Regé-Jean Page on Why He Isn’t Coming Back to 'Bridgerton'

The news is out. Regé-Jean Page will not be returning to Bridgerton for season 2. In an exclusive interview with Variety, the actor said that he was always suspecting the role would be a short-term one.

"It's a one-season arc. It's going to have a beginning, middle, end—give us a year," Page said. "[I thought] 'That's interesting,' because then it felt like a limited series. I get to come in, I get to contribute my bit and then the Bridgerton family rolls on."

He added that he appreciates that the Julia Quinn book series is an anthology that gives focus to a different sibling's love story in each book.

"One of the things that is different about this [romance] genre is that the audience knows the arc completes," he said. "They come in knowing that, so you can tie people in emotional knots because they have that reassurance that we're going to come out and we're going to have the marriage and the baby."

He told Variety that he is looking forward to watching the show continue without him. "I have nothing but excitement for Bridgerton continuing to steam train off and conquer the globe," he says. "But there is also value in completing these arcs and sticking the landing."

Page might be OK with his short time on the show, but in the past, he's spoken as if he was looking forward to continuing on with Simon.

"I'm not sure I believe in paradise," he told TV Guide last December, surrounding the release of season 1. "I know that the romance genre generally does—part of the deal is that you get a happy ending. But as far as continuing to explore characters, I think that love is an evolving thing. It's a living, breathing thing that needs tending, that needs looking after, that needs mending when it gets worn or torn. They get married very young. They still have a lot of growing to do. They have a lot to do, and I think it'll always be fun to watch them do that together."

It'll be hard for some of the show's biggest fans to watch Simon go, too. Kim Kardashian commented on the show's announcement, and seemed...pretty upset:

But we'll see him again soon.

Not to worry!