#Bridgerton’s Nicola Coughlan Stabbed Her Co-Star Claudia Jessie?!

Bridgerton has been a runaway Netflix hit; it was recently announced that it had surpassed viewership projections to become the streaming giant’s biggest series ever, watched by 82 million households (per Variety). The show has even spawned its own popular TikTok musical, so you can imagine how loyal this fanbase is (if you’re not already one of the many devoted viewers yourself).

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Many of us who enjoyed Bridgerton came for the steamy romance between Daphne Bridgerton and the Duke of Hastings, but stayed for the intrigue and relatable friendships like Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan, pictured above, right) and Eloise Bridegrton (Claudia Jessie, above, left). But that relationship nearly got off to a rocky start when an on-set accident drew blood!

The tale came out on Kelly Clarkson’s talk show, where the hostess asked Nicola a surprisingly violent true or false: did she stab one of her co-stars?

Laughing, the 34-year-old admitted:

“Unfortunately that is true. So, it was my first day on set and it’s quite terrifying getting a big Shondaland Netflix job, you think, ‘I just don’t want to screw this up.’ So they said to me, ‘You’re very tiny, let’s put you in heels.’ And I thought, yeah, I’ll do anything you want me to do, yes. It became evident pretty quickly that with the corset and the heels my balance was not so amazing.”

She went on:

“So I was walking along and I fell three times. And the third time I was holding a parasol, which in the wrong hands is a deadly weapon, and I fell forward and stabbed Claudia Jessie, who plays Eloise Bridgerton, in the hand and she just started bleeding. But she’s still my friend!”

The Derry Girls star concluded:

“Yeah, unfortunately there was a stabbing on the first day, and I was guilty. It was not good.”

Elsewhere, in a digital exclusive for the show (below), Nicola revealed that she frequently texts Claudia memes and “Peneloise” fan art, because Claudia isn’t on social media. The pair “text each other a lot of silly things” and share a “similar sense of humor,” so suffice to say the Irish actress was correct in saying their friendship survived the stabbing incident.

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Luckily, all the Bridgertons have survived for the upcoming season 2, which, according to a social media message from the mysterious Lady Whistledown, will focus on the eldest of the family, Lord Anthony Bridgerton. And no spoilers if you’re not one of the 82 million who have already tuned in, but Nicola’s character will undoubtedly play a VERY crucial role in the proceedings.

Ch-ch-check out Nicola tell it herself (below):

[Image via Netflix/YouTube]