'Bridgerton' actress Genevieve Chenneour recalls fighting off attacker who stole her phone

ANI June 15, 2025 248 views

Bridgerton actress Genevieve Chenneour bravely fought off a phone thief at a London café, using her boxing training to overpower him. The attacker, Zacariah Boulares, had previously robbed TV host Aled Jones. Chenneour described the five-minute scuffle as life-changing, though she cautioned against others taking similar risks. The incident, caught on camera, highlights her quick reflexes and combat experience.

"I had a bit of a sixth sense that something wasn't quite right... I thought that was a normal reaction." – Genevieve Chenneour
Los Angeles, June 14: Actor Genevieve Chenneour, best known for her role in 'Bridgerton', recently recalled how she fought off a thief attempting to snatch her cell phone at a cafe in London.

Key Points

1

Chenneour used boxing skills to pin down the thief

2

Attacker Zacariah Boulares had prior robbery convictions

3

Incident lasted five minutes with café patrons assisting

4

Actress warned others against similar confrontations

According to Deadline, The Daily Mail newspaper published footage of the actress sitting with her dog in a cafe in West London, being approached by a man who picked up her phone from next to her on the counter.

In her defence, Genevieve, who was a former Amateur Boxing Association qualified boxer and former professional athlete who had represented Team GB in international artistic swimming events, accosted the thief with several blows before she got her phone back. She later recounted the whole incident lasted about five minutes, with her attacker pinned to the floor for most of the time. Chenneour also had the help of another customer in the cafe.

The actress said on TikTok that the thief had "messed with the wrong girl", as per Deadline

"I had a bit of a sixth sense that something wasn't quite right, as woman you have that kind of intuition.I don't know if I would advise anybody else to do it. I think I have very quick reactions, thanks to having three brothers growing up and I'm an aviated carded boxer. I think it just was an instinct, I also do a lot of fight training for work and acting... I thought that was a normal reaction and I read all the comments [online] and realised, actually, a lot of people would just let them take the phone.' It kind of went round the corner and it turned into a full-on scrap with two people [Boulares and his accomplice]," she said.

"And I was threatened with being stabbed so it became a real matter, in my mind, of life and death. So, I did things like, I remember kicking him back with my leg to create space in case he had a weapon on him... It was just a life-changing, crazy moment," she added.

The thief - who has been named as Zacariah Boulares - previously attacked TV host Aled Jones for his Rolex watch in 2023, and was given a youth detention, serving 14 months. He has since turned 18, hence he is now able to be named.

Reader Comments

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Priya K.
Wow! What a brave woman 👏 This reminds me of how unsafe streets can be even in developed countries. In India, we're always alert about phone snatching too. Good she had boxing training - maybe self-defense should be compulsory for all women worldwide!
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Rahul S.
While her courage is admirable, I wouldn't recommend fighting thieves - especially when they might have weapons. In Mumbai, police always advise to prioritize safety over belongings. That thief has a history of violent crimes - very scary!
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Ananya M.
As a Bridgerton fan, I'm shocked but so proud of Genevieve! 💪 This shows how important self-defense training is. In Delhi, my sister carries pepper spray always. Maybe celebrities should have security though - can't risk their safety.
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Vikram J.
The real issue here is the repeat offender being let off easy earlier. 14 months for violent robbery? Our judicial systems worldwide need to be tougher on criminals. In Bangalore, phone snatchers often get bail too quickly.
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Sunita P.
Her fighting skills are impressive but the trauma afterwards must be terrible 😔 We need better street safety everywhere. In India, at least we have chai shops everywhere with people watching out - London seems more isolated.

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Genevieve Chenneour Bridgerton London theft celebrity news Zacariah Boulares