Penn Badgley says backlash over request for fewer sex scenes was 'blown out of proportion'
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Penn Badgley is weighing in on the controversy he set off when he recently revealed that he requested to perform fewer sex scenes in the latest season of his hit Netflix series You, and that he intends to do the same for future projects.
In an interview with GQ published Tuesday, the actor said he was somewhat surprised by the backlash to his comments, which was "blown out of proportion."
"What I was speaking about wasn't actually the final product," Badgley said. "It was sort of like the culture inherent to the production of all movies, but particularly those scenes. It's like, look, we know that Hollywood has had a history of flagrant exploitation and abuse."
He also noted that he had been "nervous to even have that conversation" with You showrunner Sera Gamble, who was gracious about his concerns. "It was not easy," Badgley said. "It was easy because of Sera's response, and I felt relieved. But technically speaking, if I thought I'd had the ability to set that boundary earlier, I would have."
Netflix Penn Badgley on 'You'
The actor said he's aware that his decision could affect his career: "We shall see if setting that boundary, of course, has any ramifications. Just simply, it does limit the number of projects you can be a part of."
Badgley revealed on his Podcrushed podcast last month that he had requested to minimize "intimacy scenes" in You season 4. "This is actually a decision I had made before I took the show," he said. "I don't think I had ever mentioned it publicly, but one of the main things is like, do I want to put myself back in a career path where I'm just always a romantic lead?"
He added, "Fidelity, in every relationship, and especially my marriage, is important to me. And it just got to that point where I don't want to do that."
Reactions to Badgley's remarks were varied, with some observers criticizing the actor's equation of sex scenes to real sex, and also pointing to the employment of intimacy coordinators on set. Regardless, Badgley told GQ that his request "didn't change the trajectory of the season at all" and added, "I mean, [my character] was naturally ready to not be in that position anymore."
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