#Jake Dunn

[wielderofaquill]

Listen….if yall aren’t laughing over these new Nic and Jake pap pics….and the timing of it all……well…..there may be no hope for you 😆

But if you are laughing your ass off like myself…..you’re definitely my people and you understood the assignment 🤣

[lmo82]

And this is why I love Nicola…well one of many reasons. Those pap pictures were a “let’s mess with the paps/DM”. There are many times I question what I’m seeing In this fandom. Times I question if Nic and Luke are together. I do always come back to, I think they are. But today’s pictures, not even an ounce of worry. I was cracking up. It reminded me of the time my neighbor and I pretended to be Lesbian Atheist when the Mormons came knocking at her door to preach. Hey. Man they came to her door, so totally fine to mess with them if you ask me. Haha

[romancingmr-b]

Grasping for straws: looking at reflections

For the past 6 months we have been searching for any sign of Luke in Nicolas photos. We search for clues and connections. We hope so much for his connection to her we look in reflections of sunglasses, fork,suitcases, wine glasses and now salt shakers… we try and see what’s not truly there. We need to remember silence is more powerful than any post. (Unless it’s obvious of course) Luke not wishing Nic a happy birthday speaks volumes. Nicola tagging all her friends in her birthday posts but not the one of her at dinner? If it was JD why wouldn’t she tag him? She does in every other post… who’s the mystery photographer? The silence is POWERFUL.

[bronnybridgerton]

In Jakolaland they went together lol 😂

Well it turns out they don’t even sit together lol 😂

I love a good proving to narrative is wrong lol 😂

[lilpenbton]

People on this app love to spread so much misinformation about nicola my god.

She is NOT dating luke.

She’s dating Jake.

There is so much evidence that points out to her dating Jake. Those of you in denial must really have the need to hold on to your fantasy world, and it’s so sad tbh. You could be happy for Nic, that she’s in a loving and happy relationship. Yet all you do is spread misinformation and mock Jake.

Them both doing the coordinated stories should have been enough for everyone to know the pictures are from a date night. No third person was there, it’s so evident it was just them.

I’ve complied a few pics that prove they are in a relationship. They have spent all summer, fall, and winter together. Please take a look at these and think logically!

[only-sweet-ones]

Two real-life couples

Two people, who are dear friends, who brought the best Polin to the audience, and both seem genuinely happy in their respective relationships.

What more could you wish for your favorite?

Please be kind to the people you claim to be fans of—hating on their loved ones will only hurt them.

[sun-kissed-eyes]

the hand holding inside his pocket! so cute 🥹 When you want to hold your partner's hand but it's cold outside!

[quillandtea]

Tonight’s thought

Let’s talk about Nicola Coughlan, Jake Dunn, Luke Newton, and this whole messy situation. Because, honestly, I’m baffled, frustrated, and trying to make sense of what’s real versus what people want to be real.

First, let’s address the Lukola fans (myself included): there’s this belief among some fans that Nicola and Luke are secretly in a relationship. The proof? “Crumbs.” Literally crumbs. What are crumbs, you ask? They’re the little moments people cling to: behind-the-scenes clips, interviews, photos where they’re smiling at each other, or moments where their characters (Colin and Penelope) are obviously acting and showing their chemistry. And yes, their chemistry on Bridgerton is undeniable—it’s what makes Polin work. But let’s be real: they’re actors. Their job is to sell their attraction so people will watch the show. That’s the point of their work.

Outside of playing their characters, WT (walking and talking outside of work or being seen interacting) is also thrown in as “evidence,” but even then… they’re colleagues! Of course, they’re going to have some level of friendliness. So where’s the solid proof? Why is this idea of them being secretly together so persistent? Why do we cling to the crumbs but never acknowledge the lack of an actual loaf?

