Why Penn Badgley’s ‘No Sex Scenes’ Rule Was Axed for You Season 5
Penn Badgley had to walk back his “no sex scenes” rule for the final season of You after talking to the creative team for the popular Netflix series, and fans are curious about the reasoning behind his decision.
“I had to throw that out the window,” Penn told People in an interview published on April 24, 2025.
Warning: Spoilers for You season 5 ahead!
Why Did Penn Badgley Change His Mind About His ‘No Sex Scenes’ Rule?
Penn told the publication that he had to ask himself what he “was willing” to do when it came to steamy scenes with his on-screen love interest in You season 5.
“That was the question again. All right, what am I willing to do?” the former Gossip Girl star explained. “And as I always said, I said, my desire is that least as possible, but if it’s necessary, that’s the show we all sign up to make. So, let’s make sure it’s vital, let’s make sure it’s important, it’s deliberate. And we did.”
Penn Badgley Says He’ll ‘Miss’ Playing Joe Goldberg
Penn has played the charming yet murderous star of You for five seasons, but the actor said, despite the character’s creepy personality, he’ll “miss” diving into the role.
“He’s been a profound experience for me. He’s not a real person. So what have I been doing? I’ve been engaging in this … my entire 30s,” Penn shared. “I was 30 when I took the role. I’m going to be 39 this year. Even though the show, the way it came out, it’s actually been closer to seven years. For me, it’s like my 30s.”
The Easy A star continued, “I became a father while I was on this show. I only got married just before I took the role. So, I’ve grown a lot and I’ve grown with Joe in a strange way. He’s taught me a lot about what it is to be a man by knowing what it is not. And I don’t mean the obvious things like, ‘oh, don’t murder, that’s bad.’ That’s very clear.”
What Happens to Joe Goldberg in ‘You’ Season 5?
Joe’s been getting away with murder (literally) for five seasons now, and while some people might not be satisfied with his ending, Penn was happy with Joe’s fate.
In the series finale, Joe was finally apprehended for the murders of Love Quinn (Victoria Pedretti) and Guinevere Beck (Elizabeth Lail), and as a little extra salt in the wound, Bronte (Madeline Brewer) shot him in the groin just before his arrest.
“The finale, to me, it’s doing everything that could possibly be done in a satisfying manner,” Penn said in an interview with Entertainment Weekly published on April 24, 2025. “I think he’s delivered to his truly appropriate end. And then the only thing left is to realize [that] there is no ending that could satisfy anyone 100 percent, because justice for a man like Joe isn’t in and of itself satisfying. I mean, he’s an abuser. He’s a killer. He’s a bad person. So I think being satisfied is a positive thing.”
Even though Joe begged Bronte to kill him before he was arrested, she opted to take out his manhood instead, something Penn found particularly poetic.
“He does his worst damage not in the cage, because in the cage he’s actually transparent about who he is, or he’s the most transparent about who he is,” he told the outlet. “And he’ll actually put anybody in the cage who needs to be — men, women, old, young, whatever — but he will not bring just anybody into the bedroom. The bedroom is a state of mind: he has a very specific kind of idea of prey, and he refuses to admit that he is a predator.”