Updated October 25, 2026, 9:42 p.m. ET
Emily Osment reportedly needed an intimacy coordinator on the set of “Young Sheldon” when things got tough.
The revelation appears in Jessica Radloff’s new book, “Young Sheldon: The (Juicier-Than-Meemaw’s-Brisket) Inside Story of the Hit Comedy,” according to an Oct. 24 Variety report. In the book, Radloff speaks with Osment about the discomfort she felt during kissing scenes with co-star Montana Jordan, who was 18 at the time, while Osment was 30.
“It made me uncomfortable. It was a baby! A baby with a mullet,” Osment was quoted as saying in the book about the 12-year age gap.
Why Emily Osment Asked for an Intimacy Coordinator With Montana Jordan
“So I talked to Tim Marx, and obviously they couldn’t get one this late in the day, but for the later episodes they had one there, because the relationship between them was intensifying,” the “Pretty Smart” actress, now 34, said. “It made everything easier to have one there. I think that’s something really important.”
Co-creator Steve Molaro confirmed Osment’s request for professional intervention, saying she had “every right to ask” and noted that she eventually became “comfortable without” an intimacy coordinator.
USA TODAY has reached out to Osment’s representative for additional comment.
What is the age gap between Emily Osment and Montana Jordan?
Osment, now 34, played Mandy McAllister, the 29-year-old weather anchor who becomes the love interest of Sheldon’s older brother, 17-year-old high school dropout Georgie Cooper Jr. (Jordan, now 23).
In “Young Sheldon,” which ran for seven seasons and 141 episodes on CBS, Mandy and Georgie finally welcomed a child. Their lives as parents take place in the spin-off of the series “Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage”.
Mandy and Georgie’s lack of intimacy on the show hasn’t made things any easier for the partners, as director Alex Reid recounted how Osment and Jordan “totally dropped the ball” in one of their scenes.
“I have a between-take photo of them sitting in this car when we shot this, and they’re looking in other directions. I showed it to Emily and she said, ‘Yeah, it was so uncomfortable for both of us, because we didn’t know each other,'” Reid said.
He added, “It wasn’t even about the lack of an intimacy coordinator. It’s just that you have to make out with someone you just met. Obviously, they understood that, and they have great chemistry now, but it was kind of awkward.”
What does an Intimacy Coordinator do?
An intimacy coordinator helps actors film intimate scenes – including kissing, nudity and simulated sex – safely and with ongoing consent. They establish boundaries, help choreograph movements, and communicate any agreed upon boundaries between the performers and the production team.
Gn entert
