups in the ground state as well as in the transition state of the libration. Therefore, the notion of CT and aromatic homoconjugation as strong attractive forces between aryl groups should be definitively rejected.