[inneedofanewname]

A certain Lukola blog has written a ‘coincidences’ post. In here they mention that Luke was MIA whilst Nic was in her play (news flash - he’s been MIA for over a year, besides NY). They say Nicola was completely MIA during the time Luke was in NY for his play - this is how I know they are Luke fans first and foremost and pay no attention to Nicola’s career.

Her actual fans will know that she returned from Australia and filmed the short trailer for POTWW (red cardigan). In late July she began 3- weeks of filming IAH, verifiable from her own wrap grid post and the numerous postings from the crew. She then had a table read for BM2 and filming began for S2 for 8-weeks. This lead into rehearsals for POTWW in Nov and then 3-months of her play. All entirely documented by Nicola and various production members. The real fans were paying attention to this information as we’re excited for new work. The Lukola contingent were disinterested as that schedule ruined their narrative and challenges the ‘coincidences’!

I’m first to admit we don’t know everything and it’s all guess work, but when you have very definitive evidence - like scenes from IAH being filmed (!!) you have to do a bit of fact checking before spouting nonsense.

🙄🙄🙄🙄

Nicola's schedule wasn't hidden. We literally watched her move from project to project.

There were photos, posts, crew updates.... actual evidence that she was busy working. But that information wasn't useful to a certain narrative, so it gets ignored.

That's why I laugh about the "coincidence" posts...

It's like people start with the conclusion they want and then work backwards from there. Anything that fits gets highlighted. Anything that doesn't fit gets conveniently forgotten.

The sad thing it's I don't think they're interested in changing their minds.

[inneedofanewname]

And here we are again with the same exact meltdowns when she archives posts but when he does it….

Do they not hear or see themselves? They don’t move a muscle when he does it and when it’s her they are about to end it all omg.

And if I say that they get so upset because they know Luke needs his association with Nicola to keep his name out there and to help his image and career while Nicola doesn’t need him for anything… this is like kinda one of my fav things though because they love to act like Nicola is some scorned lover and was rejected by Luke as if Nicola doesn’t run circles around Luke and everyone Luke is associated with. As if Luke and his nobody gf don’t use her to give themselves a leg up. I don’t think you could find more pathetic people.

At some point people need to accept that Bridgerton was a job and Polin was a storyline. A hugely successful one, one Nicola was clearly proud of, but still a chapter of her career, not her entire future.

This constant anger comes from the fact that Nicola keeps moving forward while some people are stuck on an invented storyline.

That's why everything becomes her fault. She's responsible for the narrative ending. She's responsible for reality not matching what they wanted. She's responsible for them being disappointed.

Except... she's not.

The fact that some people are still trying to force her into a role she clearly outgrew is not her problem.

At a certain point, when reality keeps contradicting the story you've built in your head, you either adjust your expectations or spend years arguing with reality.

Some seem to have chosen the second option.

[inneedofanewname]

Mind you, Nic deleted like 60 posts of personal stuff and old projects and promotional posts with brands she’s not longer part of and barely even 10 of them were Bton related and yet… people act like she committed a crime. “Nic stop acting like Lvke your ex” or maybe accept that Bton is just a job she not longer has to prioritize and Lvke is just a coworker and she doesn’t have to keep old posts with him in it especially if she’s curating her IG to focus on more of his recent projects. Like, those people need to move on, Nic clearly isn’t going to pander to them, it’s time to accept that fact and stop supporting her because they clearly don’t like her. And btw, Nicola isn’t the only celebrity in the world that has done a IG delete move and won’t be the last. Celebrities have been little by little deleting personal stuff and are more work focus on social media and that’s partly because of the increase of parasocial behavior. Hope she continues deleting stuff if that’s what she wants. Musicians do a delete sweep all the time too.

Yup, she archived posts from Big Mood, old campaigns, friends, charity stuff and all kinds of random things. So what, she's secretly sending messages to all of them too?

I think part of the frustration is that Nicola has very clearly moved into a different phase of her career and life. She's doing new projects, meeting new people and focusing on what's next.

Some people seem to be struggling with that reality because they were a lot more invested in a past chapter than Nicola ever was.

Nicola cleaned up her feed. The rest is fanfiction 🤷‍♀️

[inneedofanewname]

Rapunzel is the hypocrite of the highest degree. She literally has been calling the other shippers crazy for talking about Luke and Antonia and wants everyone to leave them alone and laments daily about the hate Luke gets, yet every single move Nicola makes is scrutinised by her. She is just a Luke parasocial fan who ships herself with him through Nicola.

