‘You’ star Penn Badgley: Joe Goldberg “probably despises” Taylor Swift
(Credit: Netflix)

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'You' star Penn Badgley: Joe Goldberg "probably despises" Taylor Swift

During a recent interview, Netflix’s You star Penn Badgley revealed that his character, Joe Goldberg, would hate musician Taylor Swift despite the singer being referenced in the series.

The actor spoke with Variety and mentioned how he used one of the singer’s recent songs, ‘Anti-Hero’ from her album Midnight, in one of his TikTok videos. Badgley lip-syncs to the song in the now-viral clip, and Swift commented, “OMG!!!!”

Following this, Badgley shared that his Netflix character, a university professor who embodies stalker behaviour, “probably despises” the pop star, who is even referenced in one You episode. 

“I think, unfortunately, he would despise her,” the actor said. “Because she’s successful and blonde, maybe? I don’t know, but I think he would.”

Badgley also shared his thoughts on venturing into other areas of film and tv, such as directing and producing, tying it with the rise of streaming sites and social media. “Things are so digital, so online,” he says. “I think you’ve got to be fully in or fully out.”

The actor has also made headlines after sharing he will be stepping back from sex scenes in his work out of respect for his wife, Domino Kirke. 

He told the podcast Podcrushed, “I asked Sera Gamble, the creator of the show, ‘Can I just do no more intimacy scenes?'” 

“This was actually a decision I had made before I took the show,” the actor added. “I don’t think I’ve ever mentioned it publicly, but one of the main things is, ‘Do I want to put myself back on a career path where I’m always [the] romantic lead?”

Despite some adverse reactions to his decision online, Badgley remains firm in his career choice. 

The first part of You season four was released on February 9th and sees Goldberg take up a new identity and life in London. The show also sees Tati Gabrielle reprises her role as Marienne Bellamy, with Charlotte Ritchie, Tilly Keeper, Amy-Leigh Hickman, Ed Speleers and Lukas Gage joining as new cast members. 

You is available to stream on Netflix.