Now let’s flip the narrative to what everyone is actually talking about: Nicola and Jake Dunn (JD). There’s been so much speculation and, honestly, the evidence there is glaring. Pictures of them in Malta, NYC, concerts, dinners with friends—and not just casual group shots. There’s that one where they’re holding hands outside a restaurant, and you can’t convince me they were expecting paparazzi there. And her phone screensaver? Him. She even just posted a photo to her 6.5 million Instagram followers with him casually in the background. Are we really going to pretend she didn’t know what she was doing there? Isn’t that confirmation at this point?

Here’s where I’m stuck: if Nicola wants to keep her life private (which is absolutely her right), why is she feeding the narrative of being in a relationship with JD? She hasn’t done anything to deny it, and her actions seem to support it more and more. Posting a picture with him in the background, allowing herself to be seen holding hands with him in public, attending multiple events together—these aren’t the actions of someone trying to shut down rumors. If anything, it feels like she’s subtly confirming the relationship without outright saying the words. Why is she adding fuel to the fire if she doesn’t want people talking about it?

And let’s be honest, if she were doing all of this with Luke—public outings, dinners, intimate moments, social media posts—the fandom would absolutely lose its mind declaring them a couple. So why is the narrative different because it’s JD? Why is this relationship so downplayed by some fans when she’s doing all but holding up a neon sign that says, “Yes, I’m with him”?

Here’s where I’m torn. Do I want her to be with Luke? Absolutely. They’re adorable together, their chemistry is off the charts, and yes, it would be a fan dream come true. But… if she’s with JD, it’s honestly upsetting. Let’s address the elephant in the room: he’s 13 years younger. Thirteen. That’s not a small age gap, especially when she’s closer to 40 and he’s just barely into adulthood. It’s hard not to feel frustrated about it. The power dynamics, the life experience gap—it just doesn’t sit right with me.

And what if she comes out she’s actually with JD and confirms a long-term relationship? What excuse would fans have then? How would Lukola survive off these crumbs if the whole loaf is clearly JD? Would people still deny it or cling to some “oh, they’re just friends” narrative?

This whole situation is just confusing. I like Nicola and want her to be happy, but the mixed signals are maddening. If she’s with JD, I can’t help but feel disappointed for personal reasons (again, that age gap). If she’s not, why does it look so much like she is? Why is there so much effort in keeping it vague? And why does Lukola live off crumbs when there’s clearly no solid proof?

Maybe I should just leave and block anything related to Nicola and stick to reading Polin fanfiction. At least there, we know how the story ends. This is what happens when you ship real people—it’s exhausting, messy, and makes you question why you cared in the first place.

[bananarama321]

IT IS OVER

I have been a Bridgerton fan since 2004, when I was starting university. Most of you understand how excited I was when my imagination was brought to my television. It was even better than what I imagined. I have loved the show and even more season 3 because Penelope was always that girl.

After the world tour, like several of you, I got entranced by Nic and Luke's chemistry. I started shipping them as a couple and had an immense amount of fun with several of you looking for clues and secret messages about them being together.

It was all fun and giggles ... until it wasn't It became a fight over who stayed on the ship or the restaurant. If you didn't believe a theory, you were part of the problem. If you gave a different opinion people would throw you away from group chats and block you if you didn't apologize.

Since the beginning, I was part of the ship because Nic herself said they thought it was "cute". Little by little I started feeling uncomfortable but my "friends" were clear that if you jumped ship you couldn't come back.

Well. I am done. I am jumping ship. This isn't fun anymore and it's becoming toxic and mean-spirited. At this point it is evident that Nic has a steady partner. We don't know much about Luke but I don't want to be the cause of their pain or a reason for them to resent the fandom. The more we insist on saying lukola is real, the less they will share with us because they are afraid we might hurt those that they love.

