It’s not that hard to see why. The duo has been playing the part, smiling and holding hands for the audience to promote the show, as is the typical strategy.
Stefania D’Alessandro
But by bringing his real-life girlfriend to celebrate the series with him, Newton poured cold water on these fantasies. Fans are pissed—and unfortunately, unsurprisingly, they’re focusing their furor on Roumelioti.
“He holds Nicola’s hand much more intimately, that’s all I’m gonna say,” wrote one person on Instagram, a common claim among those dissecting the photos online, who were quick to label the romance “fake” and declare the chemistry between the real-life couple as nonexistent. They decried Roumelioti as desperate, accusing her of bullying Coughlan anonymously online (with no proof) and making snide comments like, “Her tag is out.”
They also turned on Newton, saying that if he’d been the man they thought he was, he would have never “chosen” Roumelioti over Coughlan. “Deep down men aren’t that body positive,” sniffed one person.
“It’s obvious him and Nic aren’t a thing, but having the paparazzi catch them out the night of the premiere seems calculated,” wrote another. “Like he just couldn’t wait to remind people he has a hot young girlfriend and isn’t really with Nic like everyone wants/is pushing. I can understand the pressure of it all and having to playing it up can get exhausting but it’s truly cruel to do this to the fans the day we finally get part 2.”
I’m sorry, what? I find this all a bit unsettling, to say the least, and it says a lot about the current state of fandoms and parasocial relationships. (Also, where is Coughlan’s agency in all this? Consider the possibility that she doesn’t even like him like that!) Shipping is a term derived from fanfiction, in which fans declare which popular book, movie, or TV characters they believe should end up together; in that context, it’s perfectly harmless. But when actors and influencers are as accessible to us as a television show, it’s easy to start viewing them as mere characters meant to entertain us too. When we are watching people on our phone screens, we can start stripping them of their actual humanity and act as if they aren’t real people.
But they are real people, and ones who are now facing actual consequences for the way people are creepily encroaching into their personal lives. Newton is free to date whomever he wants, as is Coughlan. When asked by a reporter what she thought about the rumors that she was dating Newton in real life, Coughlan made it clear that she’s taking them in the most logical way: as a compliment to her skills as an actor.
“We think it’s really sweet, we truly love each other,” she said.
Just, you know, not in that way.
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