Jonathan Bailey is getting candid about a terrifying moment in Washington, D.C.
In an interview with UK outlet The Standard, the Bridgerton actor opened up about a moment he feared for his life — all because he’s gay. He explained that while attending an annual political event for LGBTQIA+ organization the Human Rights Campaign, where he met President Joe Biden and was in the company of Bridgerton executive producer Shonda Rhimes, the “incredible experience” was followed up by a truly shocking one. He recalled:
“I woke up the next morning, it was like a montage. Sunshine, I was like, this is brilliant. I went into a coffee shop, and I was wearing a Human Rights Campaign cap from the night before. And the young lady who I was ordering from recognized me from Bridgerton, we were just chatting.”
That’s when he said the happy interaction melted into a homophobic one:
“And a man arrived behind me and he said, ‘Are you famous?’ And I said something like, ‘I’m really famous for ordering coffee,’ which is actually quite an annoying thing to say.’ And then he got my cap, and he pulled it off my head and he threw it across the room and he said, ‘get out of this f**king coffee shop, you queer.’”
Holy s**t! That went from zero to 100 in NO time! It’s seriously sickening…
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Jonathan recalled that the coffee shop froze around him as he went to collect his hat and place back atop his head, and that’s when the random man threatened his life. The 35-year-old remembered him saying:
“If you don’t take that cap off, I’m gonna f**king shoot you. Where I’m from, people like me kill people like you.”
WTF! What is WRONG with some people? That’s absolutely disgusting! But luckily, one brave soul came to his defense:
“No one knew what to do, apart from one girl, she was amazing. Angela, she came up, and she got her phone out and she said, ‘I’m recording this message, I think you are welcome in this country.”
He says she then turned to camera to the aggressor, and told him:
“And what you’re saying, I think, is appalling.’ That happened sort of five minutes in, and he left.”
Our jaws are seriously on the floor. Like, whoa… We’re just glad the Fellow Travelers star ended up being okay — physically, at least. But what really gets to him is the fact that the aggressive homophobe is potentially some young person’s father, uncle, or even teacher, as he put it:
“My life was threatened. My body believed it; my brain didn’t and it took me a while to really catch up with it. But I’ve got friends and security. There are so many people that don’t. They are surrounded by that every day, and the torment of what that must be like, the amount of fear that was generated… If that’s what children are surrounded by, they’re not going to be able to grow in any way.”
He added:
“And of course, that’s not just an American story. It’s international. And it’s terrifying, that [here in the UK] we’re not looking after queer people, in terms of allowing them into the country. Because that is the reality; people’s lives are literally at risk.”
Such a scary thought. But thanks to people like him and the brave woman in that coffee shop, and organizations like the Human Rights Campaign, moves are being made to create a more inclusive world.
What are your thoughts on this terrifying story?? Let us know and share some support in the comments down below!
[Image via MEGA/WENN]
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