Penn Badgley Reveals He’s ‘Literally Been Molested’ By ‘Gossip Girl’ Fans!

If you ever run into Penn Badgley, please try to control yourself.
The actor revealed in a new interview that he’s “literally been molested” by thirsty fans after his starring role on Gossip Girl turned him into an object of “pretty full-on obsession.”
Speaking with The Daily Beast to promote his new Lifetime series You, the 31-year-old opened up about the downsides of fame and being desired by thousands.
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Playing Dan Humphrey on the teen drama series for five years was more than enough time for viewers to get attached to Badgley — so much, fans would literally attach themselves to the actor when they ran into him on the street. He explained:

“I think as an actor you can become an object of desire, which is something women are already accustomed to more or less around the world—I’ve definitely been, I mean I don’t want to sound sensationalist, but I’ve literally been molested—just in the literal sense of the word—by many people in the moment. Because that’s what they do.”

Who said being a walking thirst trap was easy?
The Daily Beast reported that the actor was “thoughtful and cautious” while discussing the harassment and was “quick to acknowledge the privilege that being a man, not to mention a white man, affords him.”
He also brought up other male celebs who’ve spoken out on being touched inappropriately, such as Terry Crews, continuing:

“You’re led as a man, particularly, that when it happens you should feel great about it. Particularly when it comes from someone who’s feasibly an object of your desire as well. And I think that’s the interesting thing about this show, is that [my character] Joe looks like me, he acts and talks like me to a degree, so I think the audience is supposed to be like, ‘Aw that might be nice if someone was that infatuated with me.'”

We mean, it would be nice if Penn Badgley was infatuated with us… but that ain’t gonna happen.
So, we guess we have to watch him be infatuated with someone else in Lifetime’s You instead.
[Image via Joseph Marzullo/WENN]