Shonda Rhimes Shocked by 'Bridgerton' Backlash to Rege-Jean Page Exit - TVLine

Shonda Rhimes is shocked that Bridgerton fans are so shocked by the news that breakout star Regé-Jean Page will not be returning for Season 2 — in part, because it’s not as if the Duke of Hastings got hit by a Seattle city bus.

Netflix (via Lady Whistledown) announced earlier this month that Page won’t appear in Season 2 as Simon Basset — a move that was widely expected considering the triply-renewed period sudser’s next chapter will take a page from Julia Quinn’s second novel and focus on Lord Anthony Bridgerton’s (Jonathan Bailey) quest for a bride.

(That said, Page’s leading lady, Phoebe Dynevor, will be back, given that “Daphne will remain a devoted wife and sister, helping her brother navigate the upcoming social season and what it has to offer.”).

Rhimes affirmed that Page had always and only been signed to a one-season deal, though he was invited to return for Season 2 cameos — reportedly at $50,000 a pop, though by some accounts he declined since his character would not be the focus.

Rhimes said that the passionate reaction to Page’s Season 2 absence demonstrates that, when all is said and done, Shondaland did its job right