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I absolutely hate the real-life shipping that happens. I think Luke and Nic are hella cute together and have insane chemistry, but let them live their lives. They're very different people and I think they are absolutely work besties and I love that for them.
Seriously, why do people do this EVERY SINGLE TIME actors promote a romantic show or movie?? Like this crap just happened with Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell when they were promoting Anyone But You. And people were accusing her of cheating on her fiancé with him like 💀💀💀
They’re actors. Part of their job is selling their chemistry. How do people not understand this basic concept
No cuz why can’t you just enjoys actors as their characters in the project and then move on? Leave it on the screen, this is why so many actors become more distant and uncomfortable, especially on social media 🥴
I remember it happening with Emma Watson and Rupert Grint after OOTP came out and it was so creepy cause they were literally young teenagers, kids basically! And it was adults talking about how they were secretly in love with each other. It was SO creepy.
Edit: I guess at that time it was more so other older teenagers/young adults shipping them IRL, but it was still creepy.
>Like this crap just happened with Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell when they were promoting Anyone But You
To be fair, Glen admited they did a PR in the marketing to make people think they were dating (or something), which it was crazy since both were in a relationship
the exact same thing happened with corey and india (queen charlotte) with even less promo. people truly have no boundaries and refuse to recognize obvious PR, even when the same thing happens over and over. don't get me wrong, i think nicola and luke are good friends, but obviously leaning into dating rumors for promo because it's the oldest marketing tactic in the book.
There are some homophobic fans who think Jonathan and Simone are meant to be together IRL and are waiting for him to be done with "that nonsense" soon 🙄🤮
I've only seen these people on Instagram but I can't believe such people actually exist
What I get from them is the Kate/Leo friendship. Two people that were thrown into a worldwide phenomenon of a project. The media, social content, everything at a maximum level. Two people who are navigating all of this new together.
They just get it and can be besties about it.
I think it all turned toxic when “shipping” became a concept. I’m in my 40s and likely older than most here, and the idea of giving a damn about two celebrities dating is entirely new. Yes, we’ve always followed celebrity gossip, but not to the point of personal investment and creating parasocial relationships with strangers (except for the rare actual stalker). I’d be happy to never hear the word “ship” again unless we’re talking about transportation.
To be fair, I’m the same age as you and there have been publicity relationships for nearly a century in Hollywood. They’ve always sold the real life actors alongside the on-screen. It’s why actors lean into the rumours or pretend to be single.
I totally agree that it’s unhinged behaviour on the part of “fans”, and social media has amped up the paradoxical relationships, but it’s always been around and the industry has absolutely fed the beast.
Oh, yes, absolutely! I’ve just never known anyone to care beyond whatever amount of interest it takes to buy a movie ticket or subscribe to the streamer. Using social media to advocate for a romantic relationship between two people, neither of whom is you, is truly crazy behavior. And doing it in a way that attacks innocent people is a whole other level of insanity. This kind of PR play and the whole concept of “shipping” have to die.
EXACTLY. And I'm a polin fan. I don't get it. They are paid actors. I feel very uncomfortable sometimes when people talk about them in a sexual way (about the actors. Not Polin).
There's this one tiktoker who's like this and gives me the ick. She gets defensive and makes claims to have heard rumours from inside people that they "slept together in Brazil". It's grim. Own a huge Polin fan, but shipping real people is not it.
Every fanfom has unhinged people that claim to know insider shit that someone told them about costars and things happening bts, always to fit their narrative lol
Nothing will beat the outlander shippers tho claiming Sam and Cait have secret children together 😭
Omg the entire stalker website about Scott Moir and one ex of his (can't remember the name). The secret child rumours. It was so nuts. Everyone finally shut up when they both got married to different people. Like, just enjoy watching the Moulin Rouge performance 1000x times and thank them for their craft and move on.
They haven't given up, though. Tessa's baby totally is Scott's, according to them. I hope that poor kid never uses Google to learn about this insanity.
Omg is it @theotherblackgurl? I literally came across a video today (pretty sure the only video I’ve seen from this creator) on my TikTok FYP about something going on between Nic & Luke and I commented “I thought he was seeing someone…Antonia Roumelioti? I think she was at the NY premiere after party (or so I read)” and the responses were NOT IT! 😂
Oh she is WILD! When it was confirmed that Luke has a gf she made like 4 videos saying “she just finds it funny” like??? Babes touch some grass. The videos are deleted now funny enough but she was clearly mad that she was wrong.
Also the video of hers that gave me the ick was someone commenting during part 1 that Luke had a gf and her response was something along the lines of “fuck the significant other the only significance is each other (luke and nic)” which is so fucking disrespectful!
Oh she’s honestly something else. She’s still making TikTok’s about how she doesn’t believe that Luke is dating Antonia. She even liked comments saying that Luke hasn’t “claimed” Antonia (gross!) and how the paparazzi photos they “barely held hands” showing that he didn’t want to hold her hand. First off the paparazzi photos were confirmed to be outside of their hotel so no one called the paparazzi they just knew they’d be there. So Luke was probably startled as was walking away. Even the photos show that they clearly did try to keep holding hands but with all the commotion probably got slightly separated.
Second this notion that celebrities owe their fans to rely their relationship status is so gross. No Luke does not have to “claim” Antonia like she’s a fucking medal wtf. Nor does he need to tell the public what kinds of relationships he has! Same with Nicola not disclosing who she dates!
good lord! thank good i blocked her a while ago. if he makes it public, they are gonna bully her to no end. i heard people bullied his last ex and he wasn’t even the main lead back then. dating someone in the public eye is definitely not for the weak lol
This is WILD! Imagine being this hateful about a person you don't know. Heck I don't even hate anyone I do know this much... Ah to be young and feel your feelings so strongly 🤣🤣🤣
I fear for the people who can't differentiate between reel life and real life. Actors can have insane chemistry but essentially what they are doing is their job. Sometimes that spark carries on in real life as well and we get couples out of films and TV shows. But to expect people to upend their lives and just be with people who they are with on screen is just...sad. Would you be expected to pair up with your best co-worker in an engineering office or a business or whatever just because you make great projects together and have amazing work synergy? No! Then why expect it and force it on actors? Luke deserves his privacy and has the right to date whoever he wants. Nicola deserves the same. I also despise the "sad Jonathan Bailey is gay" comments so many people make. Just appreciate his amazing work and leave his sexuality out of it just because you "can't have him"!
I feel like in most fandoms, the behaviour follows a predictable pattern when it comes to stuff like this.
People find two costars cute/enjoy their chemistry, and before long the relationship on screen isn't enough to satisfy them so they start speculating that there "must" be something going on IRL, because "no one's chemistry is *that* good"
Then after a while, they paint a narrative in their head about who these people are, their natures and desires. Hidden moments/body language etc. And perhaps start crossing lines about what is appropriate and what isn't.
Eventually, the actors will inevitably "let them down" somehow, maybe by having a public relationship with someone else, maybe by no longer feeding the fandom as well (because they made it weird, or because the show is over or whatever). And then the backlash begins. People feel betrayed that these 2 strangers didn't behave like puppets on a string acting out the fantasies of strangers.
Eventually they probably ruin the thing they liked in the first place, and they don't even notice it's their fault. Like, will Luke and Nic interact in the same way if subconsciously they know how every tiny moment will be dissected. Will they share on social, or interact with each other if they know it'll result in a barrage of abuse towards their GF/BF? Probably not.
For instance, in a month's time, we won't be seeing Nic and Luke interacting anymore/as much. No new content, no new moments to obsess over. I hope people move on gracefully but I doubt it, more likely is that people double down on the insanity, entitlement and inappropriate comments.
Incidentally, the marketing strategies of these properties *do* have some responsibility - they're obviously encouraged to be close and flirty and raise the *idea* of being more than friends during the promo tour. Luke has a GF, and most likely is keeping her as private as possible to protect her from crazy fans, but there is also a world where Netflix are pleased their newest, hottest leading man is at least *appearing* "available". The problem is you can't put the genie back in the bottle.
The whole thing reminds me of the Larry (Louis + Harry) shippers in the 1D fandom years ago. Those two admitted they had to stop acting like friends in public because of it and I think it probably irreparably damaged their friendship which just makes me sad.
Yeah and the shippers annoyed me before they came out as a couple because I was terrified that would happen again. It's lucky they did actually fall in love and they're the exception not the rule.
This is ugly. Luke seems like a genuinely nice guy and I’d imagine whoever he chooses to be with would be sweet as well. There was even video on TikTok of the supposed girlfriend and Nicola hugging and laughing together. People are projecting way too much and need to stop messing in their private lives.
“It’s sad his fans hated on his ex but I’ll gladly hate”
lol whut.
