Marie Claire Marie Claire
  • Celebrity
  • Fashion
  • Beauty
  • Culture
  • Power
  • Nice Talk
  • Fashion Month
  • More
    • Politics
    • Career Money
    • Health Fitness
    • Power Play
    • Travel
    • Promo Codes
    • Food Cocktails
    • About Us
    • Subscribe
    • Sex Love
  • Newsletter SIGN UP TO OUR NEWSLETTER
  • Marie Claire
    Marie Claire Newsletter

    Celebrity news, beauty, fashion advice, and fascinating features, delivered straight to your inbox!


    By submitting your information you agree to the Terms Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

    You are now subscribed

    Your newsletter sign-up was successful


    Want to add more newsletters?

    Marie Claire Daily

    Delivered daily

    Marie Claire Daily

    Get exclusive access to fashion and beauty trends, hot-off-the-press celebrity news, and more.

    Marie Claire Self Checkout

    Sent weekly on Saturday

    Marie Claire Self Checkout

    Exclusive access to expert shopping and styling advice from Nikki Ogunnaike, Marie Claire's editor-in-chief.

    Maire Claire Face Forward

    Once a week

    Maire Claire Face Forward

    Insider tips and recommendations for skin, hair, makeup, nails and more from Hannah Baxter, Marie Claire's beauty director.

    Livingetc

    Once a week

    Livingetc

    Your shortcut to the now and the next in contemporary home decoration, from designing a fashion-forward kitchen to decoding color schemes, and the latest interiors trends.

    Homes amp; Gardens

    Delivered Daily

    Homes Gardens

    The ultimate interior design resource from the world's leading experts - discover inspiring decorating ideas, color scheming know-how, garden inspiration and shopping expertise.


    An account already exists for this email address, please log in.
    Trending
    • NYFW
    • Life In Plastic
    • Cari Champion
    • New Books
    • Postpartum Psychosis
    1. Culture

    Jane's Finally Losing Her Virginity on 'Jane the Virgin,' and Here's Why It Should Be the Opposite of Magical

    Anything else would feel inauthentic to the show. Not to mention real life.

    Sonia Weiser #039;s avatar
    By Sonia Weiser
    Published 17 October 2016 In News

    When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

    Human body, Sitting, Jewellery, Eyelash, Dress, Black hair, Long hair, Curtain, Makeover, Day dress,
    Human body, Sitting, Jewellery, Eyelash, Dress, Black hair, Long hair, Curtain, Makeover, Day dress,
    (Image credit: The CW)
    • Facebook
    • X
    • Pinterest
    Share this article
    Join the conversation
    Follow us
    Add us as a preferred source on Google
    Subscribe to our newsletter

    Jane the Virgin fans, get ready. I'm about to make a bold claim. Are you ready? Jane Gloriana Villanueva's first time should be mediocre. There. I've said it.

    Jane the Virgin has more plot points than the number of times you've avoided doing laundry, but in anticipation of tonight's premiere, both the fans and the think pieces only have one thing on their minds: Jane's virginity. Since the show's debut in 2014, viewers have been anxiously waiting for the moment when "the Virgin" gets proverbially crossed out of the show's title, and it's *finally* about to happen.

    For those in need of a refresher, Jane's understanding of virginity began at 10-years-old, when her grandmother (AKA Alba) gave her a flower, noted its perfection, told her to crumple it, and instructed her to put it back together. When Jane failed—as even the best gardeners do—Alba replied, "That's right. You can never go back. And that's what happens when you lose your virginity. You can never go back. Never forget that, Jane." Who wouldn't be impacted by this level of real talk?

    Latest Videos FromMarie Claire
    Watch full video here:

    Ear, Balloon, Party supply, Interaction, Love, Hug, Romance, Law enforcement, Belt, Party,

    (Image credit: The CW)

    The series has made it clear that Jane's virginity and her idealistic conception of romance are strongly tied to her sense of self. Originally, her rose-colored glasses were prescribed by the love portrayed in telenovelas, but the beginnings of her relationship with her now-husband Michael only encouraged her naiveté, as he showed nothing but support for her decision to wait on sex. That being said, Jane's views regarding sex are just as feminist and progressive as the show itself. It's not a moral issue. Her virginity is more like a very sticky "Hello my name is..." label—a way for others to identify her, and for her to see herself. When she loses it, viewers can expect a definite shift in her attitude.

    Jane Gloriana Villanueva's first time should be mediocre.

    "Losing her virginity almost opens her up to move forward in terms of how she sees herself and is identified," showrunner Jennie Urman tells me. "She realizes how much of her identity was caught up with being a virgin, and that's a surprise to Jane...So she has to have a bit of a shift...She's so much more than that one thing."

    You may like
    • Harry Jowsey wears a tuxedo shirt while speaking with a woman in a wedding veil, in a still from the #039;Let#039;s Marry Harry#039; finale. We No Longer Think Marriage Is a "Prize." Why Do Netflix Dating Shows?
    • Two women covered in blood (Gillian Anderson as Billy and Hannah Einbinder as Kris) stand closely together in a convenience store aisle, with their intertwined hands on a cart. A still from Jane Schoenbrun#039;s #039;Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma#039; (2026). Everyone Has Thoughts About Gen Z and Sex. 'Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma' Gets It Right
    • stassi schroeder gets her hair and makeup done in a robe in a still from house of stassi Why Is Reality TV Suddenly Breaking the Fourth Wall?

    So, how does Jane un-romanticize her views on virginity and realize sex isn't always aroma therapy candles, a Miguel album, and a pair of 500 thread-count bed sheets? By having a blasé first time. It's exactly what she needs to evolve as a character. Throughout the last two seasons, Jane's been forced to reconcile her idealism with the pesky and often painful realities of life, and as Urman says, "She needs to learn that happily ever after is an evolving notion and it's not a definite finite thing. She needs to have a little more flexibility in terms of what her idea of happiness is and what it looks like."