Let's be transparent for a second. Jake Dunn has never expressed anything related to his sexuality, newsflash: bisexual and pansexual people exist. Jake and Nicola are always together, often alone. She shares him, and he shares her, but you have to be naive to not see the difference online between them and the rest of their friends. Even if after all of this, you believe they are just friends, there is no way you can deny that he is clearly a loved one and that she would be upset about the amount of horrible adjectives people throw his way. Hurting Jake is hurting Nic. No matter how much you like to pretend it isn't.

We know very little about Luke, like I said, but let's stop insulting Antonia too. The girl is young and doesn't owe anything to our fandom.

Also STOP COMMENTING ON NICOLA'S BODY. I have no words for this part. I am baffled, sad, disappointed, and mad at so many of you for not defending her like you defend the ship. She is worth more than that, and I know deeply inside you, you know it to be true.

At the end of the day, Nic is having an amazing beginning to 2025. She is healthy, and happy and is now a SAG-nominated actress. She also has the Neutrogena campaign coming out, The Magic Faraway Tree and hopefully more. We have been blessed by getting a lot of content from her. Let's make her feel happy and relaxed about sharing personal and professional updates with us. We are supposed to be her safe space, not her nightmare.

Luke has been quiet but hopefully has something cooking too. We are waiting on news on when his next two projects are coming out and we should be ready to support him.

Last but not least, they are most likely to be at the SAG Awards in February. Let's not make this about Lukola. It is Nicola's night with her first big acting nomination. I implore you not to ruin it for her.

Sending love to you all. Please if the shipping is too much and you get emotionally affected by them not being together, seek help for your mental health. I don't say that to mock you, I say this as another human who sometimes struggles.

XOXO g.

[nicolaandjake]

Nicola and Jake. Happiness looks good on you.

[darcytaylor]

It's not lost on me.

It's not lost on me that when things became super toxic for me within the fandom, it was when people tried to push the narrative that Nicola was dating Jake.

It's not lost on me that people really tried to come up with cold, hard facts about a situation they know nothing about.

It's not lost on me that even Deux Moi thinks this is nothing more than a rumour started by people who just want to start a rumour.

It's not lost on me that it's really disheartening when speculation becomes so entrenched that some fans treat it as truth.

It's not lost on me that the fact Deux Moi, which thrives on rumours, finds this one unfounded - it says a lot.

It's not lost on me that when even gossip platforms push back on something, it highlights how far people will go to create and latch onto a narrative, sometimes just for the sake of it. It seems like this rumour has taken on a life of its own because people want something to talk about, not because there's solid evidence behind it. (And no, I don't think that being friends, attending a concert together, or even sharing a hat makes for a relationship. If you do—I'm sorry about your relationships.)

It's not lost on me that when people dig their heels into narratives like this, it becomes harder to have rational conversations, and the pressure to conform to their version of reality can become exhausting.

EDIT: It's not lost on me that I will lose followers because I am saying this.

[lmo82]

I’m trying to wrap my head around some people’s thinking. So Nicola being touchy with Jake and showing him a lot on social(along with some out of context pap pictures)…lMeans they have to be together. Even though she has been like this with many many friends. Seriously she flashed Jack Rooke, kissed JVN on the lips, and has cuddled up with so many. JD has also been very open about his preferences way back before he was hanging out with N. I know we shouldn’t assume sexuality, but if people are going to assume about him and Nic, I am going to assume as well. Also, thinking someone is gay is not homophobic, because that would Imply there is something wrong with being gay and there isn’t. So let’s look at what JD has publically shared. Many comments on gay men’s IGs saying things like “yum, yum, yum”. Being all over gay men…like legs wrapped around a male friend. Going to a gay beach in Spain with gay men. People in his comments affectionally calling him twink or princess. Having a man he has been linked to in the past saying on JD post on IG “Love of my life”. Nicola liking said post. So could we be reading into all that with JD…sure. But then could we all be reading into how Nic and him are, also yes. My personal conclusion is only friends based on Nics past behavior with friends and JDs current and past behaviors with his friends.