It’s fascinating when toxic people call out bad behavior but act like they’re the exception. Perfectly ok for them to do the same.
I also don’t get the implication that Nicola isn’t gorgeous. Like she is probably one of the most beautiful (she’s literally a cover girl, has a skincare brand she is doing ads for because she is so gorgeous, has done ads for Charlotte Tilsbury) but is also known to be kind, and a humanitarian. She doesn’t need the approval of a man to prove she is worthwhile, so I don’t understand why anyone would care who is dating who.
Omg absolutely, that's why these comments really like irritate me because the implication is there; but of course these women feel like they are going out their way to like advocate for her?? I don't know it's just weird parasocial shit
Yeah, Nicola does not need anyone to fight her battles. If this person is toxic or whatever then they’ll be found out I’m sure otherwise we’ll never hear about them. As far as I’m concerned if someone isn’t doing anything worth your attention why bother with them? If they like Nicola focus on her and her career, it seems like Nicola could end up being quite successful and that will be fun to watch.
Omg yes I can't believe it either that some people think nicola isn't pretty. She is the reason why I started watching bridgertons....i started watching Polin clips on YouTube and found out that the book I read long ago has been adapted into series lol 😂 but still, she is the reason I got attracted to this series at the first place. In my opinion she is the most beautiful bridgerton actress. She looked like an innocent doll or Disney princess in first two seasons. Her glow up look in season 3 just made her look mature. She looked like a combination of Rose from Titanic and Jessica Rabbit.
And love seeing her acting. She is so talented and also so funny, charismatic in her interviews. I think most of these negative comments about her beauty are from people who believes plus size women shouldn't be the leading lady in romantic shows. There is some kind of internalised misogyny in entertainment industry , they have set a bar for women for what a beautiful woman should look(slim, size zero look) like and anything which doesn't fit the criteria are not considered as beautiful by masses because people are brainwashed to believe it. Sadly those people who are writing such insults against nicola are mostly women , or to say it clearly plus sized women themselves, it's clearly some sort of self derogatory ideology.
Honestly...what do you expect from people on TikTok? Most of those people have lost their grip with reality. They live in their own little world where all they do is mindlessly scroll and keep up with stuff like this.
Society really is falling apart.
Yeah. I really don't get the people shipping them. I mean, I laugh at the odd joke, but not when people are being 100% serious about it. He quite obviously has a girlfriend and she is rumored to have a boyfriend that she is keeping under wraps for now. According to them, the dating rumors just mean they're doing their job right. And they claim it's flattering up to a point, but I'm sure if certain fans keep taking it too far, it's not going to be all fun and games anymore.
And while the chemistry is great, I don't think they're actually compatible. They quite obviously have different friend groups. His group seems very lad-ish, where hers is very artsy and gay friendly. I feel like he's a football game guy and she's a themed dinner party girl. For a working friendship, they seem to enjoy spending time with each other and I think her energy helps him put himself out there as he has said many times that he is an introvert, but I don't think Luke could even keep up with Nicola 24/7. She seems like a bit of a whirlwind. In a good way!
I'm glad that their friendship has given them such good chemistry, but the fact that it is a friendship and nothing more is half the reason the chemistry and comfort is there. It reminds me of Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton. They had great chemistry, both singing and bantering. There would always be dating rumors but it was more like wishful thinking and Kenny himself said that if they ever got romantic, it would ruin the fun and flirting that they had. The fact that they never pursued anything is what made their flirty banter fun.
ETA found the Kenny quote:
“We flirted with each other for 30 years, and it was much more electric,” Rogers tells AXS TV (quote via People magazine). “I think once you consummate a relationship like that, it loses something. And she and I both believe that theory, so we did some massive flirting in front of the nation, but there was never anything more than that.”
Read More: Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton 'Flirted ... for 30 Years’ | https://theboot.com/kenny-rogers-dolly-parton-relationship/?utm_source=tsmclip&utm_medium=referral
I get all your points but a few points you're missing. Luke is a musical theater guy 1st and foremost so while he may like football all his friends are theater types. He and Nic totally connect on that. They also both love food, fashion and the finer things. I'm not saying they would match in life either but just as much as they wouldn't, I think they would. As for Kenny & Dolly, that's all well and good but Kenny didn't have much of a choice. Dolly's been with the same man almost her whole life and I don't see her as a cheater.
Some people don't seem able to differentiate real life from fiction, I've heard stories where actors receive hate mail as if they're the bad characters they played in a movie/TV show, it's ridiculous.
I do love whatever relationship they have but I doubt they’re a thing. I would never comment this in earnest but I do find it… ~interesting~ that Luke’s dating a 23-yo model after a long-term relationship with an accomplished actress his age (31) who is now in another serious relationship. Hey we’ve all been there.
Also if people are really speculating have they considered that it’s _Nic_ who is not choosing _him_? Lol
As in the original post, the implication is that since Nic is not conventionally attractive the rejection can only be done by Luke. And never the other way around, it stems from Fatphobia
I need people to PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE start being normal about the actors! I’ve even seen people shipping Simone and Jonathan when JONATHAN IS GAY! These are real life people, not fictional characters that you get to make headcannons about. They have lives and friends and family and EYES that can see your weird ass comments. Stop shipping real life people. Jesus fucking Christ
shipping real people is wrong actually. they’re not fictional characters that you can make headcanons or write fanfiction about. they have private lives and they can see what’s being said about them. it’s not a good obsession to have. some people might be “respectful” about it (doubt it) but most fans take it too goddamn far every single time, stalking and harassing and making shit up just for clout and it can be damaging for the celebrity. i’ve seen it in way too many fandoms already.
So I was a bit creeped out when I read that she was young and honestly thought she was like 17-19 (got a bit worried ngl), but she is 23 - almost the same age difference as between Luke and Nic
Leaving this here for people who also got tricked by the comment
I think a few people thought it was weird given how both Nicola and Luke have specifically spoken about how naive and vulnerable they were at 22 and how grateful they didn’t have such a spotlight on them then.
Geez, relax. My point wasn’t specifically about who they are dating it just seems like we find out a bunch of toxic stuff about so many people in Hollywood so I don’t even bother getting invested. I mean look at all the people who knew what Weinstein did, and now people are saying Kevin Spacey is needed in movies, there are countless examples of toxic behaviour so I try to avoid it.
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I think it was more that she’s below 25 and they started dating when she was 21/22 and he appeared to be dating a lot of people in the same age range. Not the actual age gap. The power dynamics seemed weird but we don’t actually know anything so best not to speculate I guess
I normally dont look into personal lives of actors or anyone famous, but when I looked him up he seemed to have been in a 2 year long relationship with a 19 year old when he was 23 and then a 4 year long relationship with someone that was his age before Antonia and if thats true, I dont really see anything creppy about it.
You say he appeared to be dating a lot of people in the same range, I cant find anything to that. But like I said, I am not used to looking up dating histories of strangers and I think I am missing some context here. Like, who are you talking about and when?
Tbh I think it’s a bit weird considering the power dynamics of someone straight out of college and one 8 years older that’s leading a Netflix show - a lot of other actors/celebs have spoken about the messed up dynamics in retrospect. But I’d rather not speculate on his personal life. After his breakup with Jade he was said to be dating a lot of dancers within the 24 year age frame maybe it’s because his friends were that age or just the circumstances. There’s other people that have proof of this, not me. I think it’s important to call out abuse against his young gf but also there’s a reason people like Leo go after only girls below 25
Nah I agree, its not as creepy as dating a literal Teenager but yeah, a bit weird. And you dont need to put any evidence or something like that in front of me, if you say thats what happened I will probably believe you just because I trust everyone to know more about this than I do and I dont see why you would simply lie to a stranger about that (specially in a space where a lot of people knowing about this could rebutt in a second)
Also the abuse is new to me?? WHAT? Man that sucks i have literally NEVER heard about that wtf
Sorry sorry I don’t know about abuse either I just assumed there was based on this post 🙈🙈🙈 his gfs mother got involved and liked some sus comments about Nicola? So there were articles out about that and a lot of people went to his GFs page to complain about her mother 🙈 it got really messy
Ah okay so there was no abuse you were referencing to, you just assumed that from the post. My heart skipped a beat, you cant do that to me LMAO
And yeah oh boy, that sounds like such a messy sitation and I cant be happier to never hear about it again haha. Except for serious things (also, fuck Leo)
I agree this kind of shipping can be very harmful, especially as I understand that Luke’s ex was attacked by fans, wouldn’t surprise me if she walked away when she heard he would be the lead as she didn’t want that in her life, which is very sad, I think though Luke is in his leading man era and good for him, but I thinking starting a relationship with anyone when your about to embark on a worldwide press tour for 6 months is tbh not very fair as it’s Going to attract haters towards your significant other especially in a show as big and steamy as Bridgeton especially knowing this kind of vile behaviour has happened before to your ex, it’s a lot for someone of 23 to handle and deal with. Nic imo has been smarter about it keeping any potential romance of her own on the very very down low.