    To her credit, Jane's modified her life timeline, switched partners, formed a relationship with her father, and accomplished an array of other milestones. Yet even after Jane and Michael got engaged, and Alba confessed that she'd had sex before getting married—a secret that I personally believed would have changed Jane's attitude toward virginity—the show's titular character has maintained her self-imposed promise to remain a virgin. "Jane's a very goal oriented person," says Urman. "It had become a goal of hers to wait until she got married. I think it was important for the character to wait, because it was something she wanted...even if the reason behind it changed."

    Marie Claire Newsletter

    Celebrity news, beauty, fashion advice, and fascinating features, delivered straight to your inbox!

    By submitting your information you agree to the Terms Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

    For Jane to really come into her own as a woman, she should do what I did...

    Since Jane's identity is so tied to her virginity, the loss of that virginity will effect other areas of her life—and not necessarily in a bad way. Look at her writing: as a romance novelist with no actual sexual experience, her manuscript lacks "the nuances of reality and the moments of uncomfortableness and moments of comfortableness," says Urman. "It's all based on conjecture. So once she does have sex, certainly as a romance writer, there are things that change for her...her writing becomes a little bit less idealized and more realistic. Still romantic, but realistic."

    Speaking of realistic, here's my proposal. For Jane to really come into her own as a woman, she should do what I did. Drink cheap Trader Joe's wine, turn on a cheesy horror film (I suggest Scream), and make it official with her fall-back "if I still haven't had sex by the time I'm however old..." guy. Basically, she needs to cure her romanticism by joining ranks with those of us who've had a less-than-thrilling first sexual encounter. And by rest of us, I mean most of us.

    Or, she could make it official with someone she loves. But maybe sans the rose petals, expensive champagne, and a guitarist gently strumming from behind a closed door. Either way, get ready. Because it's time.

    Follow Marie Claire on Facebook for the latest celeb news, beauty tips, fascinating reads, livestream video, and more.

    Sonia Weiser
    Sonia Weiser
    Social Links Navigation

    Sonia Weiser is a Brooklyn-based journalist. She's previously written for The New York Times, The Boston Globe, TIME, New York Magazine, among others. Follow her at @weischoice and see her work at soniaweiser.wordpress.com.

    Read more
    Harry Jowsey wears a tuxedo shirt while speaking with a woman in a wedding veil, in a still from the #039;Let#039;s Marry Harry#039; finale.
    TV shows We No Longer Think Marriage Is a "Prize." Why Do Netflix Dating Shows? The streamer has reached a new frontier of preying on women’s desire for partnership.
    By Quinci LeGardye
    stassi schroeder gets her hair and makeup done in a robe in a still from house of stassi
    TV shows Why Is Reality TV Suddenly Breaking the Fourth Wall?
    By Jessica Toomer
     
     
    collage of celebrities wearing the sheer shirt trend for The A-List Edit
    Celebrity Style I Tried the "Daring" Shirt Trend That Never Scared VIPs
    By Meguire Hennes
    Rosalía styled a newspaper dress from Desigual with heeled ballet flats
    Celebrity Style Rosalía's Newspaper Dress Would Make Carrie Bradshaw Proud
    By Meguire Hennes
     
     
    Latest in Culture
    A still of Taylor Frankie Paul and Ben Lambert in #039;The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives.#039;
    TV shows 'The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives' Season 6 Is Already Filming. Here's All the Updates So Far
    A split image of author R.F. Kuang, resting her head on her hand while sitting with her shoulder propped on a restaurant booth table, next to the cover art for #039;Taipei Story.#039;
    Books R.F. Kuang Shares Her Favorite Reads About the “Hilarious Friction” of Learning a Language
     
     
    A photo of Nikki Ogunnaike with an inset photo of Cari Champion and text reading Money. Power. Style. Nice Talk with Nikki Ogunnaike
    Culture Cari Champion on the Culture War Around the WNBA: "This Is All a Distraction"
    A man in a black suit (Hyun Bin as Baek Kitae) sits at an ornate desk, with the Korean flag behind him, in Hulu#039;s #039;Made in Korea.#039;
    TV shows Hyun Bin and Woo Do-hwan Tease Their Sibling Rivalry in 'Made in Korea' Season 2
     
     
    Latest in News
    Jennifer Lopez wears a brown leotard with rare Nike sneakers, embracing Hailey Bieber#039;s jelly shoe sneaker hybrid trend.
    Celebrity Style Jennifer Lopez Is Embracing the Jelly Shoe Hybrid Trend
    Michelle Obama was spotted attending Celine Dion’s concert in Paris, where she made a stylish appearance in a Diotima dress and carried a Liffner bag
    Celebrity Style Michelle Obama Hops on Fall 2026's Suede Bag Trend
     
     
    Queen Elizabeth, Princess Diana (1961 - 1997) and Prince Charles at Victoria Station, London, where they will welcome a state delegation from Nigeria, March 1989.
    Royals Why Queen Elizabeth "Was Furious" With Princess Diana
    King Charles wearing a crown at his coronation
    Royals Royal Fans Help "Fix" an "Embarrassing" King Charles Mistake
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    Marie Claire
    RSS
    • About us
    • Contact Future's experts
    • Contact us
    • Advertise Online
    • Newsletter
    • Terms and conditions
    • Privacy policy
    • Cookies policy
    • Careers
    Add as a preferred source on Google Add as a preferred source on Google

    Marie Claire is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

    © Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.