Bridgerton actress says she cried after learning about s*x scene during costume fitting

Bridgerton has built a reputation for its sex scenes, with the Netflix drama rarely holding back when it comes to romance and intimacy. But the show is now facing backlash from fans after one of its stars revealed the upsetting way she discovered she’d be filming one in the upcoming season.

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The hugely popular Netflix series has become one of the platform’s biggest global hits, with its mix of scandal, gossip and very explicit romance keeping viewers hooked. But as the show heads into filming its fifth season, some people think the production team should be handling those scenes much more carefully.

The criticism comes after Ruth Gemmell, who plays Violet Bridgerton, opened up about how she found out her character would be involved in an intimate moment in the new season.

Gemmell has played the Bridgerton mother since the show first began and had previously been open about not wanting to film sex scenes. Previously, when asked if she would consider doing a sex scene, Gemmell told Variety: “I don’t want to get my ass out for anyone. And I don’t think anyone would be interested in my ass, and that’s fine.”

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However, season four sees Violet start a new romantic relationship for the first time since the death of her husband Edmund. The storyline includes a sex scene with Lord Marcus Anderson, played by Daniel Francis.

According to Gemmell, she didn’t find out about the scene through the script or a conversation with producers. Instead, she realised what was happening while she was at a costume fitting.

The actor explained to Belgian TV magazine Cine Tele Revue that she was surprised by what was happening.

“I was a little bit shocked,” she said. “I was in a costume fitting and I realised that I was being fitted for something I had no idea was going to happen.”

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She added that the experience left her upset at the time.

“I went home, and cried. Thankfully we tackled this one in a slightly different way to [her younger co-stars on the show’s sex scenes]. I was a bit shocked.”

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Although Gemmell later said she appreciated the storyline for representing intimacy later in life, many people were far less forgiving about how the situation was handled.

Some argued that actors should always be told well in advance if they are expected to film intimate scenes, especially given the emotional preparation that can be involved.

One person wrote on X: “Filming sex scenes is emotionally and mentally taxing. You can’t just hand an actor a script and say ‘drop and give me five’. There are usually processes in place so everyone feels safe.”

Another said the situation showed a lack of basic consideration for performers, adding that respecting actors should come before anything else in production.

And with Bridgerton already known for its steamy moments, people are questioning why producers didn’t handle the situation more carefully in the first place.

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Featured image credit: Netflix