Nicola Coughlan has spoken of the “immense violation” of seeing photos of herself on early dates with boyfriend Jake Dunn.
The Bridgerton star, 38, was first linked to the British actor, 25, in summer last year, before they made their red carpet debut as a couple in April 2025.
At the same time, she faced a huge amount of speculation regarding her relationship with co-star Luke Newton, with fans falsely claiming they were a real-life couple.
In a new interview, Coughlan, who shot to fame with her starring role in the hit sitcom Derry Girls, said it had been overwhelming to receive so much scrutiny into her personal life, both from the media and fans.
“Imagine if you had an evening at the pub and then you walked around, talking, having a lovely time. And a few days later, you see pictures of that,” the Irish actor told The Guardian.
“The violation is immense.”
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At the time, a number of fans expressed their fury at paparazzi for crashing the star’s date, as anonymous celebrity gossip blog DeuxMoi stared the photos to its two-million followers.
“These photos feel like a massive invasion of privacy,” one fan wrote.
Another agreed: “These photos are so creepy, it’s obviously a suburban street not even the high street... Did they follow them home?! Such an invasion of privacy.”
One fan commented: “She looks so upset... hope you feel happy with yourself for invading someone else’s privacy.”
Particularly after the third season of Bridgerton, which streamed on Netflix in two parts in May and June 2024, Coughlan found herself photographed in shops, restaurants and on the street at all hours of the day.
“People go, ‘Oh, there’s so-and-so from TV,’” she said. “They forget you’re a person.”
She apparently realised she was being followed by fans after photos were posted of her with Dunn in real time: “That level of attention is hugely intense. And I don’t know how well that suits me. The intensity gave me horrific anxiety,” she said. “I was like, ‘I really want to go away.’”
Coughlan, who is known for speaking out on issues such as Gaza and trans rights, said there was an additional fear because she didn’t know if the people following her “didn’t mean me harm”.
“Work is one world and my private life is another,” she said, brought to tears by the subject. “When one started collapsing into the other, I thought, oh my God, what have I done?”
Along with Bridgerton and Derry Girls, Coughlan has appeared in blockbuster films such as the Barbie movie, and next stars in fantasy adventure film The Magic Faraway Tree, scheduled for release in 2026.
The fourth season of Bridgerton is being released in two parts, with the first arriving on Netflix in January 2026.
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