NEWSJacob Elordi Calls Out 'Prudish' Reactions to Controversial 'Saltburn' Bathtub Scene
Jacob Elordi expressed disbelief over the public’s reaction to Saltburn’s bathtub scene.
Nov. 15 2025, Published 7:00 a.m. ET
Jacob Elordi believes the shocked reactions to the bathtub scene in Saltburn highlight just how "prudish" modern audiences can be.
The actor argues, “There’s far more alarming things in the top 10 streamed remakes of crime documentaries on every streaming platform.”
He insists that the scene, which some found troubling, is simply “just a little taboo.”
Jacob Elordi was shocked by viewers’ reactions to his controversial 'Saltburn' scene.
During an interview on Entertainment Weekly’s "Awardist" podcast, Elordi reflected on the infamous scene in Emerald Fennell's 2023 thriller, where Oliver (played by Barry Keoghan) sips bathwater after secretly witnessing Felix (Elordi) m--------- in the tub. The moment triggered online chatter and even sparked the creation of a “Jacob Elordi’s Bathwater” candle, causing a social media sensation.
Jacob Elordi and Barry Keoghan both starred in the film 'Saltburn.'
Elordi expressed his disbelief at the public’s reaction, suggesting that it underscores a cultural discomfort with sexual content in film. “I actually think it shows me just how, I guess, prudish we are,” he stated. “When I watch that, I just think there’s far more extreme things in cinema that I’ve seen, far more graphic.”
- Julianne Moore Examines 'Anxieties And Emotions' In 'Lisey’s Story,' Reveals She's 'A Big Fan Of Therapy'
- Amber Heard Jokes She's Good At Playing The 'Villainous Woman Character' — How The Actress Prepped For Her New Series 'The Stand'
- Johnny Depp's Daughter Lily-Rose Stuns In NSFW Trailer For HBO’s ‘The Idol’ Starring The Weeknd
Want OK! each day? Sign up here!
The Euphoria star also pointed out the irony that audiences often embrace violent content without hesitation while reacting negatively to scenes involving intimacy. “There’s more alarming things in the top 10 streamed remakes of crime documentaries on every streaming platform,” he observed. “I think that’s much more alarming, the kind of horrible joy that we all get from watching children be mutilated. That’s what was interesting to me.”
Jacob Elordi was fascinated by the different reactions he received from 'Saltburn' viewers.
Elordi found it fascinating to witness the visceral reactions from viewers in response to the bathtub sequence: “I was like, here's a piece of fiction with something just a little taboo, and that makes people's skin crawl. It's an interesting parallel.”
Fennell has previously recounted that filming the bathtub scene elicited a surprising response from the film's cinematographer, Linus Sandgren. “When Barry started to rim the drain, Linus squealed like a little girl, and we had to edit it out, and he was like, 'F---,'” she remarked. “If in the room on the monitor you are all feeling like, 'Whoa, holy s---,' then it's the most exciting thing in the world.”
The film 'Saltburn' was released in late 2023.
She further explained, “It’s not just that something's incredibly s---, or at least I think it is; it has an involuntary physical response actually that even when you are not physically supposed to respond vocally because you're filming, you do that because it's something that you can't help but respond to. It’s those moments where you know that you are getting to something that is incredible.”
