Are Bridgerton stars Jonathan Bailey and Simone Ashley dating in real life?

Bridgerton season 2 is just one day away, meaning in less than 24 hours we can return to Regency Era England for more romances, feuds, and of course, more Lady Whistledown. The first season of the Netflix Original was an instant hit when it debuted in Dec. 2020, and we’re expecting the new installment to be just as successful.

In the second season, we’ll be following main characters Anthony Bridgerton (Jonathan Bailey) and newcomer Kate Sharma (Simone Ashley), as a new social season begins and our eligible singles try to find love. For Anthony, he decided at the end of season 1 that he’d be finding a wife but not a love match, and for Kate, she’s just arrived in London to help her younger sister Edwina (Charithra Chandran) find a husband. Despite their intentions, Anthony and Kate fall for one another, which makes for a very complicated situation.

We’re bound to fall in love with Anthony and Kate’s story once season 2 is released on Friday, but while we wait, let’s chat about the actors who portray the love interests on screen. Are they also dating in real life?

Well, we’re sorry to those who might already be shipping the two actors. They are not dating in real life.

Who is Simone Ashley dating? Does she have a boyfriend or girlfriend?

So who are the Bridgerton stars dating? Simone Ashley‘s romantic life is a bit of a mystery to us, and at the moment it appears she’s single. We could not find any evidence of a boyfriend or girlfriend online, nor on Ashley’s Instagram account. The 26-year-old actress is very active on social media but has not disclosed a romantic relationship yet.

Ashley has not spoken out publicly about her dating life, but maybe now that she’s about to become super famous she’ll be asked about it.

Who is Jonathan Bailey dating? Does he have a boyfriend or girlfriend?

Although Bailey hasn’t confirmed it himself, it’s been reported that he’s in a relationship with a fellow actor named James Ellis. The two have been photographed out together, but Ellis has not appeared on Bailey’s Instagram account. With that said, it’s still possible Bailey and Ellis are dating, especially because the Bridgerton star seemingly confirmed he had a boyfriend while speaking to GQ in a recent interview.

According to US Weekly, Bailey opened up on being a gay actor and the pressure he felt to hide his sexuality. He recalled a piece of advice an actor friend of his had gotten, saying:

"“At the time, he was told, ‘There’s two things we don’t want to know: if you’re an alcoholic or if you’re gay.’ All it takes is for one of those people in that position of power to say that, and it ripples through. So, yeah, of course I thought that. Of course I thought that in order to be happy I needed to be straight.”"

“I reached a point where I thought, F**k this, I’d much prefer to hold my boyfriend’s hand in public or be able to put my own face picture on Tinder and not be so concerned about that than getting a part,” Bailey added.

Although Ashley and Bailey are not an item in real life, they did get close while filming Bridgerton season 2. The Kate actress opened up about their relationship briefly while speaking to Glamour UK, explaining they would leave gifts for each other in their respective trailers on set. Bailey also noted how he tried his best to make Ashley feel “safe” during their intimate scenes.

We can’t wait to see Jonathan Bailey and Simone Ashley acting together on our screens when Bridgerton season 2 hits Netflix on Friday, March 25!