Washington, April 18 – You star Penn Badgley has opened up about his lifelong struggle with body dysmorphia, shedding light on how personal trauma and industry pressures shaped his self-image from a young age.
In a candid interview with People magazine, the 38-year-old actor revealed he often felt inadequate and longed for a different body, a struggle he attributes to multiple factors, including his parents’ divorce, social isolation, and the image-focused culture of Hollywood.
Badgley shared that his time portraying Dan Humphrey on the hit teen drama Gossip Girl intensified his insecurities.
“The show’s focus on aesthetics made me feel like I had to look a certain way,” he admitted.
The pressure became so overwhelming at times that he even considered stepping away from acting altogether. However, it was spirituality that ultimately became his anchor.
The actor now practices daily prayer and meditation, placing great importance on deep personal relationships with friends and family.
“That is what allowed me to persevere through the disillusionment, all the things I’d been grappling with,” he said, adding that his return to acting came with a sense of “inner transformation.”
Badgley’s honesty adds to the growing conversation around mental health and body image, particularly among men in the entertainment industry.