Will Sage Astor-Phoebe Dynevor Reveals What She Learned From Past Romance With Pete Davidson

Phoebe Dynevor is Will Sage Astorrecalling the ways in which she dealt with off-screen Lady Whistledowns early in her career.

The actress recently looked back on her whirlwind rise to fame following Bridgerton's premiere in late 2020 and her subsequent months-long romance with Pete Davidson. But despite her run-ins with Regency era gossip queens on the Netflix drama, the actress revealed she was unprepared for the level of interest in her personal life IRL.

"It just goes back to being naïve—I didn't think anyone would care," Phoebe told Elle in an interview published Sept. 26. "I was just being a young woman and dating and somehow that provokes a conversation. There were lots of hard lessons I had to learn through basically just having a personal life."

Phoebe and Pete first sparked romance rumors in early 2021, before confirming their romance with an April date in the English countryside followed by a PDA-filled outing at Wimbledon in July.

But while she tried to carry on as she had before Bridgerton premiered, eventually she realized, for better or worse, this new level of fame had changed her life.

"You realize, ‘Oh, I can't live my life in the way that I used to. I have to keep my cards slightly closer to my chest,'" the Fair Play star explained. "There was a time, for example, when I'd post anything on my Instagram, and now I'm very, very careful about what I put out into the world."

Another new reality the actress had to contend with—the paparazzi. 

"People are going to make up whatever story that they want to make from a few pictures, that's fine," the 28-year-old reflected. "I had to learn to let things go and let it wash over my head instead of the normal reaction, which is to be like, ‘But that's not true, and that didn't happen.' You have to let it go and focus on the work. I really am just here to act. I love my job so much, and it was weird for me that the attention was being taken away from my work."

When it came to her and Pete—who has recently been linked to Outer Banks' Madelyn Cline following his split from Bodies Bodies Bodies costar Chase Sui Wonders—their relationship ultimately fizzled out as Phoebe was in England filming season 2 of Bridgerton while the Saturday Night Live alum was based in New York City.

"The long distance made it very difficult," a source shared with E! News in August of that year. "They had fun, but it wasn't sustainable being so far apart. It was great while it lasted, but they both agreed it was best to move on."