Nicola Coughlan Rejects ‘Body Positivity’ Label, Demands Focus on Work
Nicola Coughlan said she has “no interest in body positivity, ” arguing that attention to her appearance has overshadowed her acting work. Wednesday at 9: 15 a. m. ET, Coughlan’s comments — made in an Elle interview published March 4 — punctured a wider conversation about how female performers are discussed publicly.
Nicola Coughlan on Size 10, a Size 8 Corset and Losing ‘a Bunch of Weight’
Coughlan told Elle that while filming intimate scenes she was exercising and had “lost a bunch of weight, ” estimating she was “probably a size 10” and that one corset was a size 8. She said people nevertheless labeled her “plus-size, ” a characterization she found baffling and frustrating. The 39-year-old framed the size talk as distracting from months of work she and colleagues put into the production.
Bridgerton Scenes and a Bathroom Encounter That Stung
As a star of Bridgerton, Coughlan described how post-release conversation repeatedly returned to her body rather than the storyline or performance. She recalled a drunken fan approaching her in a bathroom and saying, “I loved [Bridgerton] because of your body, ” which prompted Coughlan to say, “I want to die. I hate this so much. ” She added that reducing months of dedication to comments about appearance felt “so fucking boring. “
Elle Interview Published March 4 and Notes on Public Attention
In the Elle interview published March 4, Coughlan said she sometimes tells people she has “no interest in body positivity, ” and that the label is not a cause she intends to lead. “So I actually don’t care, ” she said, adding that many other issues command her attention. The interview also noted she was speaking as the magazine’s April cover star.
Beyond the body-discussion, the interview touched on personal trade-offs tied to a busy schedule. Coughlan described maintaining a long-distance relationship with boyfriend Jake Dunn, 26, saying they rely on Facetime and small daily gestures to stay connected while both are busy with work commitments.
Still, Coughlan’s primary message in the interview was straightforward: she wants conversations about her work to outweigh commentary about her physique. Her stance reframes how some public figures are positioned as symbols of broader movements without choosing that role themselves.
No further public appearances tied to this interview have been scheduled. Clarity on any upcoming promotional dates is expected when the April issue is released; no exact date or ET time has been provided.
