{"id":9941,"date":"2026-10-05T19:20:22","date_gmt":"2026-10-05T18:20:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thetab.com\/filmshrine\/?p=9941"},"modified":"2026-10-05T19:20:22","modified_gmt":"2026-10-05T18:20:22","slug":"verity-awkward-reality-of-filming-headboard-scene-anne-hathaway-explains","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thetab.com\/filmshrine\/2026\/10\/05\/verity-awkward-reality-of-filming-headboard-scene-anne-hathaway-explains\/","title":{"rendered":"Sorry, the awkward reality of filming Verity’s headboard scene makes it deeply unsexy"},"content":{"rendered":"

The headboard scene is undoubtedly one of the most memorable moments in Colleen Hoover\u2019s Verity<\/a>, and while it makes it into the film, the behind-the-scenes process of translating it for the big screen is decidedly unsexy. <\/span><\/p>\n

In Hoover\u2019s 2018 novel, Lowen discovers teeth marks on Verity<\/a> and Jeremy\u2019s wooden headboard, before biting into it herself when having sex with Jeremy. Unsurprisingly, it became one of the most talked-about moments on BookTok, and was a scene fans were hoping to see in Michael Showalter\u2019s movie adaptation. <\/span><\/p>\n

And yes, the film goes there, with Dakota Johnson\u2019s Lowen sinking her teeth into the headboard during her sex scene with Josh Hartnett\u2019s Jeremy. We also see Anne Hathaway\u2019s Verity<\/a> creating the original mark in a flashback. <\/span><\/p>\n

But actually getting that moment on screen involved a lot more planning than you might expect – and some concerns about dental bills. <\/span><\/p>\n

There was an absurd amount of work behind Verity\u2019s headboard scene<\/h2>\n
\"The
Credit: Amazon MGM Studios<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Speaking to <\/span>Entertainment Weekly<\/span><\/a> about the process, Hartnett said Johnson and Hathaway spent \u201csome time\u201d just chomping down on various pieces of wood to figure out the best way to do it. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt was just Annie and I on separate days, gnawing on wood,\u201d Johnson said, while Hartnett would come in the next day to look at \u201cthe lineup of different gnaws.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Adding to this, Hathaway explained that it was surprisingly technical, saying, \u201cWe didn\u2019t leave it to chance,\u201d and that she and Showalter had \u201cso many meetings\u201d about it. Apparently the director \u201cdemonstrated a lot of bites\u201d for her too. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe had to figure out what shade of wood. It had to be something that could be a real bed, but was also soft enough to bite into,\u201d Hathaway continued. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhen you read it, you\u2019re reading so quickly, you\u2019re just like, \u2018Oh my gosh, that\u2019s amazing.\u2019 But then when it comes time to act it, you\u2019re like, \u2018You\u2019re gonna bite a wooden headboard?\u2019 We had to really figure it out.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Johnson said that the biggest challenge was \u201chow to make it sexy and not lose teeth,\u201d which resulted in them using soft wood. <\/span><\/p>\n

Hathaway was similarly concerned about her teeth, telling <\/span>Mamamia<\/span><\/a>, \u201cI was so nervous about the headboard. Maybe this makes me square, but I have no idea why anybody would ever bite a wooden headboard. I mean, the dental alone, it’s just a huge risk.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n