Is this ex-drummer the Bridgerton heartthrob? Simone Ashley – who says she was torn to pieces when she split from her first love – had a two-year relationship with a coffee brand executive who left California
- Simone Ashley detailed her mental health struggles after a failed romance
- She fell in love with former Daytones drummer Luke Richardson, 13 years her senior
- They met at a coffee shop in East London where he worked and moved in together
- They relocated to Los Angeles as Miss Ashley pursued her burgeoning screen career
- As they grew closer and the prospect of marriage was raised, Luke got cold feet
When Bridgerton star Simone Ashley described her mental health struggles and “being hard on herself” after a failed romance, no names were given.
But The Mail on Sunday can reveal that the 27-year-old’s first serious relationship was with the coffee brand’s manager Luke Richardson, who is 13 years her senior.
The couple met at an East London cafe where he worked as a barista and quickly moved in together.
They then moved to Los Angeles as Miss Ashley pursued her burgeoning screen career, but their two-year relationship ended when Grimsby-born Mr Richardson – previously the drummer for indie rock group The Draytones and once touring with Paul Weller – decided to leave California.
The couple met at an East London cafe where he worked as a barista and quickly moved in together. They then moved to Los Angeles as Miss Ashley pursued her burgeoning screen career, but their two-year relationship ended when Grimsby-born Mr Richardson – previously the drummer for indie rock group The Draytones and once touring with Paul Weller – decided to leave California
Last month, Miss Ashley opened up about how the role of feisty aristocrat Kate Sharma (above) on Netflix drama Bridgerton has helped her with her mental health following a breakup
Last month, Miss Ashley opened up about how playing feisty aristocrat Kate Sharma on Netflix drama Bridgerton has helped her mental health following a breakup.
The Surrey-born actress, who has 2.8million Instagram followers, said: “I went through a breakup in 2019-20 just before I got Bridgerton and I wasn’t taking care of myself. I was so hard on myself.’
It’s unclear if she described being upset over the split from Mr Richardson, believed to have happened in 2017, or a split from a later partner.
One of Mr. Richardson’s family friends said: ‘Everything was great for a couple of years. We really thought they were on their way to getting married and having kids.
“It was a serious relationship. There is no doubt that Luke was genuinely in love with Simone and the feeling was clearly returned.’
The source said Miss Ashley quickly became “like a family member,” but added, “The closer they seemed to get, the more Luke seemed to be getting cold feet.
“It ended up coming down to the fact that he didn’t want to stay in LA. They did the long distance thing for a while and it didn’t really work.
Richardson’s mother, Margaret, confirmed the romance, saying: “Simone was just getting started. She was a pretty girl. She came to our house.
“But I just think her career really took off – she had to go to America, so it was just one of those things. It wasn’t the right time for either of them.’
After the split, almost all social media posts linking the couple were deleted.
One of the few remaining shows her at a wedding in Ireland in 2017, while Miss Ashley was also pictured holding an ice cream cone.
Referring to Mr Richardson, who later worked in Bali for coffee brand Arabica, it said: “Luke got me sprinkles.”
The MoS has reached out to Miss Ashley’s team for comment.