People We Meet on Vacation author explains why book sex scene was cut from the film

13 January 2026, 16:56 | Updated: 20 January 2026, 09:12

People We Meet on Vacation author explains why explicit sex scene was cut from the film. Picture: Netflix

By Sam Prance

The original version of Poppy and Alex's sex scene was much more explicit and true to the book.

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People We Meet on Vacation author Emily Henry has explained why Poppy and Alex's sex scene was "toned down" in the movie. She also confirmed that Netflix originally filmed a version of the explicit scene that was true to the book.

Ever since it was first announced that Netflix were adapting Emily Henry's novel People We Meet On Vacation, into a film, fans have been desperate to see if it would live up to the source material. Now, that it's out, people can't get enough of Emily Bader and Tom Blyth's depictions of friends to lovers Poppy Wright and Alex Nilsen.

However, a fan-favourite sex scene barely features in the movie and now the author has revealed why it was cut despite the fact that Tom Blyth and Emily Bader filmed a full version of the sex scene in its entirety.

Read more: People We Meet on Vacation director in talks to release adult version with cut sex scene

Why was the Poppy and Alex sex scene cut from People We Meet on Vacation?

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Towards the end of the film and the book, Alex and Poppy confess their feelings for each other and have sex the night before David's wedding. In the film, we see Alex and Poppy make out with each other but the scene then cuts to the next morning. By contrast, the book is much steamier and it goes into their sex scene in explicit detail.

Speaking to Variety, author Emily Henry has confirmed that a version of the scene that's loyal to the book was filmed: She teased: "I saw the scene as he shot it, and it was gorgeous and perfect. I mean, I feel a little bit guilty because I went and told all of my friends, “It’s one of the sexiest sex scenes I’ve ever seen in my life.”"

Praising it further, Emily added: "Like, genuinely it was like “Titanic” level to me. It was so, so good and raw and tender."

So why was the scene cut?

The morning after the cut scene in People We Meet on Vacation. Picture: Netflix

As for the cut, Emily said that it all came down to test audiences: "They had started doing test screenings and people who, especially people who weren’t familiar with the books, felt kind of like it was a hard right turn in the movie. And so Brett first brought that to me and asked, how important is seeing the sex scene to you and to your readers?"

She added: "And I was like, I think it is kind of important, in a way, because it’s something we’re destigmatizing, etc. But ultimately, my opinion would be that if it doesn’t fit in the movie, then it doesn’t work. It has to serve the larger movie. I don’t want anyone to feel like they were jolted out of the story."

Emily added that audiences were less keen to see them have sex because we first meet them when they're young: "We start with Tom and Emily in college, and they feel very young in those scenes, in my opinion. And you look at them in a different way, and you get to watch them grow up."

Tom Blyth and Emily Bader in People We Meet on Vacation. Picture: Netflix

Nevertheless, Emily has teased that she and director Brett Haley are considering releasing a director's cut. She said: "Brett and I have also talked about, I wonder if someday there could be a director’s cut where people can see this scene? Because it is really so beautiful, like, they all just outdid themselves."

She ended by saying: "It feels so tender and real, but very, very sexy and romantic. It just didn’t fit in the movie."