The Real Life Partners Of The Bridgerton Cast
You know the story: Two actors meet on set. They share steamy on-screen love scenes, fall in love off screen, fans everywhere go nuts, and thus, thousands of Pinterest boards and Instagram fan accounts in the couple's honor are born. For better or worse, that's all the audience can hope for — that the love they witnessed on the screen, was, in fact, real.
The undeniable chemistry and swoon-worthy scenes on Netflix's blockbuster, "Bridgerton," have everyone wondering if the period drama couples are real-life lovers. Are Phoebe Dynevor and Regé Jean Page grabbing coffee together and gazing into each other's eyes on their days off? Are Jonathan Bailey and Sabrina Bartlett frolicking around Vienna's romantic landscapes? What about Nicola Coughlan and Luke Newton? Are they exchanging flirty texts with sexually charged emoji responses between filming takes? Give us something!
If not, who are the real-life lords and ladies who have captured the hearts of "Bridgerton's" mega babes? While we can't claim any of the dirt we dug up on the cast's significant others is anywhere near as intriguing or delicious as what Lady Whistledown would have discovered, we still have plenty of sizzling details behind the "Bridgerton" stars' real-life partners.
Regé Jean Page found love outside of Hollywood
Tall, dark, and handsome, Regé Jean Page is perfectly cast as "Bridgerton's" scandalous, yet seductive Simon Basset, Duke of Hastings. The duke strolls into town as a very eligible bachelor, so naturally, debutantes and their mothers go bananas. Although emotionally plagued by his past (read: daddy issues), Simon has no intentions of getting married or spawning children. But he's the brooding mysterious type, so of course, his baggage is worth the drama.
Page is not as famously single as his on-screen character. Back in 2016, he was unofficially linked to British actor and singer, Antonia Thomas, after the pair attended a string of red carpets together. Thomas even posted a gushy tweet from the 2016 Emmy Awards, claiming to be Page's "partner in crime." Alas, whatever romance they had (if anything more than friends) has clearly fizzled out. At the time of this writing, Page has allegedly been dating copywriter and soccer player Emily Brown for more than two years — and things appear to be very serious.
According to ET, who broke the news, the pair were first spotted packing on the PDA in a London street around Valentine's Day in 2021, but this happened well into their relationship. The Daily Mail reports that they purchased a home together about a year prior. Is a royal wedding on the horizon? The Duke of Hastings may have never wanted to find a duchess, but Page seems well on his way.
Add Phoebe Dynevor to the list of Pete Davidson's famous exes
A young debutante from a prominent family, Daphne Bridgerton is in the market for a suitable husband during the much-anticipated engagement season. While she comes up short, she strikes up a deal with Simon Basset to pseudo-date him, making her appear more desirable to potential suitors. It's a whole thing. Of course, it all goes sideways when our fair heroine catches the duke in a devastating lie, then seeks revenge with some stealth mattress Olympics to get a baby out of him. Basic girlfriend 101.
Fortunately, things appear a lot less emotionally taxing for Phoebe Dynevor's real-world love life. Dynevor is single, as of this writing, but she's had a string of low-key relationships. In 2014, she spilled the tea about her relationship with recruitment executive Simon Merrill, telling Express about the pair's vacation to southeast Asia. In 2017, she dated "Gifted" actor Sean Teale, and shared a handful of loved-up Instagram snaps. At some point, the pair split and Dyenvor — like most women in Hollywood — caught the Pete Davidson love bug.
According to E! News, the pair dispelled months of romance rumors when they made their official couple debut at a Wimbledon match in July 2021. Unfortunately, they split about a month later because the distance was reportedly too much to handle. As it turns out, the Staten Island ferry does not make a stop in London.
Does Jonathan Bailey have a mystery man?
It's no surprise that Jonathan Bailey plays the endlessly handsome Anthony Bridgerton, the eldest Bridgerton positioned to look after the family following his father's death. But when he's not busy with the "protecting his sister's honor" hoopla, the viscount is known to be a Casanova of sorts (we're listening). Anthony finds himself hung up on his prominent pedigree and the social structures that fence him off from true love with blue-collar opera singer, Siena Rosso. Oh, to be rich, beautiful, and dumb.
Fast-forward two hundred years, to a time when Bailey plays many straight characters on screen, but is openly gay in real life. He tells Evening Standard, "I want to find stories that humanize the homosexual experience. ... The richness comes from the detail about family and relationships and identity of where you live."
