‘Gilmore Girls’: How Rory’s Bed Made Her and Dean’s Sex Scene Awkward To Film for Alexis Bledel and Jared Padalecki

Described as an angel numerous times on Gilmore Girls, Rory Gilmore (Alexis Bledel) goes from halo to human at the end of the TV show’s fourth season. Rory becomes an adulterer when she has sex with her ex-boyfriend, Dean Forester, as played by Jared Padalecki. 

Rory Gilmore and Dean Forester reconnect in ‘Gilmore Girls’ Season 4

Rory and Dean stay friends after they break up over Jess Mariano (Milo Ventimiglia) at the Stars Hollow 24-hour dance marathon. While Rory moves on to dating Jess, Dean doesn’t get much screen time.

That is until season 4 when he’s there for Rory in her time of need. After being told to drop a class or risk failing, Rory turns to Dean for support when her mom is nowhere to be found. 

The two continue to see each other around town and there are hints they still care about each other. For example, Dean drunkenly says Rory’s name during his bachelor party before getting married to Lindsay (Arielle Kebbel). 

Finally, as the season comes to a close, Rory and Dean rekindle their relationship. In the Gilmore Girls Season 4 finale, they have sex. Moments later, Rory’s mom, Lorelai Gilmore (Lauren Graham) comes home to learn what’s just happened.

Alexis Bledel fell off the bed filming Rory Gilmore and Dean Forester’s sex scene

Filming proved to be awkward for Padalecki and Bledel but not because of the nature of the scene. Rather, because of the size of Rory’s bed. 

Amy Sherman-Palladino, the creator of Gilmore Girls, reflected on the scene and Rory’s bed during a 2016 interview with Entertainment Weekly. 

“We brought Rory’s bed back [for Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life],” Sherman-Palladino said. “And I remember standing in that room saying, ‘There’s no f*cking way Jared and her fit in that bed.’”

The scene involved Rory and Dean cuddling in the tiny bed while joking about a song. And, according to Bledel, they had some mishaps while filming. 

“It was like a miniature twin,” Bledel said before adding, “In the outtakes, I fell off that bed a couple of times.”

Rory’s bed was too small for Jared Padalecki

Padalecki, who stands well over 6 feet tall, had difficulty squeezing in the bed with Bledel. As he told Entertainment Weekly in the same interview, the bed was too small for him. 

“My feet definitely were off it,” Padalecki said. 

So, how did they make it seem like Rory and Dean could both fit in the bed? By only showing the actor’s upper half. 

“There was a shot where my waist to my head was laying on the bed but my legs were counterbalancing me on the floor so that I wouldn’t roll off,” he said.

“It works for the scene because it was supposed to be awkward, so maybe that’s why they bought the smallest bed on the planet,” he jokingly added. 

Watch Gilmore Girls on Netflix and catch Rory and Dean’s sex scene in Gilmore Girls Season 4 Episode 22: “Raincoats and Recipes.”