Office Romance fans ‘traumatised’ by ‘unnecessary’ graphic scene | Films | Entertainment
Office Romance fans ‘traumatised’ by ‘unnecessary’ graphic scene (Image: NETFLIX)
**Warning – this article contains minor spoilers for Office Romance.**
Office Romance, Netflix‘s newest romantic comedy film which dropped last Friday (5th June), has stunned audiences with what many are calling one of the most explicit scenes in contemporary cinema.
The fresh rom-com features Ted Lasso’s Brett Goldstein alongside Hollywood heavyweight Jennifer Lopez as a lawyer and airline CEO whose professional boundaries and private affairs become intertwined.
Lopez plays formidable yet frequently underestimated CEO Jackie Cruz, while Goldstein takes on the role of forthright yet socially awkward Brit Daniel Blanchflower.
As they brazenly disregard their company’s strict zero-tolerance stance on workplace relationships, Jackie’s deputy Sydney Bloom (portrayed by Betty Gilpin) becomes increasingly suspicious of their behaviour outside office hours.
Yet Sydney also happens to be heavily pregnant and, despite stubbornly refusing maternity leave, unexpectedly goes into labour while confronting Daniel about his romantic feelings for Jackie.
It’s currently the number one film on Netflix (Image: NETFLIX)
The intensity of the moment, combined with pressure from the formidable Sydney, compels them to admit they’ve been romantically involved — and the infant arrives shortly afterwards in a remarkably straightforward delivery, given the circumstances.
Although the birthing sequence concludes almost as swiftly as it begins, viewers have been left utterly astonished by the choice to include an extremely graphic close-up shot of the baby’s crowning head.
Viewers have flocked to X to share their reactions to the scene, which has garnered even greater attention following a viral post urging audiences to skip to the 1 hour and 20 minute mark for an unobstructed view.
“The birth scene in office romance is the realest I have ever seen in a movie. What the hell,” one person said.
One post described it as “one of the most graphic scenes of giving birth in modern cinema”.
Betty Gilpin as Jackie’s loyal and heavily pregnant right-hand woman Sydney (Image: NETFLIX)
A shocked viewer wrote: “I think I’ve been just been traumatized by the movie Office Romance on Netflix.. they literally showed a woman giving birth .. and I mean .. vaginal. I did not need to see that an [don’t] say it’s natural people! I’m fully aware! Good Lord!!!”
Though they also clarified they enjoyed the film, calling it a “cute rom-com”.
“That birth scene in office romance was completely unnecessary,” another viewer remarked, adding a crying laughter emoji.
A more favourable response read: “Watching Office Romance on Netflix. JLO movies are always fashionable and entertaining. Also, nothing could’ve prepared me for that birth scene. Baby fever cured. Cute movie btw.”
Betty Gilpin admits she was ‘freaked out’ by the prosthetic used in the scene (Image: GETTY)
While a final viewer offered some perspective, reminding others: “Everyone complaining about the birth scene in Office Romance – y’all you should be so lucky as to have that be your birth experience.”
Actress Gilpin has since disclosed that the prosthetic vagina used to authentically recreate the childbirth sequence was rather unsettling, though she soon found reassurance in her legendary co-star. “Honestly, I was pretty freaked out when I first saw the prosthetic vagina,” Gilpin admitted to Variety.
“I had a nervous breakdown and then I was like, ‘Oh, but I’ll be holding the ultimate working mum’s hand, Jennifer Lopez, so what could go wrong?'”
Office Romance is available to stream on Netflix.
