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Marie Claire
Marie Claire
Lifestyle
Jenny Proudfoot

Penn Badgley has written songs for every one of his A-list girlfriends, from Zoë Kravitz to Blake Lively

Blake Lively and Penn Badgley attend the Nina Ricci After Party for the 2008 Met Ball.

Here's what we know about the You star's A-list dating history...

Penn Badgley has been front and centre in 2025, with the 38-year-old actor returning to our screens next month in the fifth and final season of You.

And while his highly-anticipated return to the role of Joe Goldberg has been going viral, it is his personal life that has been making the most headlines, with Badgley's A-list dating history resurfacing just this week.

Here's what we know about the Gossip Girl star's past relationships...

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Penn Badgley relationships

Penn Badgley has been in a series of A-list relationships since his big onscreen break in 2006's John Tucker Must Die. Badgley's first high profile relationship was with his Gossip Girl co-star Blake Lively, with the pair dating from 2007 to 2010. He later went on to date fellow actor Zoë Kravitz for two years, from 2011 to 2013. And the following year, he met his now wife Domino Kirke, with the couple being together since 2014.

“As an actor being in a relationship, you have this opportunity to have something really exceptional, because you don’t have a regimented schedule or lifestyle," Badgley has previously explained. "But then it can also be very warped. You have on-camera romances, which ordinarily I don’t have a problem with. There are complications being an object of attention. I’ve found it’s a double-edged sword. But I’m happy to wield it."

Badgley, who is also a musician, has spoken previously about how his relationships have inspired his music, admitting to writing songs about all of his former partners.

"I've written a song for every woman I've been with," Badgley has previously told Elle. "Anybody who writes music is writing about their experience if they're writing anything that's authentic," he later added on HuffPost Live. "All of my relationships have had an effect on the music I've written."

Penn Badgley dating history

  • Penn Badgley and Blake Lively dated from 2007 to 2010
  • Penn Badgley and Zoë Kravitz dated from 2011 to 2013
  • Penn Badgley and Domino Kirke began dating in 2014, and have been married since 2017

Penn Badgley and Blake Lively

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Penn Badgley and Blake Lively dated on and off for three years, from 2007 to 2010 - spanning the first three seasons of Gossip Girl. But the former couple reportedly kept their relationship and break up under wraps, not wanting any "personal drama" to impact the show.

"We were very much caught up in the show, which itself was a six-year endurance test," Badgley has previously explained to Elle back in 2013. "I mean, like anything valuable, it was good and it was bad and it was a learning experience."

"We haven't spoken in a while, you know," Badgley told the Huffington Post back in March 2015. "There's an amicable silence if that makes any sense."

Penn Badgley and Zoë Kravitz

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Penn Badgley and Zoë Kravitz dated for almost three years, from 2011 to 2013. The former couple met in New York City and went on to share an apartment together, with Badgley describing their relationship as "real, true, earth-shattering love".

"It is all good between them," a source explained following their 2013 split. "It wasn't a sad breakup. It just wasn't working - it really did end on good terms, though."

Penn Badgley and Domino Kirke

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Penn Badgley has been married to singer Domino Kirke since 2017, with the couple meeting back in 2014. They share a 4-year-old son called James, and have announced just this month that they are expecting twins. Badgley is also stepfather to Kirke's 16-year-old son Cassius Riley.

"[Domino and I] very much had a romantic beginning," Badgley has previously explained to PEOPLE. "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."

Badgley has also explained that he is no longer comfortable with intimate scenes, revealing on his podcast, Podcrushed: "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? Fidelity in every relationship - especially in a marriage - is important to me."

Penn Badgley and Ariana Grande

Penn Badgley and Ariana Grande have never been in a relationship, but they have recently joined forces. The pair co-star in Grande's recent music video, 'the boy is mine', with Badgley marking the collaboration in a recent post.

"The boy may be yours but the pleasure was all mine," Badgley posted to Instagram, captioning a photograph of the pair on set. "Ariana Grande thank you for inviting me into your orbit for a moment & @christhedirector for building a little world to play in for a day. Hey ma I’m in a music video! And in the presence of @brandy and @monicadenise ?? Honored to be alongside these icons ❤️❤️."

Ariana Grande later appeared on Badgley's podcast, Podcrushed, for a two part special.

"True story the first time I ever DM’d Ariana years ago it was about this song," Badgley posted to Instagram to mark the occasion.

We will continue to update this story.

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