To the public, Dakota Johnson and Jamie Dornan always maintained that they were “professionals” on set. But one late-night shoot during Fifty Shades Darker revealed just how high the tension could rise—even between two co-stars known for keeping things civil.
It happened during the filming of a key bedroom scene—the one where Christian opens up about his trauma and Ana comforts him. On paper, it was tender, intimate. But off-camera, the mood was anything but.
Multiple takes in, Dakota reportedly grew frustrated with Jamie’s delivery. She felt his tone was too cold, not matching the emotional vulnerability the scene required. “This is supposed to be the one time he lets her in,” she was heard saying to the director. “But he’s acting like he’s ordering coffee.”
Jamie, already exhausted from a full day of shooting, snapped. “If you want someone who cries on cue, get someone else,” he fired back.
Crew members described the atmosphere as “icy.” For the next hour, the two refused to speak directly to one another. A producer was eventually called in to mediate the standoff.
At one point, Dakota left the set, reportedly saying, “You can’t fake intimacy with someone who doesn’t want to be seen.”
Jamie stayed behind in silence. The crew took an unscheduled break, and the next take didn’t happen for another two hours.
Eventually, they completed the scene—but only after the director agreed to film it in pieces, with separate close-ups to avoid forcing direct eye contact between the actors.
Strangely enough, when the scene aired, fans praised it as “quietly heartbreaking” and “full of tension.” They weren’t wrong—just not for the reasons they thought.
This rare moment of real conflict between Dakota and Jamie was quietly buried by the studio. But for those on set that night, it was unforgettable.
