Bridgerton star Yerin Ha opens up about representing the Asian community as Sophie in the fourth season of the Netflix drama

People Yerin Ha attends Gold House's Lunar New Year Celebration in New York City in February 2026Credit: Noam Galai/Getty

NEED TO KNOW

  • "We deserve these roles and spaces," Ha told PEOPLE at the Lunar New Year Gold Celebration on Wednesday, Feb. 12

  • Bridgerton season 4 is available to stream on Netflix

Bridgerton'sYerin Hais speaking out about the importance of Asian representation.

Ha, 28, shared what it means to her to represent the Asian community in Netflix's beloved drama while speaking exclusively to PEOPLE at the Lunar New Year Gold Celebration hosted by Gold House in New York City on Wednesday, Feb. 12. TheBridgertonstar plays Sophie Baek, a maid who attends a masquerade ball and catches the eye of Benedict Bridgerton, in theseries fourth season.

"It's been really, really amazing and beautiful," Ha shares of being a part of the series' latest season. "I've been really caught up with a press tour, it has been really positive."

"I just feel so proud that I get to be the face of that and keep advocating for change and knowing that we deserve these roles and spaces," she adds.

Yerin Ha at Sirius XM Studios in New York City in February 2026Credit: Gary Gershoff/Getty

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The fourth season ofBridgertonsees Sophie navigate class disparities and identity as her character falls in love with the wealthy Benedict, played byLuke Thompson. After meeting Sophie at the masquerade ball as the Lady in Silver, Benedict sets out on a quest to find the mystery woman.

For the Australian actress, working on the show has been filled with fun memories. "We just have fun every day," Ha says. "It was always a laugh on set, and everyone's a good time and a good chat."

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Yerin Ha as Sophie Baek in 'Bridgerton' season 4Credit: Liam Daniel/Netflix

In an October 2024 interview withShondaland, Ha revealed the moment she discovered she landed the lead role in season 4. While she was having breakfast with her mom at a cafe in Korea, she received a phone call.

"She came out crying, and then after the phone call, she was like, 'We gotta go home. I think I have indigestion,' and so we left," Ha said. "It was really beautiful to kind of, I guess share that moment with her."

However, when Ha readAn Offer from a Gentleman, the book inJulia Quinn's series that follows Benedict's love story, the nerves set in. In her JanuaryInStylecover story, the actress revealed that the intimacy scenes between Benedict and Sophie made her nervous.

"Being a woman in this industry, it's a massive thing. People think that they have the right to talk about your body, how you look, and your external appearance," Ha said. "I've dealt with body image and that shame for a very, very long time — and I'm still working through it."

She continued, "But what's been really nice about Sophie is she's taught me a lot about self-love and self-acceptance. I'm still working on accepting myself for my entirety and being happy with who I am. In a world where we strive for perfection, what does that look like?"

Bridgertonseason 4 is available to stream on Netflix.

Read the original article onPeople

byCosmopolite
in
February 28, 2026

“Bridgerton” Star Yerin Ha Opens Up About Representing the Asian Community in Netflix Hit: 'We Deserve These Spaces' (Exclusive)

Bridgerton star Yerin Ha opens up about representing the Asian community as Sophie in the fourth season of the Netflix d...
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Cuba unveils new details in fatal US boat shooting and says a 2nd boat on mission failed

HAVANA (AP) — Top officials with Cuba's Ministry of the Interior unveiled for the first time late Friday the items they said were aboard aFlorida-flagged speedboatthat opened fire against troops in waters off the island's north coast this week, with soldiers responding and killing four suspects.

Associated Press Weapons that Cuban authorities say were recovered from a speedboat in Cuban waters following a confrontation that left four people dead are displayed during a media presentation in Havana, Friday, Feb. 27, 2026. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa) Weapons that Cuban authorities say were recovered from a speedboat in Cuban waters following a confrontation that left four people dead are displayed during a media presentation in Havana, Friday, Feb. 27, 2026. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa) Weapons that Cuban authorities say were recovered from a speedboat in Cuban waters following a confrontation that left four people dead are displayed during a media presentation in Havana, Friday, Feb. 27, 2026. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa) Weapons that Cuban authorities say were recovered from a speedboat in Cuban waters following a confrontation that left four people dead are displayed during a media presentation in Havana, Friday, Feb. 27, 2026. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa) Weapons that Cuban authorities say were recovered from a speedboat in Cuban waters following a confrontation that left four people dead are displayed during a media presentation in Havana, Friday, Feb. 27, 2026. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)

Cuba Boat Shooting

Officials also revealed to The Associated Press that authorities were able to establish that the 10 Cuban suspects left the U.S. in two boats, but one failed, so they transferred all the supplies to the remaining one and left the other adrift.

The government said the detained suspects revealed those details and stressed that theyimmediately contacted the U.S. Coast Guard.

Among the items Cuban officials said were aboard the boat: a dozen high-powered weapons, including one with a scope; a big cooler filled with more than 12,800 pieces of ammunition; 11 pistols; heavy-duty boots, helmets with cameras; and camouflage backpacks.

