Jodie Comer's love life - controversial boyfriend and Sandra Oh 'chemistry'

12 January 2024 , 19:55

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Jodie's love life has previously sparked controversy (Image: Stuart C. Wilson/Getty Images)

As one of the most gifted actresses of her generation, Jodie Comer has brought us some of the most memorable characters in TV history - including, of course, the psychopathic Villanelle in Killing Eve.

Behind the scenes, however, Jodie, 30, prefers to live a much more chilled out life, spending time with her close-knit family, WhatsApping pals and practicing yoga. She's previously opened up about her love for her mum's Sunday roast, as well as her early work as a customer service assistant at Tesco, with fans loving her refreshingly relatable outlook.

The Liverpudlian actor's romantic life has also sparked plenty of interest over the years, with one boyfriend in particular sparking plenty of controversy.

Finding love with American lacrosse player

Jodie fell for James during her first time working in the US (Instagram)

While over in Boston shooting the action comedy Free Guy, Jodie fell head over heels for lacrosse player James Burke, and it was clear things were getting serious when she invited him home to meet her parents. Although Jodie tends to keep her love life out of the spotlight, she did open up candidly about her feelings for James in a heartfelt interview with Sunday Times Style Magazine. Jodie told the publication: "You know, I would never want to speak badly about people in my past, but yes, this relationship feels very different. This feels like nothing else. When you actually feel it, you're like, 'Ahhh, so this is what it feels like!' And it was special. I was away, it was the height of summer, I was doing this incredible job that was so much fun, it was my first time working in the States. So it was a lot of firsts."

Unfortunately not everyone was supportive of the relationship, and there were even calls to have Jodie 'cancelled' in 2019 after it emerged James was a registered Republican voter, which some took to mean that he was in favour of divisive former president, Donald Trump. Given that Jodi has shown vocal support for the Black Lives Matter movement and LGBTQ+ rights, a number of people were unhappy with the thought of her partner sharing any beliefs affiliated with Trump, despite not all Republicans being politically aligned with the impeached ex president.

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Addressing the backlash in a 2020 interview with InStyle, Jodie revealed that she hadn't spoken at the time for the sake of her 'own health'. She explained: "It was really shocking; it was the first time I had ever been dragged into something like that. And it wasn't just me; it was my family. I had seen the absurdity of what I was being accused of, and what my partner was being accused of. I decided for my own health that I was not going to try and convince these people otherwise. I just wasn't going to do it."

In June 2023, there were rumours of a split between Jodie and James, as the pair hadn't been spotted together in some time. Jodie also notably failed to mention James while collecting a Best Performance gong at the 76th Tony Awards, despite thanking 'family and friends', sparking further whispers. A source told The Sun on Sunday: "Jodie and James were really loved up for a while, but they're in different parts of the world. She is at a really exciting time in her career and putting all the opportunities coming her way first. All of her hard work over the years is paying off and she is looking forward to her future."

'Chemistry' with Sandra Oh

According to Sandra Oh, there was chemistry between them from the very first read (BBC America,BBC America/David Emery)

For four gripping seasons, Killing Eve viewers were left captivated by the onscreen chemistry between Jodie and co-star Sandra Oh, who played MI5 agent Eve Polastri. Despite the two very different characters being sworn enemies, their dynamic was made far more interesting by their mutual attraction and fascination with each other, culminating in some sexually charged scenes.

Explaining their connection in an interview with The Sun, Sandra, 52, shared: "We really dive into the relationship. We both understand there's a lot of mystery between Eve and Villanelle and we play it as such. Usually what happens is, story-wise, Eve and Villanelle are kept apart and at a certain point they crash into each other then have their storyline together. Jodie and I have a profound relationship. At this point, having done three seasons, we trust each other when the magic is happening. That's how we work it."

Digging into this same topic again during an appearance on The Graham Norton Show, Canada-born Sandra recalled: "When we first met and had our first read together, I knew we had good chemistry. I could just tell because of the way we were listening together and I could actually feel the way we were reacting to each other."

You can catch Jodi Comer on The Graham Norton Show January 10, at 10:40pm on BBC One

Julia Banim