Simone Ashley and Nicola Coughlan Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images; Lia Toby/Getty Images

Simone Ashley is coming to her friend and Bridgerton co-star Nicola Coughlan‘s defense amid recent body-shaming comments.

The actress, who plays Kate Bridgerton in the hit Netflix series, recently responded to some of the online criticism Coughlan has received regarding her appearance in season three, which focuses on her character Penelope Featherington’s love story with Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton).

“Yeah, the haters are going to hate, and I think we can all relate to that, but I really don’t think that she’s allowing that to bother her,” Ashley said of Coughlan at the Monte-Carlo Television Festival, via People. “She has a strong and fruitful career and entire life ahead of her. And I really believe in her, as the world does as well.”

She continued of her praise of the Derry Girls actress, “I think Nicola is just absolutely flying. She is a gorgeous, strong, confident, intelligent woman, seeing her do this press tour and spread so much joy and inspiration to everyone — especially women — all over the world. And I’m inspired by her as well. She’s also a really kind human being, and I think that’s such a universal language that people can relate to.”

Coughlan also shut down speculation earlier this month that her waist was “photoshopped” in season three of Bridgerton. “I saw some trolls. They were like, ‘They photoshopped your waist,’ and I was like, ‘No, they did not,’” she told People.

“I think if you wear corsetry for long enough, your body really molds to it,” Coughlan explained of the show’s Regency-inspired costumes. “Sometimes they come in for a fitting for a fashion designer and they put a corset on me and I’m like, ‘Oh, you can go tight,’ and they go, ‘What do you mean?’ I’m like, ‘My body now will go, ‘Whew.’”

Bridgerton is currently streaming on Netflix.