Jonathan Bailey blames bad internet for acting break 'quote'

Fans awashed the internet, believing Jonathan Bailey had called it a day from acting for a while.

However, the star, best known for Bridgerton, now claims it was a misquote, and the internet is to blame.

"I then did an interview with a magazine when I was cycling between Rome and Pisa on the way to a friend’s wedding, and the internet kept cutting out," the Wicked star tells Esquire, referring to his earlier interview with British GQ, where he said he would focus on his charity, The Shameless Fund, in 2026.

He continues, "As a result, there was an unfortunate misquote that said I’d stopped acting for a bit. My intention was to say, 'Next year I’ll be back,' but yeah, the ripple effect was extraordinary."

"By Monday, the headlines were 'Jonathan Bailey has quit acting,' " he adds. "I learnt at that moment that you can’t control it." 

Jonathan further clarifies that "I mean as it stands at the moment, I’ll definitely be back to work next year. I’m not taking the whole of 2026 off."

It is worth noting that he founded the Shameless Fund in 2024, as described on its website, which raises money "to forge a world where every LGBTQ+ person can live authentically, love freely and thrive without the burdens of discrimination, oppression or shame."