Inside Rege-Jean Page’s ‘Bridgerton’ Departure

The breakout star from Netflix’s first Shonda Rhimes drama had a one-year deal and, sources say, turned down an opportunity to return in season two.

Netflix’s Bridgerton sent shockwaves through its seemingly large fan base last week with the formal announcement that leading man Regé-Jean Page would not return for the second season of the Shondaland drama.Page originally signed on to the Regency England-set series with a one-year deal to play male lead Simon Basset, the Duke of Hastings.

The plan from the start was for each season of Shonda Rhimes-produced drama to focus on a different one of the eight Bridgerton siblings and their quest for marriage. That follows the same trajectory as author Julia Quinn’s best-selling book series on which Bridgerton is based.

While S1 focused on the story of Daphne Bridgerton (Phoebe Dynevor) and her romance with Simon (Page), showrunner Chris Van Dusen told The Hollywood Reporter ahead of Bridgerton‘s Christmas debut that he hoped both characters would be back beyond the show’s freshman season. “I would love to be able to see them again and also at the same time explore the other brothers and sisters of the family.”

Sources close to the show tell THR that Page was offered an opportunity to return as a guest star in three to five episodes of season two — at a rate of $50,000 an episode — but declined for a multitude of reasons.