Jonathan Bailey Faces Threats of Violence for His Sexual Orientation: Hate Speech Continues to Persist
Bridgerton' star Jonathan Bailey reveals a terrifying encounter where a stranger unleashed a chilling threat on his life solely because of his sexual orientation
Despite gaining fame on Bridgerton, Jonathan Bailey continues to encounter explicit homophobia, as demonstrated by a recent incident in which a random man threatened his life. During an interview with U.K. outlet The Standard on Tuesday, December 12, the 35-year-old Fellow Travelers star revealed that the frightening encounter took place in October while he was attending the annual gala hosted by the LGBTQ+ organization the Human Rights Campaign in Washington, D.C. Notably, Bailey was accompanied by Bridgerton executive producer Shonda Rhimes and had the opportunity to meet President Joe Biden during the event.
The following day, a man wearing a Human Rights Campaign hat approached him at a local coffee shop. "Then he took my cap," Bailey remembered, "and he snatched it from my head, throwing it across the room before shouting, 'Get out of this f—king coffee shop, you queer.'"
"He walked up, retrieved his hat, and placed it back on his head," Bailey recounted the man's actions. Then, he repeated the man's threatening words. "'If you don't remove that cap, I will shoot you...Where I come from, people like me harm people like you.'"
Bailey remembered a woman who stood up for him. "She took out her phone and said, 'I am recording this, and I believe you are welcome in this country.' Then she addressed the attacker. 'What you are saying is unacceptable.'"
The incident lasted for five minutes before the man departed. "My life was in danger. My body felt it, but my mind took some time to process," Bailey recounted the terrifying experience. "I'm lucky to have friends and security, but there are so many who don't. They face this on a daily basis, and the level of fear that it creates... If children are exposed to that, it will hinder their growth in every way."
The English actor believes that prejudice against the LGBTQ+ community is not limited to the US, but is a universal issue. He expressed concern that even in the U.K., queer people are not being properly protected, especially in terms of asylum and immigration. He emphasized that the lives of LGBTQ+ individuals are at stake.
Bailey is actively combating homophobia by collaborating with the charity Just Like Us, which arranges for LGBTQ+ speakers to visit schools. "If you're gay or queer, you're twice as likely to be bullied," he explained. "But when there's positive LGBTQ+ representation in schools, everyone's mental health and happiness improves by 100 percent. It's a clear win-win."
Bailey revealed in an interview with People on December 7 that he came to understand his sexual orientation at the age of 11, making his early schooling a challenging experience.
“School can be a scary place, especially when LGBTQ+ identities and experiences are not understood by teachers and students,” he explained. Bailey is also playing the role of a gay man in the Showtime series Fellow Travelers, in addition to his role in Bridgerton. The drama, which premiered in October, follows Bailey and Matt Bomer’s characters as they engage in a secret romance in the 1950s.
"I was searching for these inclusive love stories, a heartfelt gay romance, and I hadn’t found them until now," Bailey expressed. "This fulfills all my expectations, and it's a project I know I will always be proud of."
He is confident that his portrayal of congressional staff member Tim Laughlin can serve as an inspiration to the LGBTQ+ community.
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Youthful outsiders often grow up to be drawn to unique and captivating storytellers and creatives. I believe that the strength of queer individuals should be celebrated." Tune in to Fellow Travelers on Showtime at 9 p.m. ET on Sundays.
