Jodie Comer is one of the beneficiaries of a greater appreciation for British television that seems to be gripping the world. Black Mirror on Netflix, Phoebe Waller-Bridges' Fleabag, I May Destroy You by Michaela Cole, among others, are some of the TV shows from across the Atlantic that have had fans glued to their screens on binge marathons.
Comer has come to global recognition via a leading role in another show that has also ridden this wave: BBC America's spy thriller series, Killing Eve. Playing the villainous, yet affable assassin Villanelle, Comer has been a joy to behold. Her performances have earned her multiple nominations and awards, including a Primetime Emmy award for Outstanding Lead Actress and a BAFTA for Leading Actress, both in 2019.
Yet in more recent times, Comer has found herself the subject of intense conversation in tabloids and on social media. The subject of these discussions... her relationship with boyfriend, James Burke.
Who Is James Burke?
Unlike many other stars who prefer to date within their celebrity circles, Comer's current flame is a bit of an unknown quantity. Burke is a former lacrosse player who represented the Penn State University team between 2013 and 2016. Before that, he also led his Duxbury High School team to three state championships.
According to his records on the university website, he was born James Kilduff Burke on March 31, 1994 in Duxbury Massachusetts. His parents, Jim and Chris Burke also have two other children, Brendan and Brady. The site also reveals that Burke majored in Communication Arts and Sciences while at the school.
A Daily Mail report from December 2020 claims that Burke now works in the tech industry, but also goes on to say that most of his personal life 'isn't in the public eye at all.'
RELATED: Killing Eve: Fan Theories That Could Be True (And Ones That Have Been Disproven)It is said that he met with Comer while she was in Boston filming Free Guy, an upcoming science-fiction action-comedy starring Ryan Reynolds and Taika Waititi. It is not apparent whether their meeting was directly related to the making of the film or not.
Jodie And James Spent A Lot Of Time Away From Each Other
In an interview with the Sunday Times, Comer revealed her excitement at being newly in love. At the same time, she also drew a sharp contrast between Burke and her previous relationships.
"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," she said. "When you actually feel it, you're like, 'Ahhh, so this is what it feels like!' And it was special."
While Comer has not been shy to broadcast the news of her newfound love to the world, the pair did spend a lot of time away from each other last year as a consequence of the lockdowns caused by COVID-19. She spoke about this 'new normal' of relationships to InStyle magazine last December.
RELATED: Ryan Reynolds Gets Embarrassed By Jodie Comer In Hilarious Trailer Teasing ‘Free Guy’She emphasized that it was possible to put in the effort required to make a long-distance relationship work, so long as the will was there. "I couldn't fly to the States," Comer revealed. "And I still can't. It was one of those things. I feel like, with anything, if you want something enough, you can make it work. So, yeah, just millions of FaceTimes."
The Jodie Comer And James Burke Scandal
As is the case with most celebrity relationships, however, it wasn't long until controversy began to court Comer and Burke. As soon as news of their blossoming love story became public, rumors immediately started to swirl that Burke was in fact a Trump-supporting Republican. So serious were these allegations in the midst of a heated election year, that calls began to rise for Comer to be canceled.
The purported betrayal appeared to be particularly bruising for the LGBTQ community, given that Comer's Villanelle on Killing Eve is bisexual. One user on Twitter wrote, "Jodie Comer apparently dating a Trump supporter is so on brand for a white woman 'ally,' I can't find it in me to be surprised," while another rued, "Jodie Comer dating a Trump supporter?? I thought 2020 couldn’t get any worse!"
In the InStyle interview, she explained how this was yet another new experience for her, and how she eventually made up her mind that the best thing would be to ignore all those conspiracy theorists and focus on her relationship.
"It was really shocking; it was the first time I had ever been dragged into something like that," said Comer. "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."
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