Meet Ruby Barker, 'Bridgerton' star who recently slammed Netflix
Remember actor Ruby Barker who played Marina Thompson in Bridgerton? She has now slammed the show's makers Shondaland and Netflix over her mental health issues. Barker, in a recent interview, claimed she suffered "two psychotic breaks" during the show's filming, but neither Netflix nor Shondaland extended their support. Here's all you need to know about Barker and her fresh claims.
Why does this story matter?
Bridgerton is one of the most-watched series which first premiered in December 2020. Spread over two seasons, both installments of the series became a hit with the audience. Bridgerton was followed by Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story, a prequel to the series which was released in May. Per reports, Bridgerton has been revived for its third and fourth seasons, too.
Who is Ruby Barker?
The British actor is best known for essaying Thompson's role in the series. She also won the Best Actress award at the British Urban Film Festival for the movie How to Stop a Recurring Dream. Barker first started as a theater artist in 2015, following which she joined the television industry in 2017 with the Wolfblood and Doctor series.
Why did she slam Netflix?
In Oxford University's The LOAF Podcast, Barker claimed she twice had psychosis breakdowns (2019 and 2022) while filming Bridgerton, but the production didn't extend any support to her, or ask if she needed "any sort of aftercare or support." "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."
Barker claimed she was hospitalized after the first breakdown
Further in the interview, she claimed that her first breakdown in 2019 landed her in a hospital, after Season 1. She claimed her hospitalization was covered up that year. "It was really covered up and kept on the down-low because the show was going to be coming out," said the 26-year-old actor, adding that she struggled with her character's storyline.
More on Barker's struggle with mental health
Barker continued to allege the production hasn't checked up on her to date. This is not the first time that the British actor has opened up about her struggles with mental health. In 2022, soon after her second psychotic break hit her, she told her fans about her condition saying, "I was carrying the weight of the world on my back."
