For fans who’ve been swooning over Penn Badgley since his “Gossip Girl” days or more recently as the complex Joe Goldberg in Netflix’s psychological thriller “You,” one question frequently arises: Is Penn Badgley single? The short answer is no—the actor has been happily married to Domino Kirke since 2017, and they’ve built a beautiful life together. Let’s dive into the complete relationship timeline of this creative power couple who are now expanding their family with twins on the way.
Who Is Penn Badgley?
Before we explore his relationship status, let’s get to know the man himself. Penn Dayton Badgley was born on November 1, 1986, in Baltimore, Maryland. He rose to fame playing Dan Humphrey in the hit series “Gossip Girl” (2007-2012) and later captivated audiences as the troubled Joe Goldberg in Netflix’s “You” (2018-2025).
Beyond acting, Badgley has explored music as the frontman of the band MOTHXR and has been involved in various social and political causes, including supporting Black Lives Matter and advocating for police brutality dialogue to include female victims. In his personal journey, he embraced the Baha’i Faith in 2015, which would later become a significant connection point in his relationship with Domino Kirke.
The Meatball Shop Meet-Cute: How Penn and Domino First Connected
Every great love story has a beginning, and for Penn Badgley and Domino Kirke, it started in a rather unexpected place—a meatball shop in New York City in 2014. At the time, Badgley was couch surfing, and Kirke, unaware of his “Gossip Girl” fame, boldly offered him a spare room in her apartment.
“I got his number because I was really interested in him living with me, and I thought he was cute,” Kirke revealed in a 2022 episode of Badgley’s podcast “Podcrushed.” “And it would have been nice to have a little winter, you know, fling with my roommate.”
While Badgley didn’t take her up on the roommate offer, the two began dating, though Kirke has admitted she wasn’t initially serious about the relationship. As a single mother to her son Cassius (born in 2009 from her previous relationship with musician Morgan O’Kane), she was focused on her child.
“I was sort of getting used to being a single mom, maybe a little too used to it,” she told HeyMama in a since-deleted interview. “I had a really good thing with my kid and we were like this little team. Penn and I were dating, but it wasn’t nearly as serious as it is now, of course. I didn’t think marriage was in the cards for us.”
Little did she know, their casual beginning would evolve into something much deeper.
Divine Connection: How Faith Strengthened Their Bond
What started as a casual romance soon deepened, partly through their shared spiritual journey. After “Gossip Girl” ended in 2012, Badgley had deepened his connection to the Baha’i Faith, which became a significant element in their relationship.
“I don’t think I could truly value human love until I developed divine love,” Badgley told PEOPLE in 2018. “[Domino and I] very much had a romantic beginning, and I think that you discover in marriage that what sustains a marriage for decades—there are less and less people who can tell us this—but I think it has something to do with [divine] love.”
For Badgley, being a public figure led him to continue studying his religion more deeply. “I’m really grateful for [the notoriety], but also, you struggle with things,” he shared. “The phenomenon of fame is literally invisible, but it influences and dominates your life if you aren’t careful. Learning how to accept it and accept that lots of people think they know me is ultimately what led me to seek out such a spiritual perspective.”
This shared spiritual foundation helped transform their relationship from casual dating to a meaningful partnership built on common values and a deeper understanding of connection.
Two Weddings and a Growing Family: Their Marriage Journey
After three years of dating, Penn and Domino tied the knot—twice! Their first wedding was an intimate courthouse ceremony in Brooklyn on February 27, 2017. Kirke wore a short white lace dress, while Badgley donned a navy blue suit. Following the legal ceremony, they celebrated with about 40 close friends and family at Maison-May, a French-American restaurant in Brooklyn.
A few months later, on June 24, 2017, they held a larger outdoor wedding at Kirke’s mother’s home in Waccabuc, New York. The second celebration was attended by approximately 200 guests, including celebrity friends like Mariska Hargitay, Heidi Klum, Zac Posen, and Debra Messing.
“My first wedding was more of a civil ceremony with about 40 people that were able to join us in a pinch,” Kirke explained. “The second one was more planned. 200 people came from all over the world. It just felt necessary to have both.”
The couple’s family expanded in August 2020 when they welcomed their first child together, a son. This milestone came after a difficult journey that included two miscarriages, which Kirke openly discussed in her pregnancy announcement.
“Pregnancy after loss is a whole other thing,” she wrote in February 2020. “After two miscarriages in a row, we were ready to call it. I stopped trusting my body and started to accept the fact that I was done. As a birth attendant, I’ve seen and heard it all. It takes everything I’ve got to detach lovingly from the losses I’ve been present for and be in my own experience.”
Now, the couple is preparing for an even bigger surprise—in February 2025, they announced they’re expecting identical twin boys, due in summer 2025.
“Babies #3 and #4 coming this Summer! Talk about a PLOT TWIST! Spontaneous twins are beyond magical,” Kirke shared on Instagram. Badgley later commented to Access Hollywood, “They’re identical boys, so now we have four boys. You know, I do mean this sincerely. It sounds a bit tacky, but the world needs more good men, so you know, pressure’s on us to raise them well.”
