Emily Osment recalled feeling uncomfortable kissing her Young Sheldon co-star Montana Jordan, who was 18 at the time, and raised concerns about the lack of an intimacy coordinator. She also wanted to ensure Jordan received appropriate support.
Osment, now 34, discussed the experience in Jessica Radloff's book Young Sheldon: The (Juicier-Than-Meemaw's-Brisket) Inside Story of the Hit Comedy, published on 20 October. At the time of filming in 2022, Jordan was six weeks from turning 19. He is now 23.
'That made me uncomfortable. He was a baby! A baby with a mullet', Osment explained. 'So I spoke to Tim Marx, and obviously they were not able to get one that late in the day, but for the next few episodes they had one there, since the relationship between them escalates'.
Montana Jordan and Emily Osment.
— OddsTheory🎰 (@talk2Ceecee) June 21, 2026
10yrs apart in real life and in the show 🎦 pic.twitter.com/NpU2k4BnGi
Production later brought in an intimacy coordinator as the characters' relationship developed. Osment welcomed this change, stating, 'It made everything easier having one there. I think it's something that's really important'.
She also wanted Jordan to feel comfortable requesting support if needed. 'I don't know if Montana even knew if he could ask for that. Like, let's give him the option, too. Make him comfortable', she said.
'And he's such a sweet kid; I think he would just eat his discomfort. But I love those guys, and I'm really happy it got to the point where they were able to do that [for us]'.
Production Oversight
Director Alex Reid acknowledged that the production team initially believed an intimacy coordinator was unnecessary for the first kissing scenes, since the series did not feature explicit sexual content. Reid admitted, 'We totally dropped the ball'.
He recalled showing Osment a photo taken between takes of her and Jordan seated in a car, both looking away from each other. Osment then said kissing someone she barely knew felt uncomfortable.
'It wasn't even about the lack of an intimacy coordinator. It's just you're having to make out with somebody you just kind of met', Reid recalled Osment telling him. He added that while the actors eventually developed strong chemistry, their initial experience was embarrassing.
Co-creator Steve Molaro stated that Osment had 'every right to ask' for an intimacy coordinator. Writer Connor Kilpatrick acknowledged that the team incorrectly assumed additional support was unnecessary, given Jordan's prior experience with similar scenes and Osment's professional background. Kilpatrick confirmed that a coordinator was present for a later scene after Osment requested one.
A Painful Pregnancy Prop
Osment also described another physical challenge in portraying Mandy: wearing a heavy prosthetic belly during the character's pregnancy. The 12.5-pound silicone prop was so cumbersome that she sometimes wore it for up to 12 hours to avoid repeatedly removing and reattaching it during breaks.
'I actually cracked a rib while wearing it for so long and went to the hospital because I was having such horrible pain in my side', Osment recalled in Radloff's book. She explained that medical staff asked about recent changes in her life, leading her to clarify that she was portraying a pregnant character at work while wearing a heavy prop.
When a 29yr old gets impregnated by a 17yr old pic.twitter.com/OeGgoLsCxi
— Meso (@Mesotpit) October 10, 2026
Due to the injury, Osment was required to sit as much as possible between takes. Mandy, the character she plays, ultimately gave birth to daughter Constance 'CeeCee' Cooper in the Young Sheldon season six episode A Launch Party and a Whole Human Being, which aired in 2023.
