‘Bridgerton’ Actress Genevieve chenneour Thwarts Phone Thief in Instinctive Role

Genevieve Chenneour, known for her role in “Bridgerton,” demonstrated her real-life fighting skills⁣ earlier this year when she fended off a phone thief. Chenneour, a ‍former Amateur Boxing Association boxer and artistic swimmer, said her reaction was purely ⁢instinctive.

The actress explained that she sensed something was amiss before ⁣the attempted robbery. “I had a bit of a sixth⁣ sense that something wasn’t quite right… I could feel people moving⁣ around me in a different‍ way,” Chenneour said.

Chenneour, ‍who also does fight training for acting roles, ‍acknowledged her reaction might⁤ not be typical. ⁤”I don’t know if I would advise anybody else to do ⁤it… I think it just was ⁤an instinct,” she stated, adding that she realized many people might have simply surrendered their ‍phones.

When the attacker threatened her with a knife, Chenneour responded forcefully, recalling, “It became a real matter, in ‍my mind,⁢ life and death.So, I did things like, I remember kicking⁤ him back with⁣ my leg to create space in case⁢ he had a weapon on ⁣him.”

Despite the frightening experience, chenneour noted a positive outcome: increased awareness of anxiety related to ⁢theft. “It opened⁢ up so many conversations with people that I⁢ know and don’t know and I’ve been really made aware of how many people are living with that anxiety,” she said.

She also admitted the incident initially made her⁣ fearful of leaving her home.⁢ “Leaving the house was‍ really hard,” Chenneour said,describing a heightened sense of unease.

The thief was identified as Zacariah Boulares, who also attacked TV host Aled Jones in 2023.

What’s next

Chenneour hopes ⁣her experience will⁤ encourage ⁣open discussions about safety and ⁤awareness,‍ particularly for women ⁣navigating public spaces. ‍She aims to use her platform to advocate for⁢ increased vigilance and support for victims of theft.