what happened to penny in dirty dancing

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Nature

In Dirty Dancing, Penny is a dance instructor who faces a critical and dramatic personal challenge: she becomes pregnant and needs to have an abortion. Her boyfriend at the time, Robbie, who works as a waiter, abandons her and refuses to help pay for the abortion. Baby, the main character, steps in to help Penny by providing the money secretly through Baby's father, as Baby cannot reveal the real reason for the money. The abortion goes wrong, leading to serious complications, and Penny is treated by Dr. Houseman. Afterward, Penny recovers but is left emotionally and professionally isolated. She still hopes to marry and start a family despite her ordeal. Penny's story is a significant subplot that highlights the taboo and challenges of abortion in the 1960s setting of the film, contrasting with the main romantic plot between Baby and Johnny. Penny ends up alone romantically and professionally by the end of the movie, while Baby and Johnny become a couple. Penny's character reveals a harsh reality behind the glamour of the dance and resort life, and her experience serves as a social commentary on reproductive rights and the consequences of unwanted pregnancies.