I've been pointing out the double standard for years...

What I'll never understand is the level of investment some people have. Not enjoying someone's work, but building their entire online personality around defending every single thing they do while scrutinizing Nicola's every move.

That's the weird part to me.

[inneedofanewname]

They can not help but link EVERY. SINGLE. THING she does with Luke. It’s exhausting.

They also genuinely don’t like her. She is merely an accessory to their Luke infatuation.

THIS. The sheer audacity of these people to actually hold a wild grudge against Nicola for not daring to feel the same way about him that his obsessed fans do. Not only that, but they're also mad as hell that she's actively chosen to be in a long-term relationship with someone else. They're mad she won't just sit back and let herself be used as their own convenient little self-insert in their ongoing obsession with Luke. So they invent wild conspiracy theories about her relationship all to try and make sense of something that should be perfectly simple and unremarkable. It's her Instagram. She can post what she likes, she can delete and archive what she likes and she can organise her own damn account any damn way she wants. But of course that's not enough for these losers. Two years after season 3 ended and they still haven't forgiven her for the grand "crime" of not being the slightest bit interested in living out their deranged fantasies. She's never going to give them what they want and they'd be better off accepting that and stop pretending to care about her, but instead they'd rather just continue to be obsessive loser misogynists than actually do the healthy thing and MOVE THE FUCK ON.

It's insane how little agency some people seem willing to give Nicola.

Everything has to be explained through somebody else. They invent anything except the possibility that she's simply making her own choices.

The other thing is that I don't think some of these people actually know what to do with the fact that she's moved on.

Most actors finish a project, are grateful for it (like Nicola has said) and then go make something else. That's normal. That's the job.

Yet somehow when Nicola does exactly that, it becomes evidence of a conspiracy, a secret message, a hidden agenda???...

That's where a lot of the resentment comes from. Reality is much less exciting than the story they've been telling themselves.

Personally, I think it's one of the reasons she's thriving. She keeps choosing herself instead of trying to satisfy narratives that were never hers to begin with.

[inneedofanewname]

The crash outs are seriously disturbing and and extremely nonsensical. She still has so many pictures on her grid and all her story highlights at the top of her page.

Also, she deleted 69 posts from various times and projects. Nothing is is being singled out.

The irony is that any one who is having a panic attack about this is also the type that already has their own copy of the posts and follows other pages that have copies of her photos. She didn't scrub anything from the internet, and she knows that, too.

I don't remember people being angry when Phoebe deleted all her photos.

This fandom puts way too much pressure on Nicola.

I really encourage every one to read Cynthia Erivo's recent Variety piece because, speaking for myself, it reminded me so much of what I think it must be like to be a part of the Bridgerton cast.

Here's a link to the article if anyone is interested:

https://variety.com/2026/legit/features/cynthia-erivo-surviving-wicked-texting-ariana-grande-1236757557/

And here's one quote from Cynthia talking about the scrutiny that came with the Wicked press tour.

“It’s very interesting, watching what people’s perception is versus what the reality actually is,” she says, a note of sarcasm creeping into her voice. “Lots of psychologists seated at home deciding who we were, what we were going through, what we were doing and why.”

In the meantime, I'm excited because this reorganizing of her grid now really feels to me like an announcement is coming soon. YAY!

You know what gets me? Not even the reactions themselves, but the confidence with which people invent explanations for things they couldn't possibly know...

I also think we've reached a point where some corners of the fandom spend more time analyzing Nicola than actually enjoying her work.

The Cynthia quote it's a great example because it highlights how easy it is for people to mistake their interpretation for reality. We all do it sometimes. The difference is whether we're willing to admit that we're guessing.

And in Nicola's case, people seem particularly determined to fill in the blanks for her.

As for the clean-up itself?

She's had years of projects, campaigns, appearances and milestones. At some point you make room for the next chapter. And if there's one thing Nicola has taught us, it's that there's always a next chapter!

[inneedofanewname]

Rapunzel got exposed on X for harassing Nicola on insta. She’s a Polin and Luke solo.

https://x.com/aelenitasss/status/2063304695679164563?s=46

Hashtag Luke Newton deserves better fans hey.

My biggest takeaway from all of this is: leave Nicola out of it.

If people are frustrated, disappointed or unhappy about something, why is Nicola automatically expected to manage those feelings?

She's not responsible for maintaining anyone else's narrative, fandom experience or expectations. It's her account, her career and her life.