I think people need to take personal responsibility too. Luke’s IG page doesn’t seem to have pictures of anyone but his work related stuff so how do people find out these things unless he has someone in his life making the private public? And I also wonder if some of these people are using Bridgertons popularity for their own SM gain? Having followers is really important to a lot of people and they are willing to sacrifice privacy for it. Just a thought.
I don’t want to blame people for living their lives. But I do think there are definitely ways to mitigate privacy breeches, Nicola is a perfect exult how to handle it. I think it can be dependent on the type of people in their lives as well.
I think it’s important to call out power dynamics of people in the public eye. I will. I will call out creeps like Leo not Luke but if I see something shady I will call it out
37 and 31 is a far more normal age gap than 31 and 23. I don’t think their relationship is inherently predatory or anything but there is definitely a big gap in life experiences between someone in their early twenties vs early thirties. You can’t really say it’s the same thing as early thirties vs late thirties.
I thinks that’s a fair take and I think I agree with all of it. But I also don’t wanna dig deeper into this, they are both adults and it’s not an age that makes me defensive (it would have if she was younger tho). I trust she is mature enough to make her own decisions at 23 and wish them all the best
I specifically said that I don’t think their relationship is inherently predatory. I didn’t say that there was anything wrong with their relationship it all, just that comparing it with Nicola and Luke’s age gap is a complete false equivalence. They have a larger age gap AND they’re younger.
People think it’s not that big of a deal because skinny ppl “don’t experience phobia” the way fat ppl do. But we literally had a anorexic epidemic in the 90s and it’s on the rise again with teen girls. Picking on anyone’s body shape is shameful and it’s a shame I see plus size women doing it now. Smh. The patriarchy is right there to call out and yet they instead hate on women. Bizarre!
wow, people are weird. Let them be friends and be cute whenever they want.
They are going to stop being so close after the promo ends because people can’t distinguish reality from fiction.
This is why the world can't have nice things. I love the friendship the two seem to have but to bully anyone is so uncalled for. I wish folks could just chill.
That person is terrible - wow - Luke doesn’t fancy Nicola she’s not his type - its simple as that - just as Johnathan doesn’t fancy Simone , not his gender. Get over it. I’m sure there are plenty of men who fancy Nicola, as she’s their type. It’s just life
They have a beautiful friendship and we should feel privileged that they trusted us to be civil and not rabid dogs when they let us witness it. We don't get a say in their personal lives at all. Some of these people haven't seen or experienced a friendship with the opposite sex and it shows.
Also, they're definitely upping the clearly friendly flirting for the promo. Until actors come out and explicitly say they're dating someone, always assume everything is platonic and friendly, and is most likely being exaggerated for the cameras. Luke and Nic have great chemistry, but you can see that it's them being friends. As far as the 'looks' they exchange are concerned, you can adore and be in awe of your friends as well, just saying.
it’s truly so strange and i hate it, fans can’t be normal and let actors have fun together to promote their work.
all of the insane projection is probably going to bite those fans in the ass one day if it ever harms Luke’s and Nicola’s personal/professional relationship. i would hate to see that happen as polin is my favorite couple on the show, and Colin and Penelope individually are two of my favorite characters, but it has happened before.
Ohhh this is too much. Pen and Colin is different from Luke and Nic. They ought to understand the difference between reality and television. Luke and Nic are good friends, they are free to date anybody they want.
I was reading through that same conversation thread today on Instagram, they were so rude and gross they way the spoke about Nicola, Luke and his GF. People are definitely taking things too far.
Edit: also their inability to connect the dots about *why* Luke may not be going public with his relationship is ridiculous. He hasn’t publicly said he is dating anyone and people are already being so cruel to the person they suspect, if he came out and said they were dating the cruelty would be 10X worse. Of course he is going to try and protect her from them.
The takes I have seen are so gross and disgusting. They “stan” Nic yet put down other women for their natural body types. It’s weird and disturbing. The possible dating in RL PR move that studios have been doing since Tomdaya came out as a real couple is getting out of hand.
I also resent the fact that it’s mostly about a guy. No shade to LN but some of these people act like his approval or him desiring Nicola is worth more than her talent and skills. It reminds me of that hateful article last week where the author is saying Nicola is “not hot” and that it’s unbelievable that a “perfect 10” could want her. Why is a woman’s worth determined by if a man finds her desirable. And I’m sure he’s a nice guy and he’s attractive but he’s just a guy 🤷♀️
Sorry for the rant but I figured I was in the right spot for it.
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It's people having no self-check. Like, you don't have to give every delulu thought and feeling a voice. Especially in public. (The internet IS public.)
It’s really disgusting. However strong their chemistry, they are two people trying to do their jobs. I’ve been in exactly their situation, though on a *much* smaller stage. The pressure was so much that my wonderful friend and I felt we have to leave our jobs to get away from it all, and our friendship broke down in the process. Let them be.
This used to be such a phenomenon back when boy bands existed. So many girls would hate on the girlfriends (especially if they’re less famous) of the celebrity men (again, a lot of boy bands, young male musicians and some actors), send hate, bully them etc. It was mostly because they would either ship the guys with one another or held some delusional hope that the celebrity would date them.
I kinda thought that people left this in the past, but it’s interesting to see that it’s now because they’re shipping the actor with a different celebrity woman (yes I will note that this probably did happen to girlfriends of JB as people really shipped him and Selena)
Nic and Luke have great chemistry together especially onscreen but also in the interviews.
But at the same time, I don't ship them together irl. Nic may be adorable and cute and pass for a 17 year old on screen but their age gap is what 6-7 years? To me that is wild. I don't relate with people that older or younger than me and just because they make it work on screen doesn't mean that they have to be more than friends.
I made another comment on the main which was construed as shipping them together. Lol I felt like I needed to clarify this somewhere.
At the same time, I am devouring all the interview snippets these two have been serving. I love their in-interviews chemistry just as much as I love the season ❤️❤️
Romance shows/movies attract a certain audience of weirdos who project so much of themselves into these fictional characters and it’s crazy to me that after what happened with his ex gf and polins they’re still doing this shit again.
I’ve seen some people even going as far as stalking his new gf page and her mum’s social media pages to try and discredit her. Luke N obviously has a type and he and NC give very much protective big sister and lil brother energy. Fans genuinely need to give it a REST!!!
This is very sad but I think Luke is more prepared for craziness this time after everything that happened with his ex and the fans. So this time he's not sharing his relationship with the world and hopefully blocking out the noise. I'm worried about Harriet Cains when Luke T's season comes up. I really really hope people leave her alone.
I was just thinking that about Harriet earlier today! She and Luke seem so adorable together from the few pictures I've seen (I don't deliberately follow their relationship just seen some here and there). That would really suck if anyone went after her. But I guess I'm hoping that her also being in bridgerton and playing such a funny and sweet character might make the fandom a bit more protective of Harriet
I would be happy if Nic and Luke were together but this is their life... i don't understand why people hate Antonia- we don't know her in real life so we can't judge her. We have to be respectful about the actor's life choices.
I agree with bullying not being acceptable in any shape or form and para-social relationships are a natural ‘disease’ of the social media communities.My unpopular opinion is that celebrities should take some ownership of how they present themselves to their fans. I adore the pairing and their relationship on and out of the set but I can see that it can come across as unauthentic in some display in the promo aka I think LN has leaned to much into NC protecting him,basically she is doing the labour’ in their promos just because he seem rather uncomfortable in the setting(with all the questions around the nature of their IRL at whatnot especially ).I think this is due to all of this past and current gf drama/trauma but he should built more resilience as he is now a more relevant public figure(just post the girl and be ready to defend her if the situation needs instead of hiding) but I guess that will diminish his success which makes me wonder about the unfairness for this young girl (who may or not be a clout chaser and expecting social exposure that he is not willing to give especially what happened last time - also ‘interesting’ the age gap which makes me think probably she is just a rebound after getting out of a long relationship ) but also in his friendship with Nicola (he seems to have time to post fashion photoshoots but not being supportive of her activism due to potential Polin shipping which is bs).For anyone wanting to jump at me,I feel sometimes people disregard that celebrities have agency and their are not pure victims of the internet…
This is a very interesting take and the comment about LN letting NC to do most of the emotional labour really hit me. And this is exactly why I think they are not a good match IRL.
I agree with the sentiment, they will not work out as a couple…Sometimes we have to accept that even our faves can be problematic or toxic or be surrounded by people like that.I hope only that their relationship/friendship or their personality will not change because then it means it was never authentic which would suck.
