Jonathan Bailey’s Partner: Inside the Secretive Love Life of the ‘Bridgerton’ Star

"Bridgerton" actor Jonathan Bailey kept his sexuality under wraps during the early stages of his acting career. His rise to fame came after he starred in the Netflix hit series, and the only thing he'd been more secretive about was his love life.

Bailey's breakthrough came when he was cast for the role of Viscount Anthony in Netflix's "Bridgerton." His character did not see much screen time during the first season as the storyline centered around his character's sister, Daphne, and the Duke of Hastings and their love story.

But that changed in season two when Bailey saw his character caught in a love triangle. Although he plays an eligible bachelor on screen, very little is known about his love life off-screen. He admitted to being afraid in the past about speaking about his sexuality but reached a point in his life where he no longer cared.

Who Is Jonathan Bailey?

The English actor was born on April 25, 1988, with the middle name Stuart. Bailey is a performer on the big screen and stage; his acting career began when he was a child and saw "Oliver!" By age seven, he had performed in Royal Shakespeare Company productions.

When he was eight, he landed the role of Gavroche in a West End production of "Les Misérables." He performed in theatre into his teenage years and played Prince Arthur in a show of "King John."

After finishing school, he snagged roles in "Beautiful Thing," "Pretend You Have Big Buildings," and "The Mother Ship." He attended Magdalen College School in Oxford, and as he got older and solidified his acting career, he worked on various projects and played multiple roles.

What Has Jonathan Bailey Said about His Love Life and Sexuality?

Bailey came out to his friends and family in his 20s, although he had learned to perform as someone he was not before. He became one of few gay British actors to play straight roles and cringed at the thought of being seen as a sex symbol after his spicy scenes in "Bridgerton."

He recalled when he was still coming to terms with his sexuality. Although Bailey didn't hide it, it was not something he shared during "conservative conversations" about other gay men's sexuality in the film industry; he was told, " 'Oh, no, you can't come. You shouldn't do that.'"

As he spoke candidly about his experiences as a gay actor, he shared that while discourse around sexuality was "brilliant," there was also the commodification of gay actors:

"In my generation, the out gay actors are now being poached."

While filming the pilot for a series, a friend of Bailey's, who was also an actor, uttered words that stuck with Bailey: "There's two things we don't want to know: if you're an alcoholic or if you gay." All it took was for one person in a position of power to say something which impacted him.

He admitted to thinking that he needed to be straight to be happy. Still, as his career took off, Bailey reached a point in his life where he only made decisions that led to his happiness, which was why he chose to delay revealing his sexuality publicly.

He wanted to hold his boyfriend's hand in public or have his face as his display picture on Tinder without the fear and worry of not landing specific roles. He revealed that he was uncertain about where he fits in society but called out the double standard of often having straight men play gay roles but rarely seeing openly gay men play leading straight parts.

And while he thought it was "fantastic" that gay stories were being told, he said it would be "brilliant" to see gay actors play roles about their experiences. He shared about the amount of "self-growth" and "hurdles" that gay men faced that required "strength."

His co-star from season one of "Bridgerton," Regé-Jean Page, shared his thoughts as well about his delight that "Bridgerton" was "representing more people."

What Is Known about Jonathan Bailey's Alleged Boyfriend?

Although Bailey had not publicly confirmed being in a relationship at the time of publication, he did make a rare act of affection when he kissed James Ellis at an award show. After winning the Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical, Bailey was visibly pleased when he shot up from his chair.

Before walking onstage to retrieve his award and share his acceptance speech, he turned to his side and embraced Ellis after they shared a kiss. The audience, as well as Ellis, applauded Bailey as he took the stage, thanked his producer and cast mates, and said:

"We have been able to, as a company, show a lovely and celebratory snapshot of gay love."

He attended the 2019 award show with Ellis, and they sparked further dating rumors when they had dinner together in Notting Hill. Neither confirmed their romance, and Ellis was not the only person Bailey had been linked to.

He was said to have dated British actress Pippa Bennett-Warner when they were spotted together several times. But once again, Bailey never confirmed any rumors and kept his lips sealed about his love life.

During an interview with GQ, the actor referred to a "boyfriend" when he spoke about his desire to be openly who he was; his mentioning of a potential love interest had fans thinking he might have been seeing someone. While his real-life love life is unclear, fans can enjoy his onscreen love story with his "Bridgerton" co-star, Simone Ashley.