Penn Badgley recently took to Instagram to express his heartfelt thanks to Ariana Grande for including him in her latest music video for “The Boy Is Mine.” The You actor, 37, shared his gratitude on June 7, highlighting his excitement about working with the 30-year-old pop sensation.
In his post, Badgley shared several behind-the-scenes clips from the set, including a photo of himself with Grande and the music video director, Christian Breslauer. Badgley was seen in a white dress shirt and slacks, while Grande sported a black leather Catwoman-inspired outfit. Breslauer, holding a glass of champagne, completed the trio in the snapshot.
The Gossip Girl alum also posted a candid photo of himself and Grande in casual attire, enjoying ice cream on a couch surrounded by cats. This scene appears at the end of the music video. He wrapped up his post with a shot of him and Grande gazing at each other as a video camera zoomed in.
“The boy may be yours but the pleasure was all mine @arianagrande thank you for inviting me into your orbit for a moment & @christhedirector for building a little world to play in for a day,” Badgley captioned his post.
He also expressed his excitement about being in the presence of Brandy and Monica, who originally released the song in 1998. “Hey ma I’m in a music video! And in the presence of @brandy and @monicadenise ?? Honored to be alongside these icons ❤️❤️,” he added.
Ariana Grande, a two-time Grammy winner, also shared her own post featuring the same photos, along with additional shots of her working with a blue screen and Breslauer. In one image, Grande and Badgley are seen listening intently to the director as he explains his vision.
“｡˚❀ the boy is mine ·ꕤ.ﾟ🐈⬛,” Grande captioned her photos.
She also shared scenes from the music video, including the climactic moment when her character, dressed in the sleek catsuit, meets Badgley at his apartment. The video follows Grande as she concocts a love potion for the fictional Mayor Max Starling, played by Badgley, to make him fall in love with her.
Grande initially teased Badgley’s appearance in the video with a TikTok post on June 3, showing the actor dancing to the song’s chorus.
The song, featured on Grande’s seventh studio album, Eternal Sunshine, is a reimagining of Brandy and Monica’s 1998 hit. In a March interview with Apple Music 1’s Zane Lowe, Grande revealed her long-standing interest in reimagining the beloved R&B classic.
“In a way, I was kind of like, ‘This is a very bad idea.’ But there is a large group of my fans that really do love a bad girl anthem, and this is an elevated version of that,” Grande said.
Grande’s excitement about the project was palpable during her recent appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. She performed “The Boy Is Mine” on June 6, gliding across a stage designed to look like a hazy rooftop. Wearing a glittering mask with cat ears, she sang, “The boy is mine/I can’t wait to try him/Let’s get intertwined/The stars, they aligned.”
Before her performance, Grande sat down with Fallon to discuss her role in the upcoming Wicked movie, where she stars alongside Cynthia Erivo. She recalled their last Zoom interview in 2021, where she had to keep her role in the film a secret. “I was trying to subliminally tell you through the screen that I got it,” Grande told Fallon.
Fallon then revealed a tweet Grande posted in 2011, expressing her desire to play Glinda in Wicked. “Loved seeing Wicked again… amazing production! Made me realize again how badly I want to 2 play Glinda at some point in my life! #DreamRole,” she had written.
Grande also discussed her excitement about working with Badgley in the music video. “The video stars Penn Badgley, who I’ve been a fan of my entire life,” she said. “It was so amazing to work with him. Super honored to work with him.”
The music video for “The Boy Is Mine” features Grande as a Catwoman-like character who becomes obsessed with Mayor Max Sterling, played by Badgley. The video, directed by Christian Breslauer, shows Grande creating a love potion for the mayor, surrounded by photos and drawings of him in her apartment.
When Badgley announces a plan to release cats into the streets to combat a rat infestation, Grande takes it literally and dresses up as Catwoman. She breaks into Badgley’s apartment to give him her potion, only to find she doesn’t need it.
“The Boy Is Mine” is Grande’s third single from Eternal Sunshine, following “We Can’t Be Friends” and “Yes, And.” The album, inspired by the film Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, has been a hit with fans.
Grande has also been busy promoting her role as Glinda in the upcoming Wicked movie, set to release in two parts in 2024 and 2025. The first full trailer for the film recently debuted, featuring Grande and Erivo singing “Popular” and “Defying Gravity.”
Watch the full music video for “The Boy Is Mine” below.
