Bridgerton has touched many hearts and garnered a huge following during its two-season run. The love stories of the Bridgerton siblings, living in an alternate Regency London, have been so compelling that each couple has gotten their own fan base.
It seems that in anticipation of the new season, which will be released sometime this year, its main couple, Colin Bridgerton and Penelope Featherington, aka Polin, are getting more and more attention. Unfortunately, not all fans limit themselves to shipping fictional characters. The actors also get unwanted attention.
Fans have attacked Luke Newton and Nicola Coughlan for actions their characters did on the show, such as Colin humiliating Penelope in front of the gentlemen of the ton or Penelope ruining other people's reputations while writing Lady Whistledown's column.
At the same time, the shippers want the characters to get together so much that they start shipping the actors as well.
In the case of Newton's girlfriend, it became a real problem. The actor who plays Colin Bridgerton was dating stage actress Jade Louise Davies when Bridgerton fame hit him. Recently, Davies shared on her Instagram Stories that she's been getting a lot of abuse from some Bridgerton fans, and it was so much that she even had to quit Instagram for some time.
"Trolling is so so dangerous! Please think before you speak," Davies wrote.
All this toxicity directed at the actor and his girlfriend made some fans worry that Luke Newton might decide to leave the show after Season 3. Of course, this is a real possibility. Remember Regé-Jean Page, who played Season 1 protagonist Simon Basset? The actor left the show after one season. His decision was not driven by fan fervor, but it still set a dangerous precedent.
On the other hand, Bridgerton has been renewed for at least two more seasons, and Newton has most likely signed on for both.
Presumably, his role will be considerably reduced after Season 3, and the attention of the fans will shift to the new couple. Fans are hoping that Bridgerton is a good enough gig for the actor to stay, even though some fans are crossing the line.
Besides, there have been recent reports that Newton and Davies have broken up. So it doesn't seem like such a pressing issue anymore.