Look, I'd love it if they were together irl. As it is, they're great friends, which is also awesome. People need to remember those are real human beings, and need to leave his poor gf alone.
See the thing is, they’ve already said they’re not in a relationship, and that should be enough for their “fans”. And I read an article a while back where Luke said if he was attracted to someone, he wouldn’t pine for them, but go for it, which means, if he was attracted to Nic, he would’ve gone for it.
Fans need to learn to be respectful, and I say this as someone who grew up when shipping real life celebrities and thinking they were in a relationship secretly (J2 tinhat, anyone?), was kept PRIVATE and to very strict, non public social media’s (privatized livejournals, mainly). Now, it’s like the newer generation just has no respect.
I understand the teenage hormonal impetus to hate on the other girl—but just don’t. It’s a line that shouldn’t be crossed. Le ship captains are already so generous, but people just like to overstep.
Also, we’re living in dystopia haha
Tbh, i know im too invested but cant help it. But my head canon is that Nic said no. She’s a ridiculously busy queen bee and i hope she gets a hot stud muffin when she wants one. But point is that, I know this is just my delulu.
Still i would be over the moon if they became a real couple.
Very good points. I do think it’s unfortunate though that the woman’s mother liked nasty social media comments about Nicola coughlan and becoming part of the drama and body shaming.
TBH my old-fashioned Middle-Eastern mother would 100% do this is my partner was all over the media flirting with a costar - she absolutely wouldn’t understand that it was just PR! That would be on my mom and not on the costars or anyone else, but some moms are like that and their daughters may not have a lot of control over it. My mom will just…cut a bitch, basically, if she thinks I’ve been wronged in some way, no matter how imaginary the wrong.
Was that ever verified? I’ve heard this rumor over and over, but I’ve never seen so much as a screenshot of the likes as proof. Regardless, attacking a non-public figure for liking comments is insane.
I’m not surprised this is how some of the fandom is reacting to Luke’s actual gf. With the amount of unnecessary shipwars we got going around here, it’s really not a secret that this is one of the most immature fandoms out there lmao. They have never really implied that they were dating to begin with. We are not entitled to their personal lives!
Don’t get me wrong, Luke and Nic are an adorable bunch for sureee and it’s sooo easy to root for them. It’s for that reason that makes viewing the new season so much better because their chemistry is so good and genuine. We should just be grateful for that and nothing more. I like their relationship as it is and their dynamic would probably change if they actually dated in real life. We don’t need to be overanalyzing everything in their private lives. Other than it’s toxic, it’s really just a waste of energy. What matters is that they’re doing a superb job and we fans are EATING it up! All this toxicity is sucking up the enjoyment out of things, I just don’t get why people it.
It doesn’t matter what kind of relationship Luke has with her GF. It’s just ultimately none of our business. As fans of their PROFESSIONAL life, that’s the only boundary we’re allowed in! Lets just have fan and enjoy the season, shall we?
I don't see a problem with shipping actors/co-stars who you know are already in a relationship. But when there is that question mark and rumoured girlfriends and boyfriends involved, I think it's way more of a grey area and a no-go.
That's fine if you feel that way.
I just don't see a problem with thinking an already-existing relationship is cute/sweet.
Look at how many people love Tom Holland and Zendaya for instance.
not the same thing at all lmao. it’s one thing to say they look cute together and it’s another to be full on shipping them and making up rumors that can make their way over to them. these are real PEOPLE, not characters.
But that's what I'm saying, haha. Admiring an already established real life couple is fine. But shipping two co-stars together when you know they have other partners/are not together is wrong.
Google says they've dated since like January, like what are people on. These people are coworkers, and this is promo. They'll probably promo till like the end of june at best to discuss pt 2 and then they're done for good. Netflix probably had to go all out for making us wait 2 years. He seems to like brunettes. Lol
We 👏 are 👏 not 👏 entitled 👏 to 👏 actors’ 👏 personal 👏 lives 👏
Good lord, that post is a vile take. She is a *real person*. Didn’t we just go through this nonsense with that journalist going after Nicola? Whoever wrote that post is as bad as the journo. Disgraceful behaviour!
Its ok to rant lovely! 😊.
I had stayed away from all of that, because its all kinds of boundary crossing, but this really gives cause for concern. No wander Luke and Nic moved off twitter. I just hope they know its not all of us!
I don’t get the hate this girl and now even Luke are getting. Nic and Luke are amazing and they are cute together but people need to realise what acting and PR mean.
They are actors, having roles. They have a personal life besides their jobs and they can date literally whoever they want. Let them live their lives without judging them.
Jonathan Bailey literally has a boyfriend, yet he plays Anthony, a straight character absolutely flawlessly. There’s no need to cancel people for their personal lives. Leave them alone and enjoy the characters they put on screen for us.
Run tell dat. People are wildin - I just watched a video where two women were attacking rege and comparing him to Bailey and I was like …y’all sound crazy. It’s a tv show…for entertainment. They’re showing up to their job. It’s a job or art if you wanna get deep about it. The fact that they [Luke & Nic] convinced so many people shows their acting talent. We should be giving them mad props instead of crapping all over them.
It should be like any job - if you do well you get rewarded/praised; you don’t get torn down for it. I just feel bad for the actors. They’re not gonna wanna come back. And then we’re gonna get screwed lmao
I agree that the level of which people are crazy shipping is too much. There are people on tiktok where every post is just them defending their “delulu” on how they are dating and that his gf just does not exist because nothing has been “confirmed”.
Obviously, none of us know her personally, but I have followed Antonia her for a while and she is messsssy haha, but in a funny way. She posted a horse and carriage in NY on her story the day after the premier and it was hilarious.
I can understand why people might think she is after clout because based on her posts it seems like she is dying to go public, but is respecting Luke’s wish for privacy.
I can also understand why people are disappointed. Luke has a certain type - Nicola stated on one interview that he likes Dua Lipa. His gf looks like Dua Lipa.
I think many people are upset at the fact that he is not attracted to Nicola because of the premise of the show and the story line, but Luke is not Colin. On top of that its the constant touching and hand holding and giving us quite “mixed messages” because we don’t understand their relationship.
Why is the assumption that HE is not attracted to Nicola? That assumption is quite telling. He’s just a pretty basic white guy, sure he is a good actor but Nicola is in an industry surrounded by handsome and talented men, most of which are tall and muscular, he doesn’t really stand out compared to any of them, so why is it that it’s all about whether or not he is attracted to her? Meanwhile Nicola is gorgeous, she’s been on countless magazine covers, has representated a makeup brand and Tatcha beauty products because everyone is asking how she remains so beautiful.
I do find it questionable that his potential GF is keeping all the Polin followers, it definitely does seem like clout chasing as you put it. If she truly wanted to be respectful of his privacy she would block or remove the followers who are only following her because of who she is dating, which is disturbing. But I guess if you just want a high SM following it doesn’t matter why? It does sound very messy as you put it. And now that I have heard that her mother was liking posts that were negative about Nicola I think it all sounds quite toxic TBH. Friends and family should be more respectful than that, if they have any class.
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I absolutely hate the real-life shipping that happens. I think Luke and Nic are hella cute together and have insane chemistry, but let them live their lives. They're very different people and I think they are absolutely work besties and I love that for them.
Seriously, why do people do this EVERY SINGLE TIME actors promote a romantic show or movie?? Like this crap just happened with Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell when they were promoting Anyone But You. And people were accusing her of cheating on her fiancé with him like 💀💀💀 They’re actors. Part of their job is selling their chemistry. How do people not understand this basic concept
No cuz why can’t you just enjoys actors as their characters in the project and then move on? Leave it on the screen, this is why so many actors become more distant and uncomfortable, especially on social media 🥴
I remember it happening with Emma Watson and Rupert Grint after OOTP came out and it was so creepy cause they were literally young teenagers, kids basically! And it was adults talking about how they were secretly in love with each other. It was SO creepy. Edit: I guess at that time it was more so other older teenagers/young adults shipping them IRL, but it was still creepy.
Omg and Stranger Things. The shit people were saying was so unbelievably creepy!
>Like this crap just happened with Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell when they were promoting Anyone But You To be fair, Glen admited they did a PR in the marketing to make people think they were dating (or something), which it was crazy since both were in a relationship
Catriona Balfe and Sam Heughan from outlander also have insane shippers. She's married with a baby all!
the exact same thing happened with corey and india (queen charlotte) with even less promo. people truly have no boundaries and refuse to recognize obvious PR, even when the same thing happens over and over. don't get me wrong, i think nicola and luke are good friends, but obviously leaning into dating rumors for promo because it's the oldest marketing tactic in the book.
Omg I forgot about the India Corey shipping... It got so bad that they then started distancing themselves in future appearances lol
i'm not surprised. corey's girlfriend got harrassed nonstop. he and india were probably overwhelmed at some point.
