Penn Badgley Details Family Tragedies That Almost Ended His Marriage

Penn Badgley gets candid about some family dark times that shook his marriage.

The "YOU" star, who tied the knot with his wife, Domino Kirke, in 2017, welcomed the public into a side of their life that had remained away from the limelight. In his new book of essays titled "Crushmore: Essays on Love, Loss, and Coming-of-Age," he details some challenging roads they came across while building their family.

The power couple shares three sons together, including a set of twins they recently welcomed. Penn Badgley has shown open devotion, love, and fidelity to his wife, especially in decisions relating to his career.

Badgley revealed that he and his wife almost pulled the plug on their marriage after suffering two miscarriages. The second loss was harder as it brought them to a point where they felt as if they were in a never-ending cycle.

As is common with many other couples, the thought of separation lingered primarily because they felt isolated while dealing with the tragedies. Living in a "culture that doesn't talk much about these things or know how to support those going through it," added to the strain they both felt.

The visual reminder of their baby on the sonogram images is a dreadful memory Bradgley also struggles to shake past. This and more he details in his new book, "Crushmore: Essays on Love, Loss, and Coming-of-Age."

The actor also writes about his experience growing up as an only child and trying to navigate his way in life as an actor.

While speaking on the "Totally Booked" podcast early this week, the "You" star stressed the importance of being open and talking about miscarriages. He describes the moment as a very painful one and hopes that people do better by talking for a start.

Badgley cited these miscarriages without a timeline; hence, it is uncertain when exactly they occurred. The actor and his wife welcomed their first son together, James, in August 2020.

Earlier this year, Kirke announced that they were having spontaneous twins. She admitted that the news of this pregnancy left her stunned and that the feeling was "beyond magical." Her pregnancy announcement was shared in February, and in September, the duo welcomed their twin sons.

Kirke also has a son, Cassius, from a previous relationship. While speaking on a podcast, as reported by Page Six, she revealed that she was getting over the losses they had faced.

"It's harder to get in touch with that feeling of loss because my cup truly runneth over," she expressed after saying lovingly that she felt like she was drowning in children.

Badgley and Kirke met in 2014 and were first sighted together in New York sometime in July of the same year. In a now-deleted interview, Kirke disclosed that at first, she was not serious about a relationship. Being a single mom at the time, she was focused on raising her child and did not think of marriage.

The Netflix star, on the other hand, told PEOPLE that the beginning of their relationship was very romantic. But what drew him in and continues to sustain their union came after he developed divine love. Soon after he began dating Kirke, they bonded over their religion.

The pair practice the Baha'i faith, and this helped prepare Badgley for marriage. He also explained that being a public figure enabled him to continue his religious studies. The fame that ensued with his booming career led him to seek out a spiritual perspective as well.

Back in 2023, before filming season four of the Netflix hit, Badgley requested that his intimacy scenes be reduced. His decision was influenced by the desire to remain faithful to his wife, and he revealed that he made this choice even before booking the show.

On his podcast, "Podcrushed," the actor divulges that fidelity is of utmost importance to him in every relationship, especially marriage. This put him at a crossroads with his career build-up as it made him question himself.

Ideally, he would have loved not to have any intimate scenes at all, but understood that it was a difficult ask since he already signed the contract and the responsibilities that come with it.

Upon speaking with the director, The Hollywood Reporter shares that they appreciated his openness and directness and ultimately went to a fair middle ground.

Badgley plays the lead male role, Joe Goldberg, in the series. As the show aired, he openly discouraged fans from having a crush on his character.

When asked in an interview about his thoughts on people building an attraction for a serial killer, her urged them to look inwards. He also placed the brunt on the producers and Netflix as a whole.

The Blast previously reported that the actor was also asked about people being drawn to killers. His honest response was,  "I don't have answers at this point. I do, but they're long. Yeah, it's weird, man."

Badgley received praise from the online audience and fans for his accountability and honesty while sharing his views on the show, specifically in his character.