Inside the Private World of Penn Badgley: Rare Photos of His Loving Family

Penn Badgley and Domino Kirke Kristina Bumphrey/Shutterstock

"To my incredible partner, who possesses qualities of realness, patience, kindness, devotion, and sexiness," the singer expressed on Instagram on Sunday, June 18. "Although we have only managed to sleep a total of 7 hours this week, I can confidently say that there is no one else I would choose to experience sleep deprivation with. You are deeply cherished, @pennbadgley. Happy Father's Day."

Kirke’s post featured two photos of the You actor, 36, affectionately embracing their toddler, who was born in September 2020. In one image, a smiling Badgley cradled the newborn in his arms, while another capture portrayed him holding his son close as he addressed a microphone. The final snapshot showcased Badgley alone, dressed in a casual button-down shirt and sporting a New York Knicks baseball cap.

Courtesy of Domino Kirke/Instagram

In 2017, Badgley and Kirke got married after dating for three years. In February 2020, they shared the exciting news that they were expecting their first child together, despite experiencing multiple miscarriages. Kirke expressed her feelings about pregnancy after loss, acknowledging the challenges and the emotional journey it entailed. She shared her personal struggle with trusting her body and accepting the possibility of not having a child. Kirke, who works as a birth attendant, also mentioned the difficulty of separating her own experiences from the losses she has witnessed and supported others through.

Before her marriage to Badgley, Kirke became a mother in January 2009 when she had her son Cassius with her ex-partner Morgan O'Kane. In October 2019, Kirke revealed that Badgley embraced his role as a stepparent and was enjoying life with her son.

"He’s an exceptional stepfather," Kirke exclusively shared with us. "Since he doesn't have the pressure of being 'dad', he can have more fun with him. It's truly wonderful. The role of a stepparent is unfamiliar to me since I didn't grow up with one, but he takes excellent care of him."

Badgley, on his part, mentioned that parenting Cassius and baby James during the pandemic allowed the family to form stronger bonds than they would have under normal circumstances. "The greatest blessing that we received from it was our son," Badgley explained during an appearance on SiriusXM's The Jess Cagle Show in October 2021. "I also have a stepson who is 12, and his experience was, I believe, different because kids at that age are so social, but our baby is just enjoying it. He has only been with us and he loves it."

Earlier this year, Badgley shared an incident where his child came close to discovering his profession while watching the show "You". During a sweet moment with his child sitting on his lap, Badgley accidentally sat on the remote, causing the TV to switch to Netflix with his face on the screen. His child called out "Daddy!" and Badgley hurriedly tried to prevent his child from seeing something inappropriate on the TV.