Actress Bae Doona says she never denied dating British actor Jim Sturgess. She says it was her manager that sought to keep their relationship a secret.
During a recent press conference at the Cannes Film Festival, she said. "It was my former manager that denied the relationship. Jim Sturgess is my boyfriend."
But when asked directly about the relationship she has evaded the question. At one point she said that she did not feel the need to make an official statement about her private life.
"It's not something related to my job like attending a movie press conference," she said at a past press conference. "I think people are taking interest because it's a fun combination and people are curious, but the interest makes me feel uncomfortable. I would be thankful if people were not so interested."
But it was obvious that the two actors enjoyed each other's company as they were frequently seen together. The rumors began in 2012 when the actors worked together on the set of the film "Cloud Atlas." They each played multiple roles. The two were seen together when they attended the Seoul premiere of "Cloud Atlas" and again during the Lunar New Year holiday in a downtown Seoul bakery. They were photographed linking arms, but insisted they were merely friends.
Then one of his friends posted a picture of them online and referred her as Jim Sturgess' girlfriend. Bae Doona still did not feel the need to make a public statement. Her agency, HMG Entertainment, insisted they knew nothing about the relationship.
So what made her finally confess to dating Jim Sturgess? She's not saying, but after two years of being seen together it is obvious they are a couple.
Sturgess and Bae are attending the Cannes Film Festival, because her film "A Girl At My Door" was being shown there. Bae said that Sturgess wanted to attend because he was interested in the film before she even joined the cast.
"I think he was more touched than I was after watching it," she said.
Bae Doona has appeared in more than a dozen dramas, including "How To Meet The Perfect Neighbor," Master of Study," and "Gloria." She became an international star thanks to her role in Bong Joon Ho's film "The Host," the highest grossing film in Korean box office history. In "Girl At My Door" she plays a small town police officer who tries to help a girl she suspects is a victim of domestic violence. The film premiered in the Un Certain Regard section of the 2014 Cannes Film Festival.