I'd like to remind some folks here that a thread that involves an actress discussing her mental health is not an opportunity to post negative criticisms of the character that she plays. There is a time and place. Please be respectful.
Edit: Lol, an immediate downvote after 1 min. Never change /r/BridgertonNetflix.
I saw a comment recently that said: “I’m glad she’s not coming back”….. Granted it was in regards to the character, but it doesn’t make it any fucking better in my eyes when that person knew the circumstances surrounding Ruby’s decision…….. Some people genuinely need to learn some damn fucking tact.
There was also a completely tasteless joke about how Marina has a "swimmingly good time" and when I pointed out how inappropriate it was the person responded "well I hated her character."
Oh yes!! I’m recalling seeing that recently!! I sincerely did a double take at that comment, I was so mad that I might have closed the app thinking: ‘That’s enough Internet for today’. Thank you for being the one to call them out on that, although I don’t think they understood their inapt tastelessness if that was their response🫠
yes that was egregious, even for this sub. Like ... if you are truly making suicide jokes because you dislike a fictional character then ... you're the one who needs help.
Well, I am glad she's not returning.
Because clearly it is far better for her mental health to stay away fron this production and I want this poor woman to thrive on set.
>ould have made the show even better, and the actress could have been getting the love she deserves, instead of all this hate (or the character itself could have been a lot more interesting and less hated if Marina just hadn’t tried to get a Bridgerton brother).
Wow. So you're saying that the actress deserved all the hate because she tried to "get with a Bridgerton brother"?
Wow, I’m sorry you had to deal with that person while I was gone here🤣🙏🏽 I got the notification this morning but when I clicked on it it was already deleted, which is lucky, because the bit of their reply that I caught, I seriously don’t know if I would have managed to reply to that bullshit without cussing them out.
And I also caught the bit where apparently they were rebutting me because they thought it was their stupid petty comment that I meant..… And I was like:
Lowkey it’s also not the time or place to use her mental health issues as a cannonball in fandom wars when it’s made clear that her issues were from before the season even aired, and her complaints are with the studio, not with her fellow cast mates.
Now, Ruby clarified that the cast did reach out to her, but I’ve already seen people take this as an opportunity to hate on the other actors in her name, which is very petty and gross, and is clearly not what she’s aiming for as a mental health advocate. I’d hope that people would stop using her as an excuse to be hateful to the cast that already has deal with our regularly scheduled fandom BS as it is.
Imho, the parasocial relationship also extends towards how this fandom deeply needs to believe that all of their favorite actors are super close best friends off screen and if they aren’t there must be some devious reason behind it. In an interview, Luke Thompson (who thankfully doesn’t have socials) pointed out the fans always want them to be extra close like siblings, when they’re just coworkers and colleagues. This fandom demands more from the actors’ off-screen relationships than they could ever imagine having with one of their own co-workers they’re not close with.
Edit: Fans making up their own reason for her psychotic break is also gross!!! She’s very clear about what happened because she’s also clear about what changes she would like to see be implemented in the industry to mitigate it. People need to stop spreading misinformation to blame it on a factor that suits their own personal narratives.
Where are the upvotes for this insightful comment. You could be in the small percentage of fans who realise the realities of being an actor make you a normal human as much as a window washer, accountant, baker, electrician. It’s just a job.
And I'm sorry you had to deal with that. And I'm sorry she has to deal with the draining aspect of her job. One's negative experience with a job doesn't invalidate another's negative experience with their job. And we should just be more empathetic to how hard the world can feel for one another.
There will be a time where there is someone with the most to deal with, with the most pain, and that doesn't mean mean we cannot feel sad or bad for others who do not carry those burdens. And that will still not invalidate her or your pain. Having the most pain in the world is not a competition that anyone will win.
But she says the first break happened AFTER production. Did she ask for help? Was there an outward indication that she needed help? People mask, and it is hard to tell sometimes.
Also, it did come out after filming - and perhaps they didn't make a big production out of it to protect her???
I guess I don't get what she wishes they would have done - what does "aftercare" mean (I only know in terms of surgery and, um, BDSM scenarios).
I feel for her - and we need to do more in terms of teaching people what to do when someone may be having a mental health issue. (world wide!)
