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There’s no shortage of bad blood in Westeros. The world of Game of Thrones was rife with broken alliances, long-held grudges, and carefully orchestrated plans for revenge (e.g., Arya’s brutal takedown of the Freys after the Red Wedding). And there have long been rumors of some tensions on set as well. While many cast members were friendly with each other, there were two who supposedly disliked each other so much they refused to appear in the same scenes together: Jerome Flynn and Lena Headey. 

Flynn, who played the sellsword Bronn, and Headey, who portrayed the ruthless Cersei, dated prior to appearing on Game of Thrones, according to reports. The relationship ended badly, and afterward, neither actor wanted anything to do with the other. But there was just one problem with this juicy tale of on-set drama. According to Flynn, it’s not true. 

Jerome Flynn and Lena Headey’s nasty breakup supposedly caused on set tension  

Lena Headey and Jerome Flynn
(L-R) Lena Headey; Jerome Flynn | David M. Benett/Dave Benett/WireImage; Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic for HBO

Flynn and Headey dated around 2002, according to a report in The Sun. Details about the relationship are fuzzy, but Headey’s aunt did confirm the two had been involved at one point. However, it seems things didn’t work out. By the time each was cast on Game of Thrones, they were definitely not getting along, according to insiders. 

“Jerome and Lena aren’t on speaking terms anymore and they are never in the same room at the same time … It’s a pity because they appeared to have patched things up for a while, but now the word is they should be kept apart at all costs,”  a source told The Telegraph in 2014. 

A source told The Sun in 2019 that the pair’s relationship was “turbulent” and that Headey had a “genuine hate” for Flynn. 

Jerome Flynn addressed the rumored ‘Game of Thrones’ feud

At first, neither Flynn nor Headey commented on speculation they didn’t get along. But Flynn eventually addressed the issue when a fan at the 2019 Con of Thrones in Nashville asked him about the rumors. The actor said there was nothing to it. 

“We were actually in the same scene together, and the last time I saw Lena we were speaking, so I wouldn’t believe everything you read, and like I said, [the media] can get pretty desperate for stories,” Flynn said. “Lena is a wonderful person and a wonderful actress. I think the world of her.”

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As for Headey, she hasn’t publicly addressed her relationship with Flynn. But Flynn is right when he said that he and Headey shared a scene on the show. The pair briefly appeared onscreen together in Game of Thrones Season 3, but they didn’t speak. In season 8, Cersei hires Bronn to kill her brothers Jaime (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) and Tyrion (Peter Dinklage), but Qyburn (Anton Lesser) serves as an intermediary, so the two characters never interact. 

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