‘Bridgerton’ Actress Fights Off Alleged Thief With Phone in London Coffee Shop
A star from the hit Netflix series Bridgerton fought off an alleged phone thief in a terrifying confrontation at a central London coffee shop, an incident that has reignited debate over public safety and youth crime in the capital.
Genevieve Chenneour, who plays Clara Livingston in the popular period drama, was seated at Joe & The Juice café in Kensington on February 8 when she was allegedly targeted by Zacariah Boulares, 18. According to court documents and witness accounts, Boulares snatched Chenneour’s phone from the table before attempting to flee.
Chenneour, a former Team GB artistic swimmer and trained boxer, leapt into action. With assistance from a bystander, she managed to tackle the assailant to the ground, recover her phone, and strike him with it in the struggle. During the altercation, Boulares allegedly threatened to stab her multiple times, escalating the encounter from a theft to a violent attack.
“I didn’t even have time to think — my body just reacted,” Chenneour later told reporters. “The fear was real. I believed he could seriously hurt me.”
Chenneour sustained a concussion and has since spoken openly about the psychological impact of the attack, revealing she has suffered from panic attacks and is now reluctant to go out alone. Her dog, present during the incident, has also become defensive around strangers, she said.
Boulares, originally from Algeria, was on early release from a youth detention sentence at the time of the incident. Court records show he has 12 prior convictions for 28 offenses, including the 2023 robbery of television presenter Aled Jones, in which he wielded a machete.
He pleaded guilty to charges of theft and common assault in the Chenneour case and is set to be sentenced at Isleworth Crown Court on June 17.
Despite his criminal record, Boulares was not deported after his previous convictions due to his age. The UK’s current deportation laws protect foreign-born offenders who were minors at the time of their arrival in the country, sparking widespread public criticism.
Chenneour’s ordeal underscores the rising problem of phone snatching and street crime in London. According to Metropolitan Police figures, more than 70,000 mobile phones are stolen in the city each year — a black market worth an estimated £50 million. Many stolen devices are reportedly shipped abroad and sold for profit.
Security experts say the brazen nature of the attack reflects a worrying trend: young criminals targeting victims in broad daylight, often unafraid of legal consequences.
“This was a violent encounter in a public space,” said London-based crime analyst Jack Penrose. “It’s a grim reminder that high-profile or not, anyone can become a victim.”
Chenneour’s bravery has drawn praise, but safety advocates caution against fighting back during crimes unless absolutely necessary.
“She’s lucky it ended the way it did,” said personal safety trainer Deborah Hainsworth. “But it’s also deeply concerning that someone should have to rely on instinct and physical defense to stay safe in a café.”
Chenneour, who has temporarily left London due to lingering trauma, says she shared her story to highlight how unsafe public spaces have become and to push for stronger crime prevention.
“This wasn’t just a stolen phone,” she said. “It was a wake-up call — for me, and hopefully for others, too.”
Zacariah Boulares will be sentenced on June 17, 2025, where the court is expected to weigh his criminal history and the violent nature of this latest offense.