[bronnybridgerton]

That is Jake in this picture you can tell it’s him because of the hight and hair colour

This guy in the brown shirt is not Jake seriously jakolas you need to check things before you post them, either that or you need glasses 🤓 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

[greencloakedfae]

He knows us too well wtf

[emkayewrites]

Lukola fanfiction from Luke's POV- Luke and Nicola are filming the carriage scene but both of them secretly like each other - and both of them are unavailable.

(Excerpt taken from my fanfiction 'Curtain Fall')

5th November 2022 – London (UK)

It was a surreal experience to be on a soundstage, even though he had been on dozens of them by this point in his career.

The Bridgerton production did soundstages like nowhere else.  Everything was huge, and everything was opulent.  He stood in front of a dark blue, four-wheeled carriage.  It was elegant with an exterior adorned with intricate gold-leaf patterns and lacquered wood that contrasted sharply with its’ gleaming brass fittings.  It stood looking rather out of place in front of a giant green screen, in the middle of the chasmic space that was Soundstage 12. 

He was dressed in the finest formalwear that the Regency Period had to offer, and he was covered in what he approximated to be about twelve layers of make-up and two entire cans of hairspray. 

He usually felt a mixture of nerves and excitement before filming a scene as crucial as the one they were about to film.  Today, he was just plain nervous.

He was hardly able to take note of the other people on the soundstage.  At one far end, there were several chairs and tables surrounded by a small group of the hair and make-up team.  At another end, there were a handful of crew members working with cables, rigging and lighting fixtures.  Usually, he would be approaching them all, making small talk, trying to ease his own racing mind but he felt too unsettled to make conversation.

He knew that the way he was feeling was not just about the nature of the scene they were about to film.  It was about her.  She stood several feet away from him with Erika and John adding touches to her make-up and clothes.  She was resplendent in a shimmering baby blue gown that was cinched in a way that flattered both her waist and her ample breasts. 

Breasts he would have to touch again. 

All he wanted to do was to touch her again.

He felt nauseous.

At the same time, he knew that was the very last thing he should do.

He sensed there was something different in her since that night in his trailer too.  She appeared to keep more of a distance, the bantering dialogue they usually had was reduced to a few quips.  He could not be sure, but he felt some sort of frustration emanating from her.  As if she wanted to say something but could not.  He could also be imagining it. He did a lot of that recently.  Imagining conversations with her.  Imagining being with her.  He then got angry at himself.  Then he felt the inevitable anxiety that always came when he realised that he was having strong feelings for the woman he would now have to act like he was having strong feelings for. 

His fathers’ advice echoed in his mind: Keep the work as work, and don’t neglect your real life.  How could he do that when the real life was becoming his work, and the work was becoming his real life? 

Six burly-looking men of various ages approached the carriage.  Andrew trailed behind them, a headset wrapped around his neck and clipboard in hand.  Andrew, their director, was a slight man in his earlier forties with a refined yet approachable air about him.  He gestured for both Luke and Nicola to come towards him.

“Guys, guys… you both look incredible.” Andrew’s eyes beamed with enthusiasm. “Wow!”

In that moment, Luke felt thankful that it was Andrew who was going to be taking them through these scenes.  There was nothing like having a director that not only led you through your scenes, but also lifted you up and empowered you throughout the process. 

“Right, so the way we’ll do this is – the camera will be in the carriage with you guys, we’ll be back over here with the monitors to give that added illusion of intimacy in there.” Andrew explained, pointing to the monitor setup a few feet away.

“And these lovely men…” Andrew motioned to the guys standing by the carriage. “They will be our carriage hydraulics!  We can’t have the carriage attached to real horses for a scene like this, so this was Netflix’s next best offer.”

“Well, we’ll try not to make it too long of a shoot day for you guys.” Luke found himself saying with a nervous chuckle. 

“Right, so we’ll get you guys up into position…” Andrew nodded towards the carriage. 

