Bridgerton diva Simon Ashley did, in fact, make it to the final cut of Brad Pitt-starrer F1: The Movie, but only in a blink-and-you-miss-it appearance minus any dialogues. Nearly two weeks after the much-criticised snub, at least on X, the Indian-origin actress has reportedly come onboard the star cast of the sequel to the 2006 movie, Devil Wears Prada.

A Deadline report pleasantly surprised Ashley’s fans on Tuesday afternoon (US time) as sources spilled that Ashley had joined The Devil Wears Prada 2. The beloved fashion drama’s core acting lineup – Anne Hathaway, Meryl Streep, Emily Blunt and Stanley Tucci – has heard the desperate pleas of their fans who have nearly 20 years for the sequel to make headlines.

Ashley, who has emerged as an icon pushing authentic South Asian representation in the Hollywood space and pop culture in general, also appeared to confirm the big news. The 30-year-old celeb shared the outlet’s post highlighting the casting announcement, adding three emojis signifying her own emotions and the film’s signature theme: a red heart, a red stiletto and a smiley face with hearts.

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Who is Ashley Simone?

In case you live under a rock, Ashley is most celebrated for slaying her role as Lady Kathani “Kate” Bridgerton aka Kathani “Kate” Sharma in Netflix’s Bridgerton. She became the expansive period romance saga’s prime focus alongside co-star Jonathan Bailey in the second season of the superhit TV sensation. Fans ultimately fell in love with the onscreen pairing they now fondly refer to as “Kathony” or “Kanthony,” with long-running debates positioning them as the best couple across Bridgerton seasons.

The leading Bridgerton lady is actually a British actress of South Indian-Tamilian heritage. Born in Camberley, Surrey, she legally goes by Simone Ashwini Pillai.

Ashley was prominently featured in the movie Pokemon Detective Pikachu. However, it was ultimately the breakout 2019 dramedy Sex Education that inspired life-changing implications in her career trajectory.

Her other early filmography credits include BAFTA-winning crime series Broadchurch and fantasy teen drama Wolfblood — all varied additions to her professional graph. She even starred as Indira in Disney’s 2023 The Little Mermaid live-action iteration.

In March 2025, the Indian-origin standout in Hollywood took the lead as Pia, along with Hero Fiennes Tiffin, in the Amazon Prime Video rom-com Picture This, based on the yesteryear Australian flick Five Blind Dates.

Ashley Simone was cut from F1

Months later, Simone was poised to make waves in Brad Pitt and Damson Idris-led Formula One racing drama. Despite the work put in, she fell victim to a common red-flag of the movie-making process and was eventually erased from the final version of the cinematic premiere. While she comes onscreen for literally a fraction of a second, in another reality she could have a had a bigger role in the film.

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Director Joseph Kosinski has since addressed her erasure from the project, in a response to People. “It happens on every film, where you have to shoot more than you can use. There were two or three storylines that ultimately didn’t make into the final cut,” he said.

The Top Gun: Maverick filmmaker had only praises for the Indian-origin British actress, and hailed her an “incredible talent, incredible actress incredible singer.” He even shouted out the desire to work with her again sometime in the future if the fates allow.

In a March 2025 admission, Ashley herself revealed that since production for F1 had been “going for years,” she crossed paths with the creatives of the film even before Bridgerton had come out. “It’s been a long time, and you know, it’s Damson and Brad’s movie. I’m just so grateful that I can be part of it,” she said at the time.

That same month, she told BBC Sounds’ Nuala McGovern that her debut album was in the pipeline. Which means that the multi-faceted Lady Kate Bridgerton is on her way to making a jaw-dropping career move with her upcoming musical outing.

In yet another surprising side hustle, the Worcestershire-based production company set up in 2021 credits Simone Ashely as its only shareholder. According to accounts filed with Companies House, and quote by City AM, the company posted shareholder funds of  £1.77m during its latest financial year — significantly soaring from its reported total of £928,675 the previous year.

Coming from an academically-driven family, Ashley once confessed to Vogue Singapore she “was the only non-academic” in the lot. Declaring music, film, photography and art as her fortes, she opened up about how it her out-of-the-ordinary venture into the creative world was possible all than her “incredibly helpful and supportive” family.