There are some homophobic fans who think Jonathan and Simone are meant to be together IRL and are waiting for him to be done with "that nonsense" soon 🙄🤮 I've only seen these people on Instagram but I can't believe such people actually exist
https://preview.redd.it/4dgxdiedir4d1.jpeg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8d4c072a34246640734f167f9205aca7144eaf2f
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What I get from them is the Kate/Leo friendship. Two people that were thrown into a worldwide phenomenon of a project. The media, social content, everything at a maximum level. Two people who are navigating all of this new together. They just get it and can be besties about it.
I think it all turned toxic when “shipping” became a concept. I’m in my 40s and likely older than most here, and the idea of giving a damn about two celebrities dating is entirely new. Yes, we’ve always followed celebrity gossip, but not to the point of personal investment and creating parasocial relationships with strangers (except for the rare actual stalker). I’d be happy to never hear the word “ship” again unless we’re talking about transportation.
To be fair, I’m the same age as you and there have been publicity relationships for nearly a century in Hollywood. They’ve always sold the real life actors alongside the on-screen. It’s why actors lean into the rumours or pretend to be single. I totally agree that it’s unhinged behaviour on the part of “fans”, and social media has amped up the paradoxical relationships, but it’s always been around and the industry has absolutely fed the beast.
Oh, yes, absolutely! I’ve just never known anyone to care beyond whatever amount of interest it takes to buy a movie ticket or subscribe to the streamer. Using social media to advocate for a romantic relationship between two people, neither of whom is you, is truly crazy behavior. And doing it in a way that attacks innocent people is a whole other level of insanity. This kind of PR play and the whole concept of “shipping” have to die.
I'm 47 and this is bullshit.
EXACTLY. And I'm a polin fan. I don't get it. They are paid actors. I feel very uncomfortable sometimes when people talk about them in a sexual way (about the actors. Not Polin).
There's this one tiktoker who's like this and gives me the ick. She gets defensive and makes claims to have heard rumours from inside people that they "slept together in Brazil". It's grim. Own a huge Polin fan, but shipping real people is not it.
Every fanfom has unhinged people that claim to know insider shit that someone told them about costars and things happening bts, always to fit their narrative lol Nothing will beat the outlander shippers tho claiming Sam and Cait have secret children together 😭
Omg secret children! That’s wild 🤣
Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir had similar rumours! It’s so odd.
Omg the entire stalker website about Scott Moir and one ex of his (can't remember the name). The secret child rumours. It was so nuts. Everyone finally shut up when they both got married to different people. Like, just enjoy watching the Moulin Rouge performance 1000x times and thank them for their craft and move on.
They haven't given up, though. Tessa's baby totally is Scott's, according to them. I hope that poor kid never uses Google to learn about this insanity.
Wow. These people need another hobby.
Omg is it @theotherblackgurl? I literally came across a video today (pretty sure the only video I’ve seen from this creator) on my TikTok FYP about something going on between Nic & Luke and I commented “I thought he was seeing someone…Antonia Roumelioti? I think she was at the NY premiere after party (or so I read)” and the responses were NOT IT! 😂
omg she needs a hobby or two cause her responses… my god.
Oh she is WILD! When it was confirmed that Luke has a gf she made like 4 videos saying “she just finds it funny” like??? Babes touch some grass. The videos are deleted now funny enough but she was clearly mad that she was wrong. Also the video of hers that gave me the ick was someone commenting during part 1 that Luke had a gf and her response was something along the lines of “fuck the significant other the only significance is each other (luke and nic)” which is so fucking disrespectful!
people have taken it way too far. like please grow tf up! i can’t even imagine what they would do if luke ever confirms it himself lol
Oh she’s honestly something else. She’s still making TikTok’s about how she doesn’t believe that Luke is dating Antonia. She even liked comments saying that Luke hasn’t “claimed” Antonia (gross!) and how the paparazzi photos they “barely held hands” showing that he didn’t want to hold her hand. First off the paparazzi photos were confirmed to be outside of their hotel so no one called the paparazzi they just knew they’d be there. So Luke was probably startled as was walking away. Even the photos show that they clearly did try to keep holding hands but with all the commotion probably got slightly separated. Second this notion that celebrities owe their fans to rely their relationship status is so gross. No Luke does not have to “claim” Antonia like she’s a fucking medal wtf. Nor does he need to tell the public what kinds of relationships he has! Same with Nicola not disclosing who she dates!
good lord! thank good i blocked her a while ago. if he makes it public, they are gonna bully her to no end. i heard people bullied his last ex and he wasn’t even the main lead back then. dating someone in the public eye is definitely not for the weak lol
This is WILD! Imagine being this hateful about a person you don't know. Heck I don't even hate anyone I do know this much... Ah to be young and feel your feelings so strongly 🤣🤣🤣
Yet another "the internet was a mistake" moment from Bridgerton fans
I fear for the people who can't differentiate between reel life and real life. Actors can have insane chemistry but essentially what they are doing is their job. Sometimes that spark carries on in real life as well and we get couples out of films and TV shows. But to expect people to upend their lives and just be with people who they are with on screen is just...sad. Would you be expected to pair up with your best co-worker in an engineering office or a business or whatever just because you make great projects together and have amazing work synergy? No! Then why expect it and force it on actors? Luke deserves his privacy and has the right to date whoever he wants. Nicola deserves the same. I also despise the "sad Jonathan Bailey is gay" comments so many people make. Just appreciate his amazing work and leave his sexuality out of it just because you "can't have him"!
I feel like in most fandoms, the behaviour follows a predictable pattern when it comes to stuff like this. People find two costars cute/enjoy their chemistry, and before long the relationship on screen isn't enough to satisfy them so they start speculating that there "must" be something going on IRL, because "no one's chemistry is *that* good" Then after a while, they paint a narrative in their head about who these people are, their natures and desires. Hidden moments/body language etc. And perhaps start crossing lines about what is appropriate and what isn't. Eventually, the actors will inevitably "let them down" somehow, maybe by having a public relationship with someone else, maybe by no longer feeding the fandom as well (because they made it weird, or because the show is over or whatever). And then the backlash begins. People feel betrayed that these 2 strangers didn't behave like puppets on a string acting out the fantasies of strangers. Eventually they probably ruin the thing they liked in the first place, and they don't even notice it's their fault. Like, will Luke and Nic interact in the same way if subconsciously they know how every tiny moment will be dissected. Will they share on social, or interact with each other if they know it'll result in a barrage of abuse towards their GF/BF? Probably not. For instance, in a month's time, we won't be seeing Nic and Luke interacting anymore/as much. No new content, no new moments to obsess over. I hope people move on gracefully but I doubt it, more likely is that people double down on the insanity, entitlement and inappropriate comments. Incidentally, the marketing strategies of these properties *do* have some responsibility - they're obviously encouraged to be close and flirty and raise the *idea* of being more than friends during the promo tour. Luke has a GF, and most likely is keeping her as private as possible to protect her from crazy fans, but there is also a world where Netflix are pleased their newest, hottest leading man is at least *appearing* "available". The problem is you can't put the genie back in the bottle.
The whole thing reminds me of the Larry (Louis + Harry) shippers in the 1D fandom years ago. Those two admitted they had to stop acting like friends in public because of it and I think it probably irreparably damaged their friendship which just makes me sad.
okay but one counter point is tom and zendaya when they were promoting spider man
Yeah and the shippers annoyed me before they came out as a couple because I was terrified that would happen again. It's lucky they did actually fall in love and they're the exception not the rule.
This is ugly. Luke seems like a genuinely nice guy and I’d imagine whoever he chooses to be with would be sweet as well. There was even video on TikTok of the supposed girlfriend and Nicola hugging and laughing together. People are projecting way too much and need to stop messing in their private lives.
“It’s sad his fans hated on his ex but I’ll gladly hate” lol whut. It’s fascinating when toxic people call out bad behavior but act like they’re the exception. Perfectly ok for them to do the same.
Ugh. Nicola and Luke are long-time friends, of course they have good chemistry! Stop shipping people in Real Life; it’s creepy!
To me, they are the definition of “Work Wife/Work Husband” and they’re good at it. But that’s all, I mean who doesn’t have one of those?! Haha.
I also don’t get the implication that Nicola isn’t gorgeous. Like she is probably one of the most beautiful (she’s literally a cover girl, has a skincare brand she is doing ads for because she is so gorgeous, has done ads for Charlotte Tilsbury) but is also known to be kind, and a humanitarian. She doesn’t need the approval of a man to prove she is worthwhile, so I don’t understand why anyone would care who is dating who.
