Jonathan Bailey is shrugging off speculation surrounding his unusually affectionate relationship with his co-star Scarlett Johansson.
Bailey and Johansson turned heads when they shared a kiss on the lips while attending the world premiere of “Jurassic World Rebirth,” which opens in theaters nationwide next week, in London. They smooched again while walking the red carpet at the film’s New York premiere Monday.
Images of the two kisses drew heated chatter online, with many pointing out Bailey is gay and that Johansson has been married to actor-comedian Colin Jost since 2020.
Speaking to “Entertainment Tonight” Monday, however, Bailey offered a straightforward ― and perfectly relatable ― explanation.
“I believe in being able to show love in all different ways,” he said. “And if you can’t kiss your friends… life’s too short not to.”
Jeff Spicer via Getty Images
Johansson, similarly, brushed aside the discourse in a Monday interview with “Access Hollywood.”
“People are really … they got some time,” she quipped.
“Jurassic World Rebirth” comes amid a busy year for Bailey, who endeared himself to legions of fans as Lord Anthony Bridgerton on Netflix’s steamy period drama “Bridgerton.”
The British actor returned to the London stage to great acclaim this spring in a production of Shakespeare’s “Richard II.” He’ll reprise the role of Fiyero in the second half of the film adaptation of the musical “Wicked” in November.
John Nacion via Getty Images
Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter in an interview published last week, Bailey opened up about feeling “the weight of history” as a gay man in Hollywood.
“You have to unlearn a lot of narratives about yourself that an industry tells you. If you’re gay, there’s a glass ceiling,” he explained. “Being an out gay actor, historically, meant that you wouldn’t be able to play straight and there weren’t any gay parts to play, anyway. That’s obviously changed, massively.”
He went on to note: “Any sort of sense of prejudice against sexuality is something to fight against, and what better way to do that than to go and play any kind of character.”
Read the full article here
