Bridgerton star Nicola Coughlan has been supported by co-star Simone Ashley after receiving harsh criticism for her looks online.
Coughlan took part in a six minute sex scene – the longest in the period drama’s history – in part two of the third series.
In the scene, which aired on Netflix on June 13, Coughlan’s Penelope Featherington and Luke Newton’s Colin Bridgerton characters get intimate on a chaise longue and at one point Coughlan’s bare breasts are shown.
The scene has generated both praise and criticism. During a recent press conference at the Monte-Carlo Television Festival in Monaco, it was the “haters” that Ashley had words for.
“Yeah, the haters are going to hate, and I think we can all relate to that, but I really don’t think that she’s allowing that to bother her,” Ashley said about Coughlan.
“She has a strong and fruitful career and an entire life ahead of her. And I really believe in her, as the world does as well.”
Ashley, who plays Kate in Bridgerton, continued: “I think Nicola is just absolutely flying.
“She is a gorgeous, strong, confident, intelligent woman, seeing her do this press tour and spread so much joy and inspiration to everyone — especially women — all over the world…. She is also a kind human being.”
Her remarks came after Coughlan hit back at a fan who called her “brave” for doing sex scenes in the show.
Earlier this month, Coughlan also addressed rumours that her waist was “photoshopped” in the scene.
“You know, it is hard, ‘cause I think women with my body type, women with perfect breasts… We do not get to see ourselves onscreen enough,” she said during a Q&A for the screening of the second part of Bridgerton season three in Dublin, Ireland.
“I am a proud member of the perfect breasts community, and I hope you enjoy seeing them.”
She also told People on June 12 that her waistline has been honed by the show’s Regency-era-inspired costumes.
“I saw some trolls. They were like: ‘They photoshopped your waist,’ and I was like: ‘No, they did not.
“I think if you wear corsets for long enough, your body really moulds to it,” she explained.
“Sometimes they come in a fitting for a fashion designer and they put a corset on me and I’m like: ‘Oh, you can go tight,’ and they go: ‘What do you mean?’ I’m like: ‘My body now will go whew.’”
Last month she also revealed that she requested to be “very naked” in the show.
She told Stylist: “I specifically asked for certain lines and moments to be included. There’s one scene where I’m very naked on camera, and that was my idea, my choice.
“It just felt like the biggest ‘f*** you’ to all the conversation surrounding my body; it was amazingly empowering.
I felt beautiful in the moment, and I thought: ‘When I’m 80, I want to look back on this and remember how f***ing hot I looked!’”