How quickly the conversation becomes about what Nicola "should" be doing instead of simply accepting that she's allowed to move forward. People change. Projects end. Priorities shift. That's normal.

And if someone's frustration is actually about another person, then maybe that conversation should be directed at that person instead of somehow circling back to Nicola yet again.

All of this is just people refusing to accept reality because they preferred the version they invented in their heads.

Nicola is moving forward.

Maybe it's time for some other people to do the same

[inneedofanewname]

Well the psychos are angry at her again which means we can expect good news from Nicola soon lol.

It's like clockwork. Nic karma is real.

I don't even think it's just karma, Nicola seems genuinely focused on her own lane. While other people are busy creating narratives, she's usually busy creating actual work.

And that's probably why none of the drama ever sticks.

[inneedofanewname]

The misogyny is alive and kicking - latest Lukola theory is that Nic has ‘has to’ clear some photos of Luke as Jake is upset at the recent CDAN and the fact they might be together filming.

That literally makes no sense and why exactly is Nic clearing a selection of photos from her grid anything to do with a man. They can not help but link EVERY. SINGLE. THING she does with Luke. It’s exhausting.

They also genuinely don’t like her. She is merely an accessory to their Luke infatuation.

Oh please 😂

The CDAN thing is especially funny because we're supposed to believe anonymous gossip invented by people who spend half their time feeding the machine themselves? Sure....

They desperately need Nicola's life to revolve around this narrative they've been pushing for years. Meanwhile Nicola keeps doing what she's always done: working, living her life, moving on to new projects. And reality keeps getting in the way.

If the immediate reaction to a woman reorganizing her Instagram is to start constructing elaborate theories involving multiple men, secret messages, relationship drama and coded signals... maybe it's time to close all tabs and go outside for a bit!

[inneedofanewname]

I’m beyond pissed at Lukolas for how they are reacting to Nicola archiving her Instagram posts. They talk shit about her and make up ridiculous rumours. This is not a normal way to react at all. Since everything she does seems to annoy them, why follow her? In the hopes of evidence to prove their ship? Just take the L and move on already.

I’m also starting to think there are no normal Polin fans. They are clearly fine for their fandom to be dominated by total psycho shippers. No pushback always against the Lukolas toxicity unless it’s aimed at their precious male lead. It’s really disappointing that it’s a fandom of predominantly women as well.

I wish I could say I was surprised, but honestly it's the same pattern we've seen over and over again.

What gets tiring isn't even the Instagram clean-up itself. It's how, somehow, Nicola always ends up being the one scrutinized, overanalyzed and held responsible for everyone's feelings about a situation.

The response is so wildly disproportionate to what actually happened.

At the end of the day, she moved some posts around on her own account. That's a completely normal thing to do. The fact that some people immediately turned it into a personal slight says far more about them than it does about Nicola.

I'm sorry, but if your entire emotional stability is hanging on the arrangement of someone else's Instagram grid, it might be time to log off for a bit ......

[inneedofanewname]

Whitebread man Anon, I accidentally deleted your ask but I'm answering it anyway! Sorry!

Nicola is organizing her insta .... She deleted a lot of things.

From what I can tell, posts from different projects, different years and different friendships were archived. Yet somehow a certain group has decided that a handful of photos are the only ones that matter and therefore must have a secret meaning...

Nothing has been lost. The photos are still all over the internet. The work still exists. The world keeps turning.

I do find it fascinating, though, how some people seem far more invested in monitoring Nicola's Instagram activity than in celebrating the actual projects she's working on. That's probably a conversation for another day...

I'm choosing to spend my energy being excited for whatever she's got coming next instead of conducting forensic analysis on her feed 😂

[inneedofanewname]

I think we all just miss Nicola and want her to be happy and successful.

Fandom spaces should be fun! I suggest those who feel anxious when she is quiet and we are waiting on new announcements, take some time offline and/or engage more with your other interests! Do a rewatch of your favourite Nic show. There are many options. I always rewatch Derry Girls and the old podcasts Nic’s done when I miss her.

Most of these conversations aren't really about careers or casting announcements. They're about the fact that we have gotten attached to Nicola and enjoy having her around.

And honestly, that's a pretty nice problem to have as a fan...

I also think it's easy to forget how much material she's given us over the years because we're always looking ahead to the next thing.

Plus, if history has taught me anything, it's that Nicola never stays off our radar forever.

Derry is my conformt show and I always end up watching it and enjoying myself!

