Jessie Buckley Opens Up About Lifelong Fear of Love Before Finding Happiness
Acclaimed actress Jessie Buckley has made a surprising confession about her personal journey, revealing she was "scared of love" for most of her life before finally settling down with her husband, Freddie Sorensen. The 36-year-old star, who recently received her first Best Actress Oscar nomination for her role in "Hamnet," has shared intimate details about her relationship fears and eventual marital bliss.
A Private Wedding in Norfolk
Buckley and Sorensen, 47, who works in the mental health sector and previously worked as a producer including a stint alongside Simon Cowell on "The X Factor," tied the knot in a private ceremony at their home in Norfolk, England, in 2023. The couple, who are now parents to a daughter born last year, have mostly kept their personal life out of the public eye until recently.
"I think love is terrifying," Buckley told Deadline in a candid interview. "I have been scared of love for a lot of my life, and it took me a long while to discover what that word even meant for me, not just the idea of it."
Love at First Sight and Relationship Philosophy
When questioned about whether she believes in love at first sight, the actress offered a nuanced perspective. "Yeah, I do. I think it's not what I ever expect it to be. The real stuff is not ever what I expect it to be," she explained.
Buckley elaborated with a culinary metaphor: "I think sometimes love at first sight, it's too much of a projected idea for it to ... I think it takes ... You can't just make a meal. You have to cook it." She added that initial attraction can "transcend or transform into a very different, layered, complex, full thing" depending on one's life stage and openness to connection.
Wedding Details and Family Life
During an appearance on the Table Manners podcast in 2024, Buckley opened up about their wedding celebration, which featured distinctive personal touches. "One of my favorite memories of the day was like - we, I wanted a keg of Guinness and I definitely wanted their cheese toasties at a certain hour," she recalled with evident fondness.
The couple enjoyed "many moons" instead of a single honeymoon and have been embracing life in East Anglia. Speaking about her husband, Buckley gushed: "He is gorgeous!" She explained that since they initially dated while living in Dalston, London, they hired their favorite local cafe, Towpath, to cater the wedding.
Motherhood and New Beginnings
In December, during an appearance on the New York Times' Modern Love podcast, Buckley discussed her experience as a first-time mother. "Everyone's doing great ... Everything's different ... Everything's new," she shared. "This little human's new. You're new. Your relationship's new. Your whole relationship to the world is new. It's intense, but it's just - I just love it. I love it so much."
The actress expressed delight at watching her daughter's personality emerge: "I really can see her little personality start to come through. I see this life force in her and determination. And I hope she loves life as much as I do."
Relationship History and Current Life
Buckley and Sorensen met on a blind date arranged by mutual friend Marc Robinson, with whom she worked on her 2018 breakout film "Wild Rose." The couple now splits their time equally between east London and Norfolk, where they maintain a home together.
Interestingly, they initially considered settling in Suffolk where they first met, drawn by the romantic associations of falling in love in that location, but ultimately chose Norfolk instead. Their daughter, now four months old, represents a new chapter for the couple.
Buckley's marriage to Sorensen comes seven years after what she described as an "acrimonious" split from "Happy Valley" star James Norton, 40, whom she dated from 2015 to 2017. Reflecting on that previous relationship, she stated: "We have broken up, yes. It was acrimonious, but it's a tough job to have a relationship and he is a great man and we are great friends. That's it. How diplomatic can I sound?"
The actress's journey from fear of love to marital contentment and motherhood reveals a personal transformation that parallels her professional success, offering fans a rare glimpse into the private life of one of Britain's most talented performers.