"We were clearly able to assess that we were facing a terrorist action from a boat coming from the United States," 1st Col. Ivey Daniel Carballo of the Cuban Border Guard Troops told the AP.

According to Carballo, the 30-foot (nine meter) border patrol boat detected an intruder on Wednesday morning and approached to within about 600 feet (185 meters) to investigate, but it was met with high-caliber gunfire.

He said that three of the attackers were immediately killed and that a fourth was wounded and later died.

Caraballo said the speedboat was located about one mile (1.6 kilometers) northeast of Cayo Falcones off the island's north coast. The border guard commander was injured, he added.

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Victor Eduardo Álvarez Valle, one of the heads of Criminal Investigation for State Security at the Ministry of the Interior, told the AP that authorities were surprised by the resistance they encountered.

"We didn't expect it, especially with that many people and weapons," he said.

"The military equipment found on board has been identified by the assailants, including where and how they acquired it, and the training they received. They also revealed who financed it," Álvarez added.

He noted that officials detected 13 bullet holes on the border guard boat and 21 others on the suspect's vessel, "meaning that there was combat."

The Cuban government had reported Wednesday that a person had been captured on land, but Álvarez said that so far, there is no information that the suspects had any support network on the island.

Cuba's chief prosecutor of the directorate at the Attorney General's Office, Edward Robert Campbell, told the AP that the six arrested, all of Cuban origin, could face terrorism charges, which carries a possible sentence of 30 years in prison, life imprisonment or even the death penalty, although the latter has been on moratorium for more than a decade.

The Associated Press was given access to Cuban military officials and shown the items displayed at the headquarters of the former Cuban Institute of Radio and Television ahead of a program that showed them to the public for the first time.

U.S.Secretary of State Marco Rubiohas said it was not a U.S. government operation and thatthe American governmentwas gathering its own information.

byCosmopolite
in
February 28, 2026

Cuba unveils new details in fatal US boat shooting and says a 2nd boat on mission failed

HAVANA (AP) — Top officials with Cuba's Ministry of the Interior unveiled for the first time late Friday the items th...
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US says it supports Pakistan's 'right to defend itself' against Afghan Taliban

By Kanishka Singh

Reuters An army soldier stands at a post at the Friendship Gate, following the exchanges of fire between Pakistan and Afghanistan forces, at the border crossing between the two countries, in Chaman, Pakistan February 27, 2026. Picture taken with a mobile phone. REUTERS/Abdul Khaliq Achakzai Taliban soldiers sit next to an anti-aircraft gun while on lookout for Pakistan's fighter jets, in Khost province, Afghanistan, February 27, 2026. REUTERS/Stringer

Friendship Gate, following the exchanges of fire between Pakistan and Afghanistan forces, in Chaman

WASHINGTON, Feb 27 (Reuters) - The United States on Friday expressed support for what it called Pakistan's "right to defend itself" against ‌attacks from Afghanistan's Taliban rulers after Islamabad said earlier in the ‌day that the neighboring countries were in "open war."

Afghanistan's Taliban rulers had said on Friday they ​were willing to negotiate after Pakistan bombed their forces in major cities.

"The United States supports Pakistan's right to defend itself against attacks from the Taliban, a Specially Designated Global Terrorist group," a State Department spokesperson said in an emailed ‌statement. U.S. diplomat Allison ⁠Hooker said on X she spoke on Friday with Pakistan Foreign Secretary Amna Baloch.

Pakistan is nuclear-armed and its military capabilities ⁠are vastly superior to Afghanistan's. However, the Taliban are adept at guerrilla warfare, hardened by decades of fighting with U.S.-led forces, before returning to power in ​2021 ​when Washington withdrew chaotically.

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Pakistan is a major ​non-NATO ally of Washington. The ‌U.S. considers the Afghan Taliban to be a "terrorist" group.

The latest violence erupted after Pakistan's airstrikes on Afghan territory last weekend triggered Afghan retaliatory attacks along the border on Thursday, escalating long‑simmering tensions over Pakistan's claim that Afghanistan shelters Pakistani Taliban militants. Afghanistan denies this and argues Pakistan is deflecting ‌blame for its own security failures.

The State Department ​spokesperson said Washington was aware of the ​escalation in tensions and "outbreak of ​fighting between Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban," adding the ‌U.S. was "saddened by the loss of life."

Both ​sides reported heavy ​losses in the fighting, which Pakistan's Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif said amounted to an "open war".

"The Taliban have consistently failed to uphold their ​counterterrorism commitments," the ‌State Department said, adding that "terrorist groups use Afghanistan as a launching ​pad for their heinous attacks."

(Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Washington; Editing ​by Alistair Bell and Sam Holmes)

byCosmopolite
in
February 28, 2026

US says it supports Pakistan's 'right to defend itself' against Afghan Taliban

By Kanishka Singh Friendship Gate, following the exchanges of fire between Pakistan and Afghanistan forces, in...
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How tall is Diego Pavia? NFL combine measurements for Vanderbilt QB

Diego Paviais hoping to reach the highest level of professional football in 2026, but will his height hold him back?

