Who Is ‘Bridgerton’ Star Ruth Gemmell’s Husband? All About Their Private Romance
Ruth Gemmell‘s real-life romance echoes Bridgerton in more ways than one. Like the Bridgerton family matriarch, the actress got a second chance at love with her husband. What’s more, Gemmell married her oldest friend’s brother, similar to Penelope’s (Nicola Coughlan) romantic arc in Season 3. “Ruth and her husband being real life polin I loveeee,” reads a viral X post.
Since her Netflix Regency drama has taken off, Gemmell has mostly kept the details of her personal life private. (A Bridgerton publicist told The Sydney Morning Herald, “I have really spent time protecting that for her.”) However, with the new release of Season 4, the actress has been offering up more details of her off-screen love.
Who is Ruth Gemmell’s husband?
Gemmell’s husband doesn’t appear to have joined her in the spotlight, so he’s never been identified. However, she’s shared that he’s a cricket fan. During her Sydney Morning Herald interview, she revealed that she and her husband were in town to watch the Australia and England matchup. Their trip’s itinerary also included a family wedding in Adelaide.
In an interview with The Telegraph, Gemmell also revealed that she moved from her east London house to her husband’s village in the Midlands.
“I have become a sleepy old country bumpkin,” she said. “I like gardening, I like bird watching and nice walks and going to the pub. It’s also lovely being married to a man who isn’t an actor, and going to the theatre with someone who says, ‘Wasn’t that good?’ rather than, ‘Why wasn’t I seen for that part?’”
Gemmell doesn’t have a desire to bring her husband into the public eye, according to The Sydney Morning Herald, and keeping his name under wraps is a mode of protection.
How did Ruth Gemmell and her husband meet?
Gemmell and her husband’s love story was years in the making. They’ve known each other since they were 14, and his sister is the actress’ old school friend. After not seeing each other for 20 years, Gemmell was reunited with him when she visited her friend. “I did feel he was interesting,” she said.
Their story took a romantic comedy-esque turn when Gemmell was caught speeding, and her now-husband let her stay with him as she completed a driver-education course. They’ve been married for 11 years as of February 2026.
Does Ruth Gemmell have kids?
Unlike her Bridgerton character, Gemmell doesn’t have children. Speaking of past roles like Lady Macduff in Macbeth and Regan in King Lear, Gemmell said, “I was always [playing] a murderer or a really s**t mother; I obviously look really serious and dour,” she told The Telegraph. “I don’t have children of my own, and yet I’ve played hundreds of mothers; that’s probably why I was cast as s**t ones.”
Why did Ruth Gemmell and Ray Stevenson divorce?
Gemmell’s first marriage, in contrast, was very public. She met the actor Ray Stevenson, who died in 2023, on the set of Band of Gold in 1995. Two years later, they married, before divorcing in 2005. The reason for their split was never disclosed.
“Loss, whatever that loss is, is something universal,” Gemmell reflected this year. “When you first fall in love, you’re there with open arms. After you’ve been hurt – and not just by a relationship, but by the physical loss of a person, grief – your guard goes up.”
Of finding another romance, she said, “One of the things that’s really lovely is to recognize someone who is willing to be patient. Who has the desire to let that play out. Then you’re able to drop those guards and be a little braver because you recognize the good in that person… Friendship and humour are everything. To feel romantic, you have to be comfortable and confident. Friendship and humour is that road for me.”
Bridgerton, Season 4, Part 1, Streaming Now, Netflix
Bridgerton, Season 4, Part 2 Premiere, Thursday, February 26, Netflix
