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Bridgerton star Luke Newton and his girlfriend, Antonia Roumelioti, are hitting back at alleged fan harassment.
“For the past three years, I have faced relentless scrutiny and countless false narratives about both myself and the people closest to me,” Roumelioti, 25, wrote via her Instagram Stories on Saturday, September 5. “Although speaking out may not change anything, I will no longer ignore this unacceptable behavior.”
She continued, “You do not know me, nor do you know anything about my personal life beyond who my partner is. Following someone’s life does not give you the right to spread lies, making cruel comments or tear another woman down.”
Newton, 33, and the model have been romantically linked since June 2024, going on to make their red carpet debut the following year. Without addressing the specific online vitriol, Roumelioti stressed that the commentary in itself was “deeply disturbing.”
“The level of hatred directed towards women online is deeply disturbing. Words have consequences,” she stated. “While I am fortunate to have the strength and support to cope with this, that does not make such behavior harmless. Treatment like this can have a devastating effect on someone’s mental health.”
Roumelioti further stressed that she is “proud of the woman” she is and won’t let any of the allegedly mean comments affect her.
“I will not allow strangers on the internet to define me or disturb my peace,” she concluded. “I genuinely hope that those who dedicate so much of their time to spreading negativity eventually find peace themselves.”
Shortly after Roumelioti shared her statement, Newton issued a message of his own.
“A little reminder. Be kind or simply click not interested,” the British actor succinctly said in a statement shared via his Instagram Stories on Saturday. “Don’t waste your time spreading hate. One day you’ll look back and wonder what it was all for.”
Roumelioti and Newton have often kept their relationship private. He notably portrays Colin Bridgerton on the Netflix series of the same name. Colin married Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan) during season 3 after a friends-to-lovers arc.
“It felt like the right time to tell this love story,” Newton told Vanity Fair in 2024. “If we’d waited for another season, I think viewers would’ve been fed up at the fact that he still doesn’t see her. And they’d be frustrated that she’s still chasing him. So it felt like the perfect moment.”
Colin and Penelope’s story is based on Julia Quinn’s novel, Romancing Mister Bridgerton, the fourth book in her bestselling regency romance series. The Netflix show had swapped the order of Colin and Benedict’s (Luke Thompson) seasons, who ultimately led season 4. A fifth and sixth season has already been greenlit, with the cast currently filming season 5 starring Francesca Bridgerton (Hannah Dowd) and Michaela Stirling (Masali Baduza).
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