Penn Badgley’s wife denies asking him to stop doing sex scenes after You star’s ‘fidelity’ comments.
Penn Badgley’s wife has clarified her position regarding her husband doing sex scenes on television.
Badgley, who married Domino Kirke-Badgley in February 2017, starred in the hit Netflix series You as Joe, a seemingly normal American who leads a double life as a stalker and serial killer.
He made comments about his Podécrassé podcast in February 2023 about limiting her intimate scenes on the popular show. The decision, he explained, stemmed from the direction he wanted to take his career, saying, “Do I want to get back on a career path where I’m still (the) romantic lead?”
THE Gossip Girl one elder added: “Fidelity in every relationship – especially in a marriage – is important to me. »
A few weeks later, Badgley said GQ that his comments were “disproportionate”, saying: “It was kind of like the culture inherent in the production of all films, but particularly these scenes. It’s like, look, we know that Hollywood has had a history of exploitation and blatant abuse.”
Now Kirke-Badgley has weighed in, saying in a Monday Instagram post that she’s still asked about her husband’s comments years later, clarifying that it was his decision to do fewer intimate scenes, not hers.
Penn Badgley starred in all five seasons of the Netflix series “You” (Getty)
“A few years ago the internet decided I was asking my husband to stop doing sex scenes. The truth is my husband decided to do this for mental health reasons. After working in the industry since he was 12, trust me it’s about time,” she wrote in the caption.
Speaking directly to the camera, Kirke-Badgley said: “Meaning, he didn’t want to have sex. He didn’t want to. Yeah, he didn’t want to do any of that, which was really important in his industry because that’s the thing that they love you to do the most,” she said.
“The characters my husband has played over the years, people expect him to continue playing that guy,” she continued.
Kirke-Badgley said she supports her husband’s decision before concluding, “So yeah, I want to say to those of you who are still telling me that my husband decided to do this for himself and his mental health, like getting over it.”
Domino Kirke-Badgley has spoken out about her husband Penn Badgley’s decision to abstain from on-screen sex scenes (Getty)
Badgley said on the 2023 podcast that he asked series creator Sera Gamble, “Can I just not do any more intimate scenes?”
He said that to his relief, Gamble “didn’t even bat an eyelid” at his request.
“She was very happy that I was honest. She had a very positive response. They came back with a phenomenal discount,” Badgley said.
You concluded its five-season run on Netflix in 2025.
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