Luke felt the instinct to go to Nicola, to take her by the hand and guide her up onto the carriage, but one of the carriage men beat him to it.

They stepped into the luxurious interior and seated themselves opposite one another as the script requested.  Andrew looked in through the window at them.

“So, we’ll be on the monitors and the camera will follow you from there…” He motioned to the other side of the carriage, where a camera was positioned, looking in at them through the window.

Luke watched Nicola orient herself, taking note of the cues Andrew was outlining.  He was taken aback by how intimate it all felt now that he was inside the carriage.  It was just going to be them and one camera.  

“That looking good to you, Luke?” Andrew interrupted his thoughts.  Luke was not sure he had taken everything in, but he felt compelled to nod. 

“Alright, so we’ve got this mixture of anger and hurt – but there is a tension running underneath it all.”  Andrew’s eyes lit up again. “It’s the tension of longing.  And that tension finally breaks to give us – the carriage scene!”

“Let’s do this!” Nicola high-fived Andrew, matching his excitement.

He could not ignore how she lit up when she smiled.  He thought about how it did not help that she was made up to resemble an actual Goddess on earth.

“Alright, great! On my cue, guys.” Andrew pulled the headset over his head and moved away from them.  They heard his echoing footsteps recede as the entire soundstage became eerily silent.  The lighting around them dimmed.  Suddenly, the carriage started to move in an undulating way. 

Luke’s eyes met Nicola’s and for a second, they both stifled a giggle at the ridiculousness of it all. 

They heard Andrew’s shout: “ACTION!”

Then their masks came down.

Nicola vanished, and the misty-eyed Penelope sat before him, a look of anger etched on her face.

He fixed her with a stoic look as he spoke: “You cannot marry that man. He will leave you, and he is too particular.”

He watched her watching him, her face getting angrier.

“And he is – he is just not right for you, Pen.” He continued, part-insisting, part-pleading.

She shook her head furiously at him. “He did not propose.”

He stared at her, stunned. 

“In fact, he rejected me because of you.” She practically spat the words out.  “Because the scene you caused led him to believe you have feelings for me.  An idea so preposterous, I do not know what to do besides laugh.”

There were times when she was acting that he found himself lost in what she was doing.  The way she conveyed emotions with so much power and grace.  He watched her with awe.

She continued, through gritted teeth: “Now, will you please leave me alone and let us ride home in silence?”

His heart was racing and there were tears in his eyes as he leaned forward.

“I cannot.” His tone was defiant.

“Please!” She snapped at him, near tears herself.

“I cannot!” He found himself snapping back, a hot, angry tear rolling down his cheek.  He could no longer tell if they were acting tears, or tears of real frustration. 

“Because…” He swallowed, as if mustering up his courage. “What if I did have feelings for you?”

He felt the nausea again. He wanted to remind himself that this was acting, that he should not be having such a visceral reaction to those words but at the same time, he knew it was helping his performance. 

“What?” She blinked at him, still frowning.

He moved so that he was closer to her and then knelt before her.  He was aware he was shaking.  His breath was laboured.

“I have spent so long trying to feel less, trying to be the kind of man society expects me to be.”  He reached forward for her hands, his nerves increasing as he was aware she was surely able to feel the sweat on his palms and feel how much he was shaking.  He found himself squeezing her hands tightly, as if to anchor himself.

“And for a moment, I thought I had succeeded.” He continued. “But these past few weeks have been full of confounding feelings.”

Where did Colin end and he begin?  He thought to himself.  He felt himself getting choked up.  He felt the weeks of frustration and conflicting emotions rising inside him. 

“Feelings like a total inability to stop thinking about you. About that kiss.”

She reacted to his words with a small gasp.

“Feelings like dreaming of you when I’m asleep.  And in fact, preferring sleep because that is where I might find you.  A feeling that is like torture.”