Our leading man is single, as of this writing (seems to be a trend happening here, but okay). Although a mysterious Instagram photo from April 2018 implies otherwise... maybe. In the photo, location tagged for Everest Base Camp Trek, Bailey stands exceptionally close to an unnamed male "friend," and both are absolutely beaming. Is he the BF? A sherpa? Sorry Johnny B, but if you're not going to label the random man who stands next to you as a brother, cousin, or publicist, you leave our hearts no choice but to assume romance!
Claudia Jessie's bohemian boat boy
The ton's Nancy Drew, Eloise Bridgerton, is known for her quick wit and unapologetic feminist values. We see her rebel against the normal social graces of debutante-ing, as she plans to evolve on her own merits for as long as she can. Seemingly horrified by the concept of marriage, Eloise has her heart set on uncovering the town's gossip hound, Lady Whistledown, with whom Eloise is remarkably inspired due to Whistledown's bold stance of pioneering her own path.
While Claudia Jessie has no social media presence, she told YOU Magazine in 2018 that she'd met with her boyfriend, Joseph, four years prior, in a pub while drinking with her mother. "She was a great wingman and told me to go and chat to the handsome young man," the star said. All we know about Joseph is that he's a sound engineer and is undoubtedly hilarious. "Humor is the way into my heart most definitely," said Jessie, adding, "It doesn't matter what you look like, but if you can make me laugh we'll have a drink together."
The lovebirds bought and renovated a houseboat to drift up and down the Birmingham canal. Jessie's favorite memory? "Moving onto my canal boat! I had been working on it for such a long time and saved for so long to get it. My first night on the boat consisted of me and my mum unpacking everything until the early hours of the morning, whilst drinking a lot of wine," she told Shondaland. Sign us up!
Has Nicola Coughlan been pining for a costar?
If Penelope Featherington existed in today's world, she'd be repping a moody Tumblr peppered with vintage photos of Ferris wheels and poetic quotes with Lana Del Rey looping in the background. She's a walking contradiction, ever marrying whimsical, romantic ideals with paralyzing self-doubt and tragedy. Penelope's big hair is full of big secrets, one being that she's in love with her best friend's brother, Colin Bridgerton. Though Colin harbors nothing but platonic feelings for our dear Penelope. So relatable, that Pen.
Nicola Coughlan shared her similarities to Penelope with Who What Wear, lamenting, "I have definitely been that love-struck puppy. I have definitely seen the boy I liked dancing with other girls, and I remember that, and it's heart-wrenching. [Your] first love is so intoxicating and it takes over everything."
Coughlan is single, as of this writing, and the closet thing we could find to a relationship is her flirty friendship with "Derry Girls" costar Laurie Kynaston. In 2019, Coughlan told Joe that Kynaston "was so good and kind to [her]" during a scary scene. "Like, he was rubbing my back while I sobbed away from the camera! He's such a terrific actor and a really nice guy," Coughlan dished. Spicy. On top of that, Coughlan shared an on-set photo of the pair after that scene, locked in a sweet embrace. And prior to all of that, she tweeted encouragement to Kynaston for his performance in Sam Mendes' "Ferryman." Hey dude, are you getting these hints, or what?
Luke Newton is dating the sister of a Love Island star
A young, naive, and genuine lad, Colin Bridgerton had ambitions to travel the world before catching feels for new girl Marina Thompson. In real life, Luke Newton didn't have to travel very far for romance. He just needed a quick layover in "Love Island." Yes, however indirectly, Newton is one of the few people the British reality series led to love.
According to the Daily Mail, Newton has been dating Jade Davies, the sister of "Love Island" star Amber Davies, since at least 2019. In true "Bridgerton" fashion, he appears to be a real romantic, ready to travel the world with his love. Just look at how he whisked Jade away to Amsterdam, which he told PopSugar was the most romantic thing he'd ever done.
"I did a surprise trip for my girlfriend," he said. "I took her to Amsterdam last year and she'd been mentioning for ages that she needed a new suitcase. She didn't have a little holder suitcase. It had broken, so when it was leading up to Christmas, I got her a case and I was like, 'Oh, before we go, I'll give you this case you can use. Merry Christmas.' And then she opened it and inside was the boarding pass and it said we're leaving tonight."
Meanwhile, Jade let Instagram know she's the "luckiest girl alive." We'd have to agree.
Sabrina Bartley recently broke up with her actor beau
The enchantingly beautiful Siena Rosso is the ton's most talented opera singer. She's also, um, on friendly terms with Anthony Bridgerton. More specifically, these star-crossed lovers swirl in a tormented love affair that struggles to exist due to the class segregation that divides them. Anthony can't deny his love for Sienna but feels insurmountably burdened to uphold the honor of his family name. While Sienna is genuinely smitten by Anthony, she can't wait around for him to shake off his hierarchy baggage.
