Nope, Joe Goldberg Is Not a Swiftie, According to Penn Badgley

Joe Goldberg is a lot of things (murderer, kidnapper, stalker, to name a few), but he is not a Swiftie.

In a February 15 interview with Variety, actor Penn Badgley, who portrays the charismatic killer in Netflix’s You, mused over the character’s liking of international pop icon Taylor Swift. “I think, unfortunately, he would despise her,” Penn said. “Because she’s successful and blond, maybe? I don’t know, but I think he would.”

Despite Joe’s apparent *strong* dislike for T-Swift, her music is linked to the thriller series in more ways than one. “Exile,” Taylor’s song with Bon Iver from her 2020 Folklore album, plays in You’s season 3 finale, as Joe (spoiler alert) stages the fatal poisoning of his wife, Love Quinn, as a murder-suicide.

According to the actor, there’s even a Taylor reference in the penultimate episode of season 4, titled “She’s Not There” (which, ahem, Penn directed).

But wait, there’s more! ICYMI, Penn’s debut on TikTok was a cheeky recreation of Taylor’s “Anti-Hero” music video, the hit single from her latest album, Midnights. In the seconds-long clip on the clock app, Penn channels Joe as he lip-syncs the famous lyrics, “It’s me, hi, I’m the problem, it's me.”

The video was Taylor-approved, with a comment from the queen herself: “OMG!!!! 🤩”

Joe continues to be the problem in Part 2 of You season 4, which premieres on Netflix on March 9.

Catch Up on Part 1 of Season 4 Now

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