'Bridgerton's Nicola Coughlan Confirms Romance with Jake Dunn in Sweet Birthday Tribute

Nicola Coughlan, the beloved star of Bridgerton, has officially confirmed her relationship with Renegade Nell actor Jake Dunn—and she did it in the most effortlessly charming way. On February 12, the 38-year-old actress took to Instagram Stories to share a heartfelt birthday tribute to Jake, posting a candid profile shot of him in a simple white T-shirt. The message? Short, sweet, and unmistakably affectionate: "Happy Birthday" punctuated with a red heart emoji.

This seemingly casual post finally put to rest months of swirling rumors about her love life. Nicola, known for keeping her private affairs under wraps, had kept the romance with 25-year-old Jake relatively low-key—at least until now. But eagle-eyed fans had been picking up on clues for some time. Last October, the pair was spotted strolling through London hand-in-hand after a cozy evening at a local bar, fueling speculation that something was brewing between them. And for those who had been paying attention, this wasn’t even the first hint: last summer, Nicola and Jake were seen enjoying Mitski’s set together at the All Points East festival, a sighting that had already set tongues wagging.

While Nicola tends to keep her personal life out of the spotlight, she hasn’t been able to completely escape fan theories about her romantic entanglements. For months, Bridgerton devotees speculated that she and her on-screen love interest, Luke Newton, might be more than just co-stars. But Nicola was quick to set the record straight. In an October interview with TIME, she addressed the whispers with refreshing honesty:

"A lot of people really want me to marry Luke," she admitted. "We have this gorgeous friendship. We have such a love for one another and this experience that I’ll never have with someone else again. Isn’t it gorgeous that a man and woman can have that sort of relationship with one another?"

Luke himself echoed the sentiment, sharing with E! News in May that their close bond made filming Bridgerton’s intimate scenes even more comfortable. "You would think that doing an intimate scene with a long-time friend would be intimidating, but it was actually reassuring," he explained. "It created a safe space to explore those scenes and find new and interesting ways to approach them."

With her latest Instagram post, Nicola Coughlan has given fans a rare glimpse into her romantic life, confirming her relationship with Jake Dunn while maintaining the poise and privacy she’s known for. By balancing subtlety with sincerity, she continues to show that she’s in control of her own narrative—sharing just enough to keep fans enchanted while keeping the rest for herself.