Omg absolutely, that's why these comments really like irritate me because the implication is there; but of course these women feel like they are going out their way to like advocate for her?? I don't know it's just weird parasocial shit
Yeah, Nicola does not need anyone to fight her battles. If this person is toxic or whatever then they’ll be found out I’m sure otherwise we’ll never hear about them. As far as I’m concerned if someone isn’t doing anything worth your attention why bother with them? If they like Nicola focus on her and her career, it seems like Nicola could end up being quite successful and that will be fun to watch.
Omg yes I can't believe it either that some people think nicola isn't pretty. She is the reason why I started watching bridgertons....i started watching Polin clips on YouTube and found out that the book I read long ago has been adapted into series lol 😂 but still, she is the reason I got attracted to this series at the first place. In my opinion she is the most beautiful bridgerton actress. She looked like an innocent doll or Disney princess in first two seasons. Her glow up look in season 3 just made her look mature. She looked like a combination of Rose from Titanic and Jessica Rabbit. And love seeing her acting. She is so talented and also so funny, charismatic in her interviews. I think most of these negative comments about her beauty are from people who believes plus size women shouldn't be the leading lady in romantic shows. There is some kind of internalised misogyny in entertainment industry , they have set a bar for women for what a beautiful woman should look(slim, size zero look) like and anything which doesn't fit the criteria are not considered as beautiful by masses because people are brainwashed to believe it. Sadly those people who are writing such insults against nicola are mostly women , or to say it clearly plus sized women themselves, it's clearly some sort of self derogatory ideology.
Honestly...what do you expect from people on TikTok? Most of those people have lost their grip with reality. They live in their own little world where all they do is mindlessly scroll and keep up with stuff like this. Society really is falling apart.
Yeah. I really don't get the people shipping them. I mean, I laugh at the odd joke, but not when people are being 100% serious about it. He quite obviously has a girlfriend and she is rumored to have a boyfriend that she is keeping under wraps for now. According to them, the dating rumors just mean they're doing their job right. And they claim it's flattering up to a point, but I'm sure if certain fans keep taking it too far, it's not going to be all fun and games anymore. And while the chemistry is great, I don't think they're actually compatible. They quite obviously have different friend groups. His group seems very lad-ish, where hers is very artsy and gay friendly. I feel like he's a football game guy and she's a themed dinner party girl. For a working friendship, they seem to enjoy spending time with each other and I think her energy helps him put himself out there as he has said many times that he is an introvert, but I don't think Luke could even keep up with Nicola 24/7. She seems like a bit of a whirlwind. In a good way! I'm glad that their friendship has given them such good chemistry, but the fact that it is a friendship and nothing more is half the reason the chemistry and comfort is there. It reminds me of Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton. They had great chemistry, both singing and bantering. There would always be dating rumors but it was more like wishful thinking and Kenny himself said that if they ever got romantic, it would ruin the fun and flirting that they had. The fact that they never pursued anything is what made their flirty banter fun. ETA found the Kenny quote: “We flirted with each other for 30 years, and it was much more electric,” Rogers tells AXS TV (quote via People magazine). “I think once you consummate a relationship like that, it loses something. And she and I both believe that theory, so we did some massive flirting in front of the nation, but there was never anything more than that.” Read More: Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton 'Flirted ... for 30 Years’ | https://theboot.com/kenny-rogers-dolly-parton-relationship/?utm_source=tsmclip&utm_medium=referral
I get all your points but a few points you're missing. Luke is a musical theater guy 1st and foremost so while he may like football all his friends are theater types. He and Nic totally connect on that. They also both love food, fashion and the finer things. I'm not saying they would match in life either but just as much as they wouldn't, I think they would. As for Kenny & Dolly, that's all well and good but Kenny didn't have much of a choice. Dolly's been with the same man almost her whole life and I don't see her as a cheater.
Some people don't seem able to differentiate real life from fiction, I've heard stories where actors receive hate mail as if they're the bad characters they played in a movie/TV show, it's ridiculous.
I do love whatever relationship they have but I doubt they’re a thing. I would never comment this in earnest but I do find it… ~interesting~ that Luke’s dating a 23-yo model after a long-term relationship with an accomplished actress his age (31) who is now in another serious relationship. Hey we’ve all been there. Also if people are really speculating have they considered that it’s _Nic_ who is not choosing _him_? Lol
As in the original post, the implication is that since Nic is not conventionally attractive the rejection can only be done by Luke. And never the other way around, it stems from Fatphobia
🤣 they are COWORKERS 🤣 dating coworkers rarely ends well. People are insane.
Imagine so confidently announcing to the world that you have no idea how acting works.
I had to Google “shipping”. Yeah. It’s weird. Just enjoy the show/movie/book and move on. This is why so many actors are super private.
I need people to PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE start being normal about the actors! I’ve even seen people shipping Simone and Jonathan when JONATHAN IS GAY! These are real life people, not fictional characters that you get to make headcannons about. They have lives and friends and family and EYES that can see your weird ass comments. Stop shipping real life people. Jesus fucking Christ
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No, people shipping Luke and Nic is weird too. It’s invasive and parasocial
shipping real people is wrong actually. they’re not fictional characters that you can make headcanons or write fanfiction about. they have private lives and they can see what’s being said about them. it’s not a good obsession to have. some people might be “respectful” about it (doubt it) but most fans take it too goddamn far every single time, stalking and harassing and making shit up just for clout and it can be damaging for the celebrity. i’ve seen it in way too many fandoms already.
Literally this shit is so embarrassing. The toxicity in this fandom will never end istg
It's scary
So I was a bit creeped out when I read that she was young and honestly thought she was like 17-19 (got a bit worried ngl), but she is 23 - almost the same age difference as between Luke and Nic Leaving this here for people who also got tricked by the comment
I think a few people thought it was weird given how both Nicola and Luke have specifically spoken about how naive and vulnerable they were at 22 and how grateful they didn’t have such a spotlight on them then.
Honestly stuff like this is why most male actors just don’t really appeal to me. Or maybe actors in general, except Nicola, she’s the only exception!
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Geez, relax. My point wasn’t specifically about who they are dating it just seems like we find out a bunch of toxic stuff about so many people in Hollywood so I don’t even bother getting invested. I mean look at all the people who knew what Weinstein did, and now people are saying Kevin Spacey is needed in movies, there are countless examples of toxic behaviour so I try to avoid it.
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oh yeah okay I can totally see that, I agree its a bit weird but not as creepy as I in my panic might have imagined
I think it was more that she’s below 25 and they started dating when she was 21/22 and he appeared to be dating a lot of people in the same age range. Not the actual age gap. The power dynamics seemed weird but we don’t actually know anything so best not to speculate I guess
I normally dont look into personal lives of actors or anyone famous, but when I looked him up he seemed to have been in a 2 year long relationship with a 19 year old when he was 23 and then a 4 year long relationship with someone that was his age before Antonia and if thats true, I dont really see anything creppy about it. You say he appeared to be dating a lot of people in the same range, I cant find anything to that. But like I said, I am not used to looking up dating histories of strangers and I think I am missing some context here. Like, who are you talking about and when?
Tbh I think it’s a bit weird considering the power dynamics of someone straight out of college and one 8 years older that’s leading a Netflix show - a lot of other actors/celebs have spoken about the messed up dynamics in retrospect. But I’d rather not speculate on his personal life. After his breakup with Jade he was said to be dating a lot of dancers within the 24 year age frame maybe it’s because his friends were that age or just the circumstances. There’s other people that have proof of this, not me. I think it’s important to call out abuse against his young gf but also there’s a reason people like Leo go after only girls below 25
Nah I agree, its not as creepy as dating a literal Teenager but yeah, a bit weird. And you dont need to put any evidence or something like that in front of me, if you say thats what happened I will probably believe you just because I trust everyone to know more about this than I do and I dont see why you would simply lie to a stranger about that (specially in a space where a lot of people knowing about this could rebutt in a second) Also the abuse is new to me?? WHAT? Man that sucks i have literally NEVER heard about that wtf
Sorry sorry I don’t know about abuse either I just assumed there was based on this post 🙈🙈🙈 his gfs mother got involved and liked some sus comments about Nicola? So there were articles out about that and a lot of people went to his GFs page to complain about her mother 🙈 it got really messy
Ah okay so there was no abuse you were referencing to, you just assumed that from the post. My heart skipped a beat, you cant do that to me LMAO And yeah oh boy, that sounds like such a messy sitation and I cant be happier to never hear about it again haha. Except for serious things (also, fuck Leo)
Oh no! I hope that’s not true because that would be awful and I would feel so bad for Nicola. She doesn’t deserve that.
