Bridgerton’s Simone Ashley Kisses Businessman Tim Sykes at US Open

Simone Ashley appears to have a new love interest!

The Bridgerton star, 30, was packing on the PDA with businessman Tim Sykes at the US Open on Monday, Sept. 1. The pair seemed to enjoy their time together, with photos showing them kissing and holding hands throughout the tournament.

According to his LinkedIn, Sykes is a managing partner of a hospitality group that owns several major restaurants and bars. Ashley follows him on Instagram, although his account is private.

PEOPLE has reached out to Ashley’s reps for comment.

The outing comes one month after Ashley and Joshua Jackson sparked romance rumors.

In early August, they were spotted walking closely togeher, almost hand-in-hand, as they roamed New York City on a sunny Summer day. The outing marked the first time the two were seen one-on-one in public.

At the time, they both were navigating busy production schedules: Jackson had been filming Happy Hours, a new film where he reunites with his Dawson’s Creek costar Katie Holmes, while Ashley was on set for The Devil Wears Prada 2 with Meryl Streep.

The Sex Education alum entered her “single era” in January after getting out of a long-term relationship.

During an appearance on BBC’s Woman’s Hour in February, the actress subtly confirmed that she and Constantin “Tino” Klein, who she started dating in 2022, had broken up. In March, she told PEOPLE that she wanted to cherish that time on her own and not “waste” it. 

“I’m not in a rush,” she shared of her plans to get back into dating. “It can be easy to jump into the next thing immediately, which is something that I am choosing not to do.”

Ashley also revealed what she is looking for in her next partner.

“It’s about self-growth, and I am looking for someone who is so confident in themselves and is really ready to have an open heart in the same way I do. And I think that’s hard to find,” she said.

“I want to take my time to find the right person for me and to work on myself — to grow, and to focus on my work,” Ashley added. “I’ve got such an incredible year ahead and I’m up to such exciting things. And I have the most amazing family and friends around me. So I’m working on my heart and on myself and on my confidence.”

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Joking that it was “kinda ironic” she was promoting her romantic comedy, Picture This, as a freshly single woman, Ashley admitted that she has a soft spot for the genre.

“I’m such a hopeless romantic,” she explained. “And I think rom-coms allow people to have that space where you believe in the idea of that love is possible. That’s how I feel when I watch them.”