Jessica Madsen

Jessica Madsen is a queer British actress who came out publicly on Instagram in June 2024 with a post that read: "In love with a woman, loud about it, and proud about it!" The announcement was received with widespread celebration by her fans, many of whom had followed her work on Netflix's "Bridgerton" (2023–present), where she plays the sharp-tongued and socially ambitious Cressida Cowper — an antagonist whose arc in the third season revealed unexpected depth and vulnerability. Madsen's decision to come out publicly during Pride Month and with such directness was widely praised as a joyful act of visibility. She has spoken in subsequent interviews about the sense of freedom and community she has felt since coming out. Her other screen credits include "Clique" and various British television productions. As a queer woman in a globally watched period drama, her coming-out has added a meaningful layer to her public profile and contributed to the ongoing visibility of LGBTQ+ people in period and mainstream television.