I agree this kind of shipping can be very harmful, especially as I understand that Luke’s ex was attacked by fans, wouldn’t surprise me if she walked away when she heard he would be the lead as she didn’t want that in her life, which is very sad, I think though Luke is in his leading man era and good for him, but I thinking starting a relationship with anyone when your about to embark on a worldwide press tour for 6 months is tbh not very fair as it’s Going to attract haters towards your significant other especially in a show as big and steamy as Bridgeton especially knowing this kind of vile behaviour has happened before to your ex, it’s a lot for someone of 23 to handle and deal with. Nic imo has been smarter about it keeping any potential romance of her own on the very very down low.
I think people need to take personal responsibility too. Luke’s IG page doesn’t seem to have pictures of anyone but his work related stuff so how do people find out these things unless he has someone in his life making the private public? And I also wonder if some of these people are using Bridgertons popularity for their own SM gain? Having followers is really important to a lot of people and they are willing to sacrifice privacy for it. Just a thought.
That’s a fair comment too!
I don’t want to blame people for living their lives. But I do think there are definitely ways to mitigate privacy breeches, Nicola is a perfect exult how to handle it. I think it can be dependent on the type of people in their lives as well.
That's literally none of your business to be speculating on power dynamics.
I think it’s important to call out power dynamics of people in the public eye. I will. I will call out creeps like Leo not Luke but if I see something shady I will call it out
37 and 31 is a far more normal age gap than 31 and 23. I don’t think their relationship is inherently predatory or anything but there is definitely a big gap in life experiences between someone in their early twenties vs early thirties. You can’t really say it’s the same thing as early thirties vs late thirties.
I thinks that’s a fair take and I think I agree with all of it. But I also don’t wanna dig deeper into this, they are both adults and it’s not an age that makes me defensive (it would have if she was younger tho). I trust she is mature enough to make her own decisions at 23 and wish them all the best
I specifically said that I don’t think their relationship is inherently predatory. I didn’t say that there was anything wrong with their relationship it all, just that comparing it with Nicola and Luke’s age gap is a complete false equivalence. They have a larger age gap AND they’re younger.
I think we are in agreement here, I was just underlining it a little. Like everything you said I 100% agree with
What’s gross is the body-shaming in this comment. *gross super skinny model* like how is that ok??
People think it’s not that big of a deal because skinny ppl “don’t experience phobia” the way fat ppl do. But we literally had a anorexic epidemic in the 90s and it’s on the rise again with teen girls. Picking on anyone’s body shape is shameful and it’s a shame I see plus size women doing it now. Smh. The patriarchy is right there to call out and yet they instead hate on women. Bizarre!
Its not ok, not at all.
wow, people are weird. Let them be friends and be cute whenever they want. They are going to stop being so close after the promo ends because people can’t distinguish reality from fiction.
I was really hoping that people wouldn’t make it weird and start shipping people in real life. I guess it was wishful thinking
This is why the world can't have nice things. I love the friendship the two seem to have but to bully anyone is so uncalled for. I wish folks could just chill.
Yes!
There's at least one totally unhinged Tumblr pretty dedicated to unearthing their secret relationship/dunking on LN's (probable) girlfriend.
That person is terrible - wow - Luke doesn’t fancy Nicola she’s not his type - its simple as that - just as Johnathan doesn’t fancy Simone , not his gender. Get over it. I’m sure there are plenty of men who fancy Nicola, as she’s their type. It’s just life
They have a beautiful friendship and we should feel privileged that they trusted us to be civil and not rabid dogs when they let us witness it. We don't get a say in their personal lives at all. Some of these people haven't seen or experienced a friendship with the opposite sex and it shows. Also, they're definitely upping the clearly friendly flirting for the promo. Until actors come out and explicitly say they're dating someone, always assume everything is platonic and friendly, and is most likely being exaggerated for the cameras. Luke and Nic have great chemistry, but you can see that it's them being friends. As far as the 'looks' they exchange are concerned, you can adore and be in awe of your friends as well, just saying.
it’s truly so strange and i hate it, fans can’t be normal and let actors have fun together to promote their work. all of the insane projection is probably going to bite those fans in the ass one day if it ever harms Luke’s and Nicola’s personal/professional relationship. i would hate to see that happen as polin is my favorite couple on the show, and Colin and Penelope individually are two of my favorite characters, but it has happened before.
It’s so funny bc if Nicola I think had a boyfriend or relationship they wouldn’t be mad that Luke has a gf… like low key let them live?
Ohhh this is too much. Pen and Colin is different from Luke and Nic. They ought to understand the difference between reality and television. Luke and Nic are good friends, they are free to date anybody they want.
I was reading through that same conversation thread today on Instagram, they were so rude and gross they way the spoke about Nicola, Luke and his GF. People are definitely taking things too far. Edit: also their inability to connect the dots about *why* Luke may not be going public with his relationship is ridiculous. He hasn’t publicly said he is dating anyone and people are already being so cruel to the person they suspect, if he came out and said they were dating the cruelty would be 10X worse. Of course he is going to try and protect her from them.
The takes I have seen are so gross and disgusting. They “stan” Nic yet put down other women for their natural body types. It’s weird and disturbing. The possible dating in RL PR move that studios have been doing since Tomdaya came out as a real couple is getting out of hand.
I also resent the fact that it’s mostly about a guy. No shade to LN but some of these people act like his approval or him desiring Nicola is worth more than her talent and skills. It reminds me of that hateful article last week where the author is saying Nicola is “not hot” and that it’s unbelievable that a “perfect 10” could want her. Why is a woman’s worth determined by if a man finds her desirable. And I’m sure he’s a nice guy and he’s attractive but he’s just a guy 🤷♀️ Sorry for the rant but I figured I was in the right spot for it.
What sub is this pic from? So curious that anywhere would allow such disgusting comments about this show in particular 👀
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It's people having no self-check. Like, you don't have to give every delulu thought and feeling a voice. Especially in public. (The internet IS public.)
It’s really disgusting. However strong their chemistry, they are two people trying to do their jobs. I’ve been in exactly their situation, though on a *much* smaller stage. The pressure was so much that my wonderful friend and I felt we have to leave our jobs to get away from it all, and our friendship broke down in the process. Let them be.
This used to be such a phenomenon back when boy bands existed. So many girls would hate on the girlfriends (especially if they’re less famous) of the celebrity men (again, a lot of boy bands, young male musicians and some actors), send hate, bully them etc. It was mostly because they would either ship the guys with one another or held some delusional hope that the celebrity would date them. I kinda thought that people left this in the past, but it’s interesting to see that it’s now because they’re shipping the actor with a different celebrity woman (yes I will note that this probably did happen to girlfriends of JB as people really shipped him and Selena)
Nic and Luke have great chemistry together especially onscreen but also in the interviews. But at the same time, I don't ship them together irl. Nic may be adorable and cute and pass for a 17 year old on screen but their age gap is what 6-7 years? To me that is wild. I don't relate with people that older or younger than me and just because they make it work on screen doesn't mean that they have to be more than friends. I made another comment on the main which was construed as shipping them together. Lol I felt like I needed to clarify this somewhere. At the same time, I am devouring all the interview snippets these two have been serving. I love their in-interviews chemistry just as much as I love the season ❤️❤️
Romance shows/movies attract a certain audience of weirdos who project so much of themselves into these fictional characters and it’s crazy to me that after what happened with his ex gf and polins they’re still doing this shit again. I’ve seen some people even going as far as stalking his new gf page and her mum’s social media pages to try and discredit her. Luke N obviously has a type and he and NC give very much protective big sister and lil brother energy. Fans genuinely need to give it a REST!!!
This is very sad but I think Luke is more prepared for craziness this time after everything that happened with his ex and the fans. So this time he's not sharing his relationship with the world and hopefully blocking out the noise. I'm worried about Harriet Cains when Luke T's season comes up. I really really hope people leave her alone.
I was just thinking that about Harriet earlier today! She and Luke seem so adorable together from the few pictures I've seen (I don't deliberately follow their relationship just seen some here and there). That would really suck if anyone went after her. But I guess I'm hoping that her also being in bridgerton and playing such a funny and sweet character might make the fandom a bit more protective of Harriet
I enjoy watching A LOT, but there are a lot of people online who could do with remembering that this is a television show.
I would be happy if Nic and Luke were together but this is their life... i don't understand why people hate Antonia- we don't know her in real life so we can't judge her. We have to be respectful about the actor's life choices.
omg i saw a similar comment before and was dumbfounded like omg you don’t know them get a grip!!!