The Creative Power Couple: Supporting Each Other’s Artistic Pursuits
Beyond their family life, Penn and Domino are both deeply creative individuals who support each other’s artistic endeavors.
Domino comes from an artistic family—her father is Simon Kirke, drummer for the band Bad Company, and her mother is designer Lorraine Kirke. She’s also the sister of actresses Jemima Kirke (known for “Girls”) and Lola Kirke (“Mozart in the Jungle”). Domino herself is an accomplished singer who has been performing since age 6, attended the prestigious Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School in NYC, and released albums including “Beyond Waves” (2017) and “The Most Familiar Star” (2025).
Badgley has supported her music career, even appearing in her self-directed music video for the song “Half Blood” in 2017. Meanwhile, Kirke has been by Badgley’s side throughout his acting career, most recently supporting him at the New York City premiere of the final season of “You” in April 2025, where she proudly displayed her baby bump in a vibrant red dress.
How Marriage Changed Badgley’s Career Choices
One of the most interesting aspects of Penn and Domino’s relationship is how their marriage has influenced Badgley’s professional decisions, particularly regarding his role in “You.”
In February 2023, Badgley revealed on his podcast that he asked the show’s creator, Sera Gamble, to reduce his character’s intimacy scenes out of respect for his marriage.
“I asked Sera Gamble, [the] creator, ‘Can I just do no more intimacy scenes?’ This was actually a decision I had made before I took the show,” he shared. “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?”
He added, “Fidelity in every relationship—especially in a marriage—is important to me.”
In a later interview with Variety, Badgley admitted he almost turned down the role in “You” altogether due to the intimate scenes. “It’s not a place where I’ve blurred lines. There’s almost nothing I could say with more consecration. That aspect of Hollywood has always been very disturbing to me—and that aspect of the job, that mercurial boundary—has always been something that I actually don’t want to play with at all. I didn’t tell anybody that. But that is why.”
Becoming a father also impacted how he approached his role as the troubled Joe Goldberg. “The funny thing is I was curious what my new fatherhood, how that would influence my experience with Joe and acting with him, and sometimes it was almost not helpful because I was having such a light and joyful experience—still am—and Joe is so petrified,” he told Access in 2021.
Navigating Fame and Building a “Fortress of Well-Being”
Despite being together for over a decade, Kirke has been candid about the ongoing adjustment to Badgley’s level of fame.
“I didn’t watch Gossip Girl, so I didn’t really know what all the fuss was about when I met him,” she told Glamour UK in 2022. “So I’m still sort of—getting used to this, and I think he is too, because he was always part of this ensemble. So this is new for him. He’s the star, the shining star of all of it. I think it’s a learning curve for us, for sure.”
She added, “It’s very unnatural to be known as well as he’s known right now. It feels kind of strange when we’re out and about to have the amount of people come up to us—it’s pretty crazy, actually. So, I don’t think it ever feels normal or healthy, so we’re all just getting used to it.”
Despite these challenges, their relationship has provided a strong foundation—or as Kirke beautifully put it in her sixth anniversary post in February 2023: “Thank you, @pennbadgley, for helping me understand that it’s not just about the person you’re marrying but the fortress of well-being that a marriage can create.”
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Is Penn Badgley single?
No, Penn Badgley is not single. He has been married to musician and doula Domino Kirke since February 2017. The couple has one son together, born in August 2020, and is expecting identical twin boys in summer 2025. Badgley is also a stepfather to Kirke’s son Cassius from a previous relationship.
2. How did Penn Badgley and Domino Kirke meet?
Penn and Domino met at a meatball shop in New York City in 2014. At the time, Badgley was couch surfing, and Kirke offered him a room in her apartment. While he didn’t accept the roommate offer, they exchanged numbers and began dating shortly afterward.
3. What does Domino Kirke do professionally?
Domino Kirke has multiple professional pursuits. She’s a musician who has released albums including “Beyond Waves” (2017) and “The Most Familiar Star” (2025). She’s also a trained doula who co-founded Carriage House Birth, which provides services for pregnant women. In 2021, she co-authored a book about postpartum experiences titled “Life After Birth: Portraits of Love and the Beauty of Parenthood.”
4. How has marriage influenced Penn Badgley’s career choices?
Marriage has significantly influenced Badgley’s professional decisions. He requested fewer intimacy scenes in “You” out of respect for his marriage, stating that “fidelity in every relationship—especially in a marriage—is important to me.” He also revealed that he almost turned down the role in “You” altogether due to the intimate scenes involved. Additionally, becoming a father affected how he approached playing his character Joe Goldberg, as his real-life “light and joyful experience” of fatherhood contrasted with Joe’s dark and fearful perspective.
Conclusion: From Meatball Shop to Marriage and Parenthood
From their chance meeting in a New York meatball shop to building a blended family that will soon include four boys, Penn Badgley and Domino Kirke’s relationship has evolved from a casual beginning to a deep, spiritually connected partnership. Their journey together showcases how shared values, mutual support, and a commitment to growth can transform a relationship over time.
As Penn finishes his run as Joe Goldberg in the final season of “You” and the couple prepares to welcome their twin boys this summer, it’s clear that while Badgley may have become famous playing complicated romantic leads on screen, his real-life love story with Domino Kirke is the role he seems to cherish most.
