Amber Riley Vetoed “Glee” Scene Where Her Character Loses Virginity to Boyfriend: 'It Would’ve Been So Awkward'

Riley said she was conscious of the fact that young girls were watching the show

Amber Riley says she fought for her Glee character Mercedes Jones to stay true to her values.

On a recent episode of the Glee podcast And That's What You REALLY Missed, the actress told co-hosts Kevin McHale and Jenna Ushkowitz that she refused to act in a scene where her character — who was portrayed as having strong Christian values — had sex with her boyfriend, Sam Evans (played by Chord Overstreet).

“I told [Glee co-creator] Brad [Falchuk], ‘Absolutely not,' " Riley, 38, recalled, adding that she learned of the scene when it had already been finalized. “It was written. I said, ‘No.'"

According to Riley's memory of the conversation, Falchuk suggested that they tone down the more explicit sex scene and instead go with an implied scene where the two "hold hands and walk into the room and then close the door."

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The Single Black Female star said she even refused any implication that Mercedes and Sam had sex.

"I was just like, ‘No,’ " she said. ‘I’m not doing it. I don’t ever tell you guys ‘no.’ I don’t fight about anything… But this?' It would’ve been so awkward, and I feel like it would’ve read awkward.”

In the show, Mercedes was a devout Christian who had declared that she intended to remain a virgin until marriage, so Riley said she felt like the sex storyline would have been untrue to the character.

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"Let her stick to her guns if that’s what she’s saying that she [was going to do]," Riley said of Mercedes.

She explained that keeping in mind the younger audiences who were watching Glee was important to her.

“I mean, I grew up the church girl. It just wouldn’t happen. Like, not at that age, you know what I’m saying? Not that easily,” she said, further explaining why she had such strong convictions against the scene.

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“And then being pressured and all that kind of stuff — and doing it for someone else when it’s not really what you really believe — the message I felt that would’ve sent to young girls wouldn’t have been great.

Mercedes and Sam had an on-and-off relationship in Glee starting in season 2, but by the end of the show's final season, they were strictly friends.

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