Nicola Coughlan has addressed speculation that her waist appeared “Photoshopped” in Bridgerton.
The Irish actor, 37, recently opened up to People over accusations from fans of the Netflix historical romantic drama, who believe her waist size was edited out on the show. “I saw some trolls. They told me, 'They photoshopped your waist,' and I said, 'No, they didn't,'” Coughlan told the outlet on Wednesday, June 12.
Instead, Coughlan, who plays Penelope Featherington in the series, revealed that her appearance in Bridgerton It had a lot to do with the show's Regency-era inspired costumes.
“I think if you wear corsetry long enough, your body really adjusts to it,” she said. Derry Girls the star explained. “Sometimes they come to a fitting for a fashion designer and they put me in a corset and I'm like, 'Oh, you can go tight,' and they're like, 'What do you mean?' I think: 'My body is going to get ugly now.'”
As for Luke Newton, who plays Colin Bridgerton in the series, he said People he “doesn’t complain” about the men’s much less restrictive costumes on the show.
“I don't wear a corset, I don't wear heels, but it really changes your posture, which feels good and really helps with the character,” Newton said of her character's vests. “But as soon as I leave the set, I want to be in the most comfortable clothes.”
Most recently, Coughlan responded to a fan who called her “brave” for filming nude scenes in the Shonda Rhimes-directed series. During the screening of the second part of Bridgerton In the third season in Dublin, Ireland, Coughlan mocked a fan's comment that she was “very brave” for showing her body in Bridgerton.
“You know, it's hard, because I think women with my body type, women with perfect breasts… we can't see ourselves enough on screen,” she joked during the Q&A, according to a viral video shared on X “I am a proud member of the perfect breasts community and I hope you enjoy seeing them.”
The third season of Bridgerton returns to Netflix on Thursday, June 13 at 3 a.m. ET with the second part of Penelope Featherington and Colin Bridgerton's love story. The first four episodes of the third season were released on May 16 and are available to stream on Netflix.