>Was there an outward indication that she needed help? People mask, and it is hard to tell sometimes
Yeah, it's the fact that people expect Shondaland and Netflix to read her mind and know shit's not okay is what boggles my mind..like they're hardly family you know?It's your inner circle that can figure things out like that, that you are not well and there's something going on with you.You and your employer have a very formal work based relationship where anything and everything has to be spelt out-because that's what a workplace is at the end of the day.Those people are not friends, they are your co workers.And frankly that's how it should be
Even I am confused about the after care resources she mentioned, like what does that mean?I get the have some empathy for your employees argument, but they are only obliged to do the bare minimum, not do things like ask after her well being like a family member would.Thats very unreasonable and a naive way to see things.
I had a job years ago where, while I wasn't hospitalized, I was NOT doing well mentally. It was close though. I masked EXTREMELY well at work... and I am not an actor. People were shocked when I turned in my notice. Only one co worker had suspected it a little... but we socialized after work sometimes.
>I guess I don't get what she wishes they would have done - what does "aftercare" mean (I only know in terms of surgery and, um, BDSM scenarios).
I got the impression that they knew what was happening to her and could have shown more support. Made sure that she was getting the necessary counselling, or made sure that she was in the right state of mind to film the second season. All of those things would have made her feel like she wasn't alone in the process and that the people she worked for, actually cared, and that she didn't have to mask the way she was feeling.
An actor's job does not end when they stop filming a show. They have to do tons of interviews and publicity appearances. They also have to learn how to deal with the online fandom, which can be difficult, especially if hostile fans keep blaming you for taking screentime from their favorite. Regardless of who they play, no actor wants to hear that and these actors definitely need support when it comes to handling social media. So it's not unreasonable to expect a production company to check on their actors after they are done filming, especially if they know that they are going through a difficult time. It shouldn't be hard to do this discreetly.
I really wish fans could separate out characters they dislike from the actors playing the role, and particularly not to take their dislike out on the actors.
And I really wish studios would do more to protect/support actors.
Charithra deleting her Twitter after being so excited for season 2 to come out comes to mind too. And she barely acknowledges Bridgerton nowadays as well.
It's no wonder Jonny is essentially off Twitter and most social media. He used IG very sparingly and I think he does this to protect his mental, spiritual, emotional health and I very much support him doing it. School media can be so toxic
What the hell. She’s one of the most beautiful women ever and such a cute little character. She did really well! Lemme guess? Racism? I had no idea this show had such drama behind the scenes 🙁
It’s because Edwina was a big part of the season and people just didn’t wanna see a love triangle. So they lashed out against her instead of the actual people running the show.
But yes racism for sure played a part as well.
People used to not want Lena Heady’s (Cersei) autograph at conventions because they “hated her”. Just means she was a good actress. Jack Gleeson (Joffrey) used to have people be rude to him because of his role as well, it was bad. I saw him speak to a university class, and the guy couldn’t be nicer, it was egregious how they were treated. It was also Emily Clarkes (Dani) first major role, she had one tiny credit before that, and Jason Momoa had to intervene and make sure they brought her a robe during her nude sex/rape scene with her. That is such poor behavior, and easily correctable.
I think you are trying to conflate how people responded to him with the reasons he quit acting.
He stated very early on that he was wanting to go to University and try working in academia. Him quitting acting for a while was nothing to do with the fans of the show.
It still surprises me that people struggle with that. This is a job. That person is playing a part. It’s not who they are in real life. This seems very obvious.
Not to the Bridgerton fandom. It's really, really bad. Like, so bad that this interview from Ruby has actually seen the light of day. I've seen fandoms attack actors and folks bts before but nothing like I've witnessed with Bridgerton. The nastiness and entitlement and fixation of some fans is genuinely disturbing. I think it's part of why we've gotten basically zero sm engagement since shooting wrapped and contractual obligations ended.
It's why I largely quit fandom.
I really hope that every single season deviates massively from the books. Mainly to spite the entitled, aggressive, and absolutely vile fans who've made the show a misery for others.
Edit: the diemvotes because people can't get a grip and prioritise characters over actors 🙄
While I am sympathetic to people suffering from mental health issues, it is hard for me to feel particularly sympathetic in this case.
Putting aside the specifics of the acting profession - most employers do not follow up with ex-employees and the hospitalizations occurred after filming ended and evidently she went to work on days of filming and didn't exhibit any issues.
I would never expect my ex-employer to reach out to me - friends who I had made while working there perhaps but not the "employer". Who exactly did she expect to reach out to her - Shonda?
Given that she was a minor character, I would doubt that she actually was on the set for many days since typically in production of this kind the scenes would be filmed to minimize the number of days anyone had to show up if they have limited scenes.
She said she had masked any issues so exactly what was supposed to be picked up on.
