Bridgerton actress accuses Netflix of not helping her “psychotic breaks” while filming

Bridgerton actress Ruby Barker claims that Netflix and Shondaland offered her “no support” when she was suffering from mental health struggles during the filming of the first season of the show.

The Bridgerton franchise has become one of the biggest hitters for Netflix. The raunchy period piece garnering millions of viewers, spin-off shows, and more content on the way.

However, actress Ruby Barker, best known for playing Marina in Bridgerton, has spoken out against the streaming platform, revealing that they did not offer her any support after she experienced “two psychotic breaks” from the show while filming. 

During an interview on Oxford University’s LOAF Podcast, via The Daily Beast, Barker alleged that she was offered no support after experiencing immense struggles during the filming of the show.

“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. Further doubling down on her claims by adding that “nobody” offered her any support.

Barker then added in the same interview that she was “deteriorating” during filming.

“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.”

She further explained, “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 that it wasn’t a problem.”

At the time of writing, neither Netflix nor Shondaland have commented on these claims made by Barker. However, we’ll be sure to keep you updated if either of them do speak out on the issue.

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