Penn Badgley and his wife, Domino Kirke, faced a challenging time in their relationship after going through two heartbreaking miscarriages.
In his new essay collection, “Crushmore: Essays on Love, Loss, and Coming-of-Age,” Badgley described this painful experience. He noted, “This was our second loss, at a time when we didn’t think the cycle would break. My wife and I came close to separation, as many couples do after such a loss.”
The couple felt particularly isolated in their grief, he explained, pointing out that “we live in a culture where we don’t really talk about these things or know how to support those experiencing it.” That sense of disconnect can be tough.
Badgley, 39, shared the haunting memory of seeing their baby in a black-and-white ultrasound image, a moment that he said lingers every time he undergoes an ultrasound. He discussed the topic of miscarriage more broadly during a recent podcast, expressing a need for more open conversations around it.
“Loss like this is actually quite common,” he stated. “We should talk about it more—though I’m not entirely sure if that’s enough. Still, we need to start having these discussions. It’s a painful experience that is, well, universally painful. Sometimes, it feels like not everyone is allowed to fully process that pain.”
While it’s not clear exactly when these miscarriages happened, Badgley and Kirke, 41, welcomed their son, James, in August 2020. Kirke later gave birth to twin sons in September. She had previously expressed her surprise on Instagram when announcing her pregnancy, describing “spontaneous twins” as “beyond magical.”
Kirk also has a son named Cassius from a previous relationship. Reflecting on the intense demands of parenting, Badgley humorously noted how he felt a bit overwhelmed, saying on the podcast, “I wrote this before the twins were born, and now I feel like I’m drowning in my kids.” He added, “So now that the cup is truly gone, it’s even harder to come to grips with that sense of loss.”
Despite their struggles, Badgley expressed gratitude for not yielding to the temptation of separation from Kirke. The couple started dating in 2014 and married in February 2017, reaffirming their vows later that year.