USA TODAY Sports

TheVanderbiltquarterback shined for theCommodoreslast season, leading the group to the first 10-win season in program history. Pavia dazzled on Saturdays in the fall and finished as the runner-up to Fernando Mendoza for the Heisman Trophy as Vanderbilt challenged for a spot in the 2025-26 College Football Playoff.

While the college star proved capable of measuring up against the competition, NFL teams will likely care more about the number that the measuring tape reveals at the scouting combine.

Vanderbilt officially listed the quarterback at 6-0, butmeasurements at the Senior Bowlcame away with Pavia standing at about 5-9 7/8 inches. That measurement would make Pavia the shortest among current NFL starting quarterbacks, but not in NFL history.

For Pavia, passing the height test might be one of the bigger hurdles he faces in the pre-draft process. Here's a look at the measurements for Pavia at the NFL combine, as well as his NFL draft projection.

1. New York Jets - Fernando Mendoza, QB, Indiana <p style=2. New York Jets – Arvell Reese, LB/DE, Ohio State

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> <p style=3. Arizona Cardinals – Francis Mauigoa, OT, Miami (Fla.)

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> <p style=4. Tennessee Titans – Rueben Bain Jr., DE, Miami (Fla.)

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> <p style=5. New York Giants – Carnell Tate, WR, Ohio State

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> <p style=6. Cleveland Browns – Spencer Fano, OT, Utah

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> <p style=7. Washington Commanders – David Bailey, DE/OLB, Texas Tech

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> <p style=8. New Orleans Saints – Jeremiyah Love, RB, Notre Dame

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> <p style=9. Kansas City Chiefs – Makai Lemon, WR, USC

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> <p style=10. Cincinnati Bengals – Caleb Downs, S, Ohio State

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> <p style=11. Miami Dolphins – Jermod McCoy, CB, Tennessee

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> <p style=12. Dallas Cowboys – Mansoor Delane, CB, LSU

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> <p style=13. Los Angeles Rams (from Atlanta Falcons) – Brandon Cisse, CB, South Carolina

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> <p style=14. Baltimore Ravens – Olaivavega Ioane, G, Penn State

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> <p style=15. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Sonny Styles, LB, Ohio State

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> <p style=16. New York Jets (from Indianapolis Colts) – Jordyn Tyson, WR, Arizona State

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> <p style=17. Detroit Lions – Keldric Faulk, DE, Auburn

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> <p style=18. Minnesota Vikings – Colton Hood, CB, Tennessee

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> <p style=19. Carolina Panthers – Kadyn Proctor, OT, Alabama

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 20. Dallas Cowboys (from Green Bay Packers) – Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, S, Toledo <p style=21. Pittsburgh Steelers – KC Concepcion, WR, Texas A&M

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> <p style=22. Los Angeles Chargers – Caleb Banks, DT, Florida

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> <p style=23. Philadelphia Eagles – Monroe Freeling, OT, Georgia

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> <p style=24. Cleveland Browns (from Jacksonville Jaguars) – Denzel Boston, WR, Washington

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 25. Chicago Bears – T.J. Parker, DE, Clemson 26. Buffalo Bills – Akheem Mesidor, DE, Miami (Fla.) <p style=27. San Francisco 49ers – Kenyon Sadiq, TE, Oregon

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 28. Houston Texans – Lee Hunter, DT, Texas Tech <p style=29. Los Angeles Rams – Germie Bernard, WR, Alabama

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> <p style=30. Denver Broncos – CJ Allen, LB, Georgia

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> <p style=31. New England Patriots – Cashius Howell, OLB, Texas A&M

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> <p style=32. Seattle Seahawks – Avieon Terrell, CB, Clemson

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" />

NFL mock draft: First-round projection with order set after Super Bowl

Diego Pavia NFL combine measurements

This section will be updated.

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  • Height:

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How tall is Diego Pavia?

This section will be updated.

Diego Pavia NFL draft projection

Pavia is ranked as the ninth-best quarterback in the 2026 NFL Draft class, according to USA TODAY Sports' Ayrton Ostly.

The former Vanderbilt star will undoubtedly be a popular name throughout draft week, especially after entering the Heisman Trophy race in 2025, finishing as the runner-up. It came on the heels of a breakout season that saw him complete 70.6% of passes, totaling 29 touchdowns and only eight interceptions. He also wasn't shy on the ground, tacking on 862 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns.

Pavia earned plenty of praise for his ability to make plays off-schedule, producing highlight reel moments. However, questions remain about his size and whether he has enough athleticism to make up for it.

There is no denying his competitive spirit, moxie and what he did to help turn the Commodores into a winning program, but it remains to be seen how those skills would translate against better competition at the NFL level.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Diego Pavia height, combine measurements: How tall is Vanderbilt QB?

byCosmopolite
in
February 28, 2026

How tall is Diego Pavia? NFL combine measurements for Vanderbilt QB

Diego Paviais hoping to reach the highest level of professional football in 2026, but will his height hold him back? ...
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