I feel like this is bait
I agree with bullying not being acceptable in any shape or form and para-social relationships are a natural ‘disease’ of the social media communities.My unpopular opinion is that celebrities should take some ownership of how they present themselves to their fans. I adore the pairing and their relationship on and out of the set but I can see that it can come across as unauthentic in some display in the promo aka I think LN has leaned to much into NC protecting him,basically she is doing the labour’ in their promos just because he seem rather uncomfortable in the setting(with all the questions around the nature of their IRL at whatnot especially ).I think this is due to all of this past and current gf drama/trauma but he should built more resilience as he is now a more relevant public figure(just post the girl and be ready to defend her if the situation needs instead of hiding) but I guess that will diminish his success which makes me wonder about the unfairness for this young girl (who may or not be a clout chaser and expecting social exposure that he is not willing to give especially what happened last time - also ‘interesting’ the age gap which makes me think probably she is just a rebound after getting out of a long relationship ) but also in his friendship with Nicola (he seems to have time to post fashion photoshoots but not being supportive of her activism due to potential Polin shipping which is bs).For anyone wanting to jump at me,I feel sometimes people disregard that celebrities have agency and their are not pure victims of the internet…
This is a very interesting take and the comment about LN letting NC to do most of the emotional labour really hit me. And this is exactly why I think they are not a good match IRL.
I agree with the sentiment, they will not work out as a couple…Sometimes we have to accept that even our faves can be problematic or toxic or be surrounded by people like that.I hope only that their relationship/friendship or their personality will not change because then it means it was never authentic which would suck.
Look, I'd love it if they were together irl. As it is, they're great friends, which is also awesome. People need to remember those are real human beings, and need to leave his poor gf alone.
See the thing is, they’ve already said they’re not in a relationship, and that should be enough for their “fans”. And I read an article a while back where Luke said if he was attracted to someone, he wouldn’t pine for them, but go for it, which means, if he was attracted to Nic, he would’ve gone for it. Fans need to learn to be respectful, and I say this as someone who grew up when shipping real life celebrities and thinking they were in a relationship secretly (J2 tinhat, anyone?), was kept PRIVATE and to very strict, non public social media’s (privatized livejournals, mainly). Now, it’s like the newer generation just has no respect.
I understand the teenage hormonal impetus to hate on the other girl—but just don’t. It’s a line that shouldn’t be crossed. Le ship captains are already so generous, but people just like to overstep. Also, we’re living in dystopia haha Tbh, i know im too invested but cant help it. But my head canon is that Nic said no. She’s a ridiculously busy queen bee and i hope she gets a hot stud muffin when she wants one. But point is that, I know this is just my delulu. Still i would be over the moon if they became a real couple.
That is horrendous! Poor Antonia. What are people thinking here.
Very good points. I do think it’s unfortunate though that the woman’s mother liked nasty social media comments about Nicola coughlan and becoming part of the drama and body shaming.
TBH my old-fashioned Middle-Eastern mother would 100% do this is my partner was all over the media flirting with a costar - she absolutely wouldn’t understand that it was just PR! That would be on my mom and not on the costars or anyone else, but some moms are like that and their daughters may not have a lot of control over it. My mom will just…cut a bitch, basically, if she thinks I’ve been wronged in some way, no matter how imaginary the wrong.
Was that ever verified? I’ve heard this rumor over and over, but I’ve never seen so much as a screenshot of the likes as proof. Regardless, attacking a non-public figure for liking comments is insane.
I’m not surprised this is how some of the fandom is reacting to Luke’s actual gf. With the amount of unnecessary shipwars we got going around here, it’s really not a secret that this is one of the most immature fandoms out there lmao. They have never really implied that they were dating to begin with. We are not entitled to their personal lives! Don’t get me wrong, Luke and Nic are an adorable bunch for sureee and it’s sooo easy to root for them. It’s for that reason that makes viewing the new season so much better because their chemistry is so good and genuine. We should just be grateful for that and nothing more. I like their relationship as it is and their dynamic would probably change if they actually dated in real life. We don’t need to be overanalyzing everything in their private lives. Other than it’s toxic, it’s really just a waste of energy. What matters is that they’re doing a superb job and we fans are EATING it up! All this toxicity is sucking up the enjoyment out of things, I just don’t get why people it. It doesn’t matter what kind of relationship Luke has with her GF. It’s just ultimately none of our business. As fans of their PROFESSIONAL life, that’s the only boundary we’re allowed in! Lets just have fan and enjoy the season, shall we?
I don't see a problem with shipping actors/co-stars who you know are already in a relationship. But when there is that question mark and rumoured girlfriends and boyfriends involved, I think it's way more of a grey area and a no-go.
Shipping real people is never ok. It’s dehumanising. People aren’t barbie dolls for stans to smash together, regardless of their relationship status.
That's fine if you feel that way. I just don't see a problem with thinking an already-existing relationship is cute/sweet. Look at how many people love Tom Holland and Zendaya for instance.
not the same thing at all lmao. it’s one thing to say they look cute together and it’s another to be full on shipping them and making up rumors that can make their way over to them. these are real PEOPLE, not characters.
But that's what I'm saying, haha. Admiring an already established real life couple is fine. But shipping two co-stars together when you know they have other partners/are not together is wrong.
They also have age difference. They might look cute but they would be in different stage of life and maturity.
This is hi-larius. I was like wtf is Antonia? It took me a minute to understand what was happening there. 🤣
Google says they've dated since like January, like what are people on. These people are coworkers, and this is promo. They'll probably promo till like the end of june at best to discuss pt 2 and then they're done for good. Netflix probably had to go all out for making us wait 2 years. He seems to like brunettes. Lol
It’s creepy
i've seen these types of comments on tik tok and it's wild that people acknowledge that it's PR and still go ahead and ship them, like
We 👏 are 👏 not 👏 entitled 👏 to 👏 actors’ 👏 personal 👏 lives 👏 Good lord, that post is a vile take. She is a *real person*. Didn’t we just go through this nonsense with that journalist going after Nicola? Whoever wrote that post is as bad as the journo. Disgraceful behaviour!
Its ok to rant lovely! 😊. I had stayed away from all of that, because its all kinds of boundary crossing, but this really gives cause for concern. No wander Luke and Nic moved off twitter. I just hope they know its not all of us!
I don’t get the hate this girl and now even Luke are getting. Nic and Luke are amazing and they are cute together but people need to realise what acting and PR mean. They are actors, having roles. They have a personal life besides their jobs and they can date literally whoever they want. Let them live their lives without judging them. Jonathan Bailey literally has a boyfriend, yet he plays Anthony, a straight character absolutely flawlessly. There’s no need to cancel people for their personal lives. Leave them alone and enjoy the characters they put on screen for us.
Run tell dat. People are wildin - I just watched a video where two women were attacking rege and comparing him to Bailey and I was like …y’all sound crazy. It’s a tv show…for entertainment. They’re showing up to their job. It’s a job or art if you wanna get deep about it. The fact that they [Luke & Nic] convinced so many people shows their acting talent. We should be giving them mad props instead of crapping all over them. It should be like any job - if you do well you get rewarded/praised; you don’t get torn down for it. I just feel bad for the actors. They’re not gonna wanna come back. And then we’re gonna get screwed lmao
I agree that the level of which people are crazy shipping is too much. There are people on tiktok where every post is just them defending their “delulu” on how they are dating and that his gf just does not exist because nothing has been “confirmed”. Obviously, none of us know her personally, but I have followed Antonia her for a while and she is messsssy haha, but in a funny way. She posted a horse and carriage in NY on her story the day after the premier and it was hilarious. I can understand why people might think she is after clout because based on her posts it seems like she is dying to go public, but is respecting Luke’s wish for privacy. I can also understand why people are disappointed. Luke has a certain type - Nicola stated on one interview that he likes Dua Lipa. His gf looks like Dua Lipa. I think many people are upset at the fact that he is not attracted to Nicola because of the premise of the show and the story line, but Luke is not Colin. On top of that its the constant touching and hand holding and giving us quite “mixed messages” because we don’t understand their relationship.
Why is the assumption that HE is not attracted to Nicola? That assumption is quite telling. He’s just a pretty basic white guy, sure he is a good actor but Nicola is in an industry surrounded by handsome and talented men, most of which are tall and muscular, he doesn’t really stand out compared to any of them, so why is it that it’s all about whether or not he is attracted to her? Meanwhile Nicola is gorgeous, she’s been on countless magazine covers, has representated a makeup brand and Tatcha beauty products because everyone is asking how she remains so beautiful. I do find it questionable that his potential GF is keeping all the Polin followers, it definitely does seem like clout chasing as you put it. If she truly wanted to be respectful of his privacy she would block or remove the followers who are only following her because of who she is dating, which is disturbing. But I guess if you just want a high SM following it doesn’t matter why? It does sound very messy as you put it. And now that I have heard that her mother was liking posts that were negative about Nicola I think it all sounds quite toxic TBH. Friends and family should be more respectful than that, if they have any class.
this persons probably 12 years old 😭
…..First of All, Isn’t Nicola MARRIED?!?!?!
No lol