As love would have it, Sabrina Bartlett had been tangled in a love affair with actor Tom Greaves for three years, according to our internet sleuthing (read: stalking her Instagram). Unfortunately, it looks like the long-standing couple, who regularly gushed about each other on social media, have split. Bartlett has since deleted Greaves' presence from her pages.
According to the Daily Mail, the pair called it quits in November 2021, when Bartlett relocated to her parents' place in Kent from the pair's formerly shared apartment in East London. A source claimed there wasn't much drama with the breakup, and that their 10-year age difference played at least a tiny role. At the time of this writing, she looks pretty single on Instagram (and we've been eyeing her page for a boyfriend soft-launch).
Adjoa Andoh keeps her marriage details private
Every period piece needs a fairy-godmother of sorts. But Lady Danbury is more than Simon Basset's majestic matriarch, she's the ton's social circle ringleader, equally feared and respected by all. When she speaks, everyone listens. The epitome of elegance and refinement, Lady Danbury keeps those around her on their toes by expecting the same level of sophistication in return. "She has an appetite for life," Adjoa Andoh told Harper's Bazaar about her character, adding, "You can be an older woman and still be full of fire, and fun, and some wickedness, have elegance, and flamboyance, and be fabulous, and do all of those things as well." Amen!
Portraying Lady Danbury doesn't seem to be too far a stretch for the London theater actor and mother to three. While she puts family first, Andoh prefers doing so in private. During her 20 years in the field, there is little mentioned of her personal life. "I would like to have done more films. But then, I have three children and I live in London, so you mix and match," she told Evening Standard. In 2001, Andoh exchanged wedding vows with Howard Cunnell, who, according to Financial Times, is "a novelist, academic, [and] former scuba diving instructor."
While neither has spoken much about their relationship in public, Andoh did tell Bush Theatre in May 2020, "When two hearts communicate openly with each other, you get great results. ... And remember that everything is paired by love in the end."
What happened to Golda Roshuevel's long-term love?
Queen Charlotte commands a room with all the prowess of a feline at feeding time. Morbidly deadpan, she thrives on a steady diet of wigs and romance gossip — not necessarily in that order. A queen in her own right, Golda Roshuevel actually tends to shy away from romance gossip. She doesn't speak much about her romantic partners, and it's hard to tell if she's in a committed relationship.
For years, the "Bridgerton" star dated playwright Shireen Mula. In a gushy Instagram post from 2020, they celebrated their seven-year anniversary — but those posts are few and far between. At the time of this writing, there's no evidence that the on-screen queen isn't reigning alone. In fact, the star seems to be more focused on her hair than potential suitors. "I'm definitely in a relationship with the wigs," she told The Guardian in March 2022. Like all good relationships, that "Bridgerton" hair doesn't come easy. It takes a lot of work.
Lady Featherington has been married for more than a decade
Portia Featherington is the resident matriarch of the Featherington family. As part of her unofficial duties, she took on the task of marrying off her daughters — even stuffing them into (literal) swoon-worthy corsets to make the best impression on the queen. So, what's her deal in real life?
Off-screen, actor Polly Walker knows a thing or two about finding love. She isn't looking for a prince because she's already found her king. The real-life Lady Featherington tied the knot with actor Laurence Penry-Jones in 2008. He's successful in his own right, having landed recurring roles in series like "Doctors," "The Bill," and "Waking the Dead." Nonetheless, the pair have pretty low-key lives.
"Nobody recognises me and that is the beauty of the show," Walker told Glamour about her "Bridgerton" role. "They have created this character that looks nothing like me and so I can go to Tescos and not get recognised."
Freddie Stroma wifed up a castmate
Prince Friedrich may have been friend-zoned by Daphne Bridgerton, but the real-life actor behind the Prince of Prussia has been married for years. In fact, if it wasn't for his wife, "Quantico" star Johanna Braddy, he would have never watched his popular Netflix series.
In an interview with People, Freddie Stroma revealed that it took three weeks of Braddy pestering him before he finally sat down to watch "Bridgerton." "The show was great. I just hate watching myself," he said. One thing he does like watching? His wife.
The pair initially met while filming Season 1 of Lifetime drama "UnREAL." In 2016, they tied the knot, and Stroma later gushed about his bride to the press. "Seeing her come down the aisle, that was just gorgeous." he told People. "She looked incredible. There might have been a few [tears]. I managed to wipe them away in times for words to be said." A true romantic on screen and off.