Bridgerton‘s creator Shonda Rhimes was shocked by the intensity of the fan heartbreak over Regé-Jean Page‘s departure from the hit Netflix series.
The Shondaland founder told Vanity Fair that she was “really shocked” when fans and even stars like Kim Kardashian sharing their horrified responses on social media. “We didn't even kill him, he's still alive,” Rhimes joked, admitting that she usually gets that sort of reaction when she's killed off a fan-favorite.
Rhimes' production partner, Betsy Beers, said that it's “delightful” that fans are invested in Page and his character, because the 31-year-old British actor is “a terrific guy.” Rhimes added that finding performers that audiences will love and become “incredibly overly attached to,” has been their job for 20 years now, and the goal is for fans to get “enraged” when they move them around — or kill them off.