Speaking these words felt terrifying, electrifying and cathartic all at once. Another tear rolled down his cheek.

“One which I cannot… do not… and will not give up.” He spoke emphatically.

“Please. Do not say things you do not mean.” She shook her head at him, disbelieving.

“But I do mean it.  It is everything I have wanted to say to you… for weeks.”

An expression of confusion and pain appeared on her face.

“But… Colin, we are friends.”

Even though the rejection was merely playacting, it still stung.

“Yes, but we…” He spoke with hurt in his voice.  He wanted to say more but swallowed back his words and recomposed himself. He moved back to his seat. “Forgive me. I do not know what I was thinking.”

“But I’d very much like to be more than friends.” 

He stared at her with a mixture of amazement and desire.

“So much more.” She added, a look of longing in her eyes.

He moved closer to her, and for a moment, their faces met, and they took each other in, both breathing heavily.  All he wanted to do was to kiss her, but he was also terrified of what that would do to him.  Then, their mouths met in a passionate kiss.

He found his mind and body travel back… back to the inside of his trailer… back with his hands all over her.  Her mouth and body responded to his with a willingness and desire equal to his own.

He felt the stickiness of her lipstick smearing around the corners of his mouth, her hands in his hair – neither of them having any thought for their hair or make-up.

And then suddenly, he heard it as she did because they found themselves springing away from one another at the same time.

“CUUUUUUUUUUUT!”

A bright light exploded in their faces as the spotlight above them came back to life.  Andrew and Liam, the cinematographer, were stood by the window next to the camera.  Andrew surveyed their messy faces and hair with wide eyes.

“Woah, you guys were really into that.”

Luke instinctively wiped at his lips with the back of his hand as Nicola smoothed out the front of her dress.

“We’ve been yelling cut for over a minute while you did the kiss – we even timed it!” He laughed.

“Don’t say we don’t give you one hundred and ten percent.” Nicola joked.  Despite her humour, Luke sensed that she seemed unsettled.

“That’s for sure!” Andrew agreed. “Alright, let’s get hair and make-up in here and then we can get the next angle.”

Andrew and Liam moved away from the carriage.  Luke could hear the rest of the crew outside the carriage also dispersing as the normal noises of set life resumed. 

He watched Nicola as she touched gently at her own hair, assessing it for damage.

“You look beautiful.” He found himself saying out loud.

She stared him with a look he did not recognise.  She did not reply.

Quick little authors note: I watched the many interviews Nicola and Luke gave about the carriage scene, about how intense it was, and about how in one instance, they were so caught up filming that they did not hear ‘cut’ being called by the director. It inspired me to write a short story where Nicola and Luke really like each other, but don't know how the other feels, and have to hide it on set. In my mind, that was the only logical reason that this scene was so intense for them. It couldn’t possibly be that they are just such great actors ;) Anyway, that short chapter became the fanfiction I'm STILL writing about these two! So I hope you enjoyed what was actually the very first chapter of this story that I ever wrote -I built the rest of the story around it!

[ladysherreeamore]

Dear Jakholes who love to believe Nicola is dating Jake and they are soooo in love (although she's never said they were even dating) how about you look at this.....

So Nicole wasn't really in a really dated Brody and it was all PR 😲 i'm shocked! I can't believe this really exist...oh wait i'm not surprised, i've been saying this.

Wow they look so in love because they are holding hands with interlocked finger...wait she said they weren't dating, he was just a nice guy she hungout with.

The way they hold hands looks familiar..oh I know where i've seen this before....

I also notice she's looking into the camera, maybe she wasn't supposed to get caught looking 🤭

We see them out so often if it was a real relationship she would've hard launched him a long time ago but she hasn't. EVERYTIME a celebrity "gets caught" with someone they are dating they launch.

Stop assuming they are dating, in love, engaged, etc... neither of them have said this and unless we see them kiss (which I don't see ever happening) or they hard launch we need to think they are just friends.