Kim Cattrall, 69, made a rare public outing with her boyfriend Russell Thomas, 54, at Jimmy Choo’s "Meet Me At The Bar" dinner in London on Monday night, drawing attention both for the couple’s appearance and for recent social media activity that has rekindled discussion of her long-running split with former "Sex and the City" co-star Sarah Jessica Parker.
Cattrall and Thomas arrived together and were photographed close and affectionate throughout the evening. Cattrall wore a shimmering black dress with ruched detailing and large hoop earrings, while Thomas wore a green velvet suit with a sky-blue shirt. The couple first met in 2016 when Cattrall recorded an essay for BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour and Thomas was working at the BBC; they remained in contact and developed their relationship over subsequent years.
Cattrall has described the Covid-19 pandemic as a period that "locked them together" and said the test strengthened their bond as they moved between New York, Canada and London. In remarks to The Times in June, she said of Thomas, "He’s had an incredibly interesting life and really done it on his terms. He’s a bit of a rebel, which I love. We’ve been together almost ten years now. And we’ve had a blast. We’ve just had so much fun."
The outing followed Cattrall’s recent 69th birthday, when she posted an Instagram selfie holding a glass of champagne. A fan’s comment praising Cattrall’s former character Samantha Jones and criticizing the HBO Max spinoff "And Just Like That..." drew a "like" from Cattrall, prompting renewed attention to her longstanding estrangement from Parker. Cattrall did not join the spinoff — aside from a brief cameo in its second season that was reportedly paid at $1 million — and her character was written as having moved to London.
The rift between Cattrall and Parker has surfaced publicly on multiple occasions. Cattrall previously criticized Parker after the latter posted an Instagram condolence message following the death of Cattrall’s brother; Cattrall responded that they were "not friends." The social-media interaction around Cattrall’s birthday came as "And Just Like That..." completed its third season, which drew sharply divided reactions from viewers and critics and saw a decline in reported viewership.
The spinoff’s third season included storyline developments that drew attention and commentary: one central character’s infidelity and another’s reassessment of a long-term relationship were among the plotlines that generated discussion. Fans and critics offered mixed assessments, with some viewers criticizing the series for its handling of legacy characters.
Monday’s Jimmy Choo dinner also attracted other public figures and models. Among those photographed were actress Jessica Plummer, model Nadine Leopold and others who attended the brand event in London.
Cattrall, an Emmy-nominated performer, has been married three times previously. Her public appearance with Thomas was among several recent high-profile outings and interviews in which she has commented sparingly on her private life while maintaining distance from some former colleagues in the "Sex and the City" cast.