Disney star David Henrie refuses sex scenes or kissing that ‘violates’ his marriage
David Henrie (Getty Images)
David Henrie has said he declines acting roles involving nudity, sex scenes or kissing because he feels itwould “violate” his marriage.
Speaking on The Unplanned Podcast, the 37-year-old actor, married to Maria Cahill, explained that while many things on screen are pretend, he sees physical intimacy differently.
“For me, I draw the line if it’s anything that would actually violate our relationship as a married couple,” Henrie said.
Disney star Henrie said he can “fake” violence in a role, and can portray drug use without actually taking drugs, but kissing and intimacy crosses a line for him. Cahill laughed: “He’s not kissing anybody.”
Why on-screen intimacy is different for David Henrie
Henrie said intimate scenes feel different because the physical act is real. “You’re not faking that. You’re really doing that thing,” he said.
He went on to describe a typical set-up as being “in bed making out”, with “people watching”, adding that even if an actor tries to distract themselves mentally, “you’re actually doing that”.
“I would just feel weird. I would feel very weird; it would shake me,” he added. “So, yeah. I’m not going to do it.”
Cahill suggested she is less bothered by the idea than her husband is. “I feel like he cares more than I care,” she said. “I so trust him, I literally don’t care.”
The Wizards of Waverly Place kiss that upset their kids
Henrie, who played Justin Russo on Disney Channel’s Wizards of Waverly Place from 2007 to 2012, also spoke about how the couple’s children reacted to seeing an old kiss scene from the show.
Henrie and Cahill married in 2017 and share four children. Cahill said their kids were shocked by the clip, recalling: “They were like, ‘You have another wife?’ Like, they were so upset,” she said, laughing.
The comments follow other celebrity conversations about boundaries on set. In September 2026, Domino Kirke-Badgley discussed the topic after husband Penn Badgley spoke about limiting intimate scenes.
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