[inneedofanewname]

**If anything Nic is not even politically assertive like that, she just raises funds and aid for social issues. I think these anons might be showing their own bias & insecurities in thinking Nic isn’t or won’t be successful.**

I mean it’s not an insecurity when it’s literally been happening in every industry to regular people. even susan sarandon has talked about being blacklisted! it would be foolish to think that the film industry isn’t judging women on their activism, not just appearance etc. i want nicola to be hugely successful but it’s not unreasonable to think that even if she’s the best actor for a role, there could be other factors involved in casting decisions.

do agree that we’re going through a nicola withdrawal and losing our minds a bit haha.

For me, the takeaway it's that Nicola is aware of the risks and has chosen to be herself anyway. And honestly, I respect that.

At some point all we can do is trust that she's making the decisions that feel right for her and support her along the way.

Also yes, I think we all are experiencing some level of Nicola withdrawal right now.

[inneedofanewname]

I think I spiraled because she didn’t go to the variety event - this is exactly the sort of thing she would have gone to in the past. Plus we haven’t had the project announcement she mentioned. My worrying mind thinks it might have fallen through which makes me worry even more! I hate that the negative attention

I see it a little differently- if things had fallen through, I think she’d be back out there hustling at these events. The fact she didn’t attend the Elle or Variety events tells me she is either - busy with a secret work project or she’s prioritising her personal life during a break in work. She’s discussed wanting more balance in her life and time for friends. Maybe May is her month off for this.

Either way, I think it’s healthy to have times where she’s off-grid and we’re left guessing! We knew it would come after the weekly content for the first quarter of 2026. No one can sustain that. Absence is definitely making the heart grow fonder though!!

It's possible.

Nicola has spent the last few years going from one thing to the next at an absolutely ridiculous pace. So if she's taking a breather, good for her. And if she's already working on something, that wouldn't exactly be out of character either.

We've become so used to having Nicola content that a few weeks of quiet feels much longer than it actually is. We're basically experiencing withdrawal at this point.

[inneedofanewname]

I think Nicola is interested in the art of acting, the collaboration with people she likes and the ability to tell a story. I don’t think she has ever expressed a desire to be a huge Hollywood star. I think she’s too much of an Indie girl! Look at who her closest people are - they’re all pretty Indie, I’m not sure the corporate machine of Hollywood is her vibe.

Whenever Nicola talks about her career, she seems much more excited by the story, the character and the people she's working with than by fame itself.

That's probably why her filmography is so varied. That's one of my favorite things about following her career. You never know what she'll do next!

[inneedofanewname]

I think it’s odd people are debating on why Nicola has disappeared when I think it’s pretty clear why: she’s resting after back to back promotional stuff. Usually, people don’t like overexposure and actors are self aware that they need to let the audience kinda rest so they’re hyped when you’re back again, but she also needs time to rest. She’s going to be back full force by the end of the year for IAH and perhaps the new projects she has in store. We just need to be patient and allow her to have time. I feel like celebrities nowadays are way more disconnected from social media and the industry and you usually don’t see artists much unless they’re actively promoting something. A big example of this is Zendaya, you only see her or hear from her when she’s promoting her work.

You're definitely right that we're overthinking.

Actors aren't supposed to be in constant promo mode year-round.

We've been so spoiled over the last couple of years that a few weeks of relative quiet suddenly feels strange.

She'll be back when she's back. Until then, I think we're all just suffering from a mild case of Nicola withdrawal..

[inneedofanewname]

I do think that people worrying over Nic’s advocacy don’t really have faith in her abilities or standing in the industry. Because there are plenty of celebs who are way more political than her but they’re still working. Like Hannah einbeinder from Hacks just spent her whole promo and awards season being politically vocal. If anything Nic is not even politically assertive like that, she just raises funds and aid for social issues. I think these anons might be showing their own bias & insecurities in thinking Nic isn’t or won’t be successful.

I don't know if I'd go as far as saying it's a lack of faith in her abilities. I actually think the concern comes from knowing that the entertainment industry isn't always fair.

Nicola herself has talked about being warned not to speak on certain issues, so it's not like the possibility is completely made up. We know there are people who think staying quiet is the safer career move.

That said, I think what gives me confidence is that Nicola seems fully aware of that reality and has made her choice anyway. She's an intelligent woman who understands the industry and has decided there are some things that matter more to her than being universally liked.

An yet, Nicola keeps getting opportunities, keeps working with respected people, and keeps building her reputation.