“Bridgerton” actor Ruby Barker called out Netflix and Shondaland for failing to support her during two psychotic breaks that occurred in the wake of the romance series’ blockbuster success.
Barker was a series regular during the show’s first season and returned as a guest actor for Season 2. She played Marina, a Featherington cousin whose scandalous pregnancy makes her a social pariah in Regency-era London.
Barker said her first incident occurred in 2019 after she wrapped production on “Bridgerton” Season 1. A second one occurred in 2022. The actor said she got “no support” from Netflix.
“Not a single person from Netflix, not a single person from Shondaland, since I have had two psychotic breaks from that show, have even contacted me or even emailed me to ask me if I’m okay or if I would benefit from any sort of aftercare or support,” Barker said during an interview on Oxford University’s LOAF Podcast (via The Daily Beast). “Nobody.”
Variety has reached out to Netflix and Shondaland for comment.
According to Barker, her mental health started declining during the filming of “Bridgerton.” She claimed her character’s isolated nature negatively impacted her.
“During filming, I was deteriorating,” she said. “It was a really tormenting place for me to be because my character was very alienated, very ostracized, on her own under these horrible circumstances.”
“When I went into hospital a week after shooting ‘Bridgerton’ Season 1, it was really covered up and kept on the down-low because the show was going to be coming out,” Barker continued on the podcast.
“In the run-up to the show coming out, I was just coming out from hospital, my Instagram following was going up, I had all these engagements to do… My life was changing drastically overnight and yet there was still no support and there still hasn’t been any support all that time. So I was trying really, really hard to act like it was ok and that I could work and…
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