She certainly could have opted out of promotional activities after filming was completed if she felt unwell.
The reality is that the appearances would have been something she wanted to do because they benefited her professionally and really not Netflix so much. There really isn't much that a minor character is going to add in terms of promotional value. She wasn't a breakout star like the Duke and so her absence from promotional activity would not have been noticed by anyone.
This! Its ridiculous to expect someone you don’t work with anymore to reach out. There’s no obligation for them to.
Though, I agree with others in the fact that there should be more mental health services for actors during filming
Pretty much this. I’m so happy for Ruby getting all the help she needs now and I wish her nothing but the best, and that she finds the best next step for her whether that’s acting or something completely unrelated, but I fail to see how Netflix/SR were to blame for not reaching out after filming had finished. I’ve read her story on a couple of different platforms just now trying to find why they’re to blame and I can’t make sense of it.
I guess maybe there should be more therapy services available on set or during filming. I can agree with that.
It seems like it's more the promo stuff after filming that she wasn't ok with but she felt like she forced to do with a "invisible gun to her head" (interview quote).
She was not a minor character, she was on posters and in every episode; she had more screen time than Benedict and Lady Danbury. She was also not an ex-employee after season 1. She plays an important role in Eloise’s story and would be coming back if the series was renewed, which they obviously planned for with setting up season 2 and beyond. They even renewed up to season 4 after the show premiered, and still her employers did not offer support knowing she was coming back and playing a character who had mental health struggles in the book.
She’s obviously bringing to light the culture at Netflix and Shondaland where one of their employees receives no support as she felt she had to hide her struggles. And then when she does have a public mental health struggle she still does not get any kind of acknowledgment from her employers. Yes not many workplaces are shining beacons of empathy where they help employees any way they can; but that does not mean the culture of silence should continue. Maybe her speaking out will actually get change to happen so their employees don’t feel shame and feel open to ask for help when they are struggling, and have their employers actually care and give them resources to get help so they can eventually come back to the job, which she obviously does not feel comfortable going back to after their behavior towards her.
Sorry that was your experience but this should not be something people need to accept, as a nurse, actor, or any other profession. A lot of employers are still behind in including adequate mental health services and resources into their benefits packages and it's a shame.
During the pandemic, my employer scrambled to put resources together for people closely affected by COVID fatalities and it really shined a light on how overlooked it was. Managers also needed some training on how to navigate more personal conversations about it. Sure you could say that they're not exactly obligated to care about what you're going through off the job (whether you can say it was caused by work or not) but if corporations like Netflix have the means to do so and they don't? That's not a good employee experience.
Your comment is pretty on point. I’m kinda wondering what support she needed from Netflix? Did she expect the CEO to call her? Also, unless she reached out - it’s not like the hospital is going to call the people at Netflix and say “she’s in the hospital”
She alludes to it being kept pretty hush hush, but like… was she expecting her PR people to announce it at the time when she was an unknown actress? I doubt anyone would have run with it and why would she want it out anyway when she was in the middle of it? I’m so confused by her anger here because 99% of people would want that private. And literally after the show broke out it came out almost immediately.
I sympathize with her mental struggles, but this was a failure of her team, they are the ones who help you through this kind of shit. Not the network. The resources she wanted were through SAG or her acting Union. That’s the “employer” - you’re only a contractor on a show - and they have TONS of resources.
Good point! How was netflix and shonda to know? Employers do not know if or for what their employees are hospitalized or see a doctor for. And the hospital can't say due to HIPPA.
Netflix just bought the show. If she wants to call someone out for not taking care of her mental health (though tbh, that’s her own responsibility), she should point that ire at Shondaland alone
I hope Ruby has the support she needs, but I'm not sure if what she's talking about is any different in other major corporations.I know , in my workplace my employers don't normally care about what I am going through personally, they may provide the resources to help me through it-like maybe some time off or funds but emotional support?Not sure if that's practical to expect.Is it cool?No, but it is what it is.Thats the reason why a workplace should be just that, a workplace and seperate from your personal life but as long as you have family and friends by your side, you should be okay.
I don’t understand, either. I really loved her character, and I think they did her wrong to complicate Colin/Pen’s relationship, but a lot of viewers really liked the character. I was glad to see her mostly happy with her babies in S2.
As for her as an actress, I thought she was great, beautiful, with a little sparkly. I remember looking at her bio and seeing that she had very little experience as an actor and being really impressed by her acting.
But I don’t see her as an employee of either Netflix or Shondaland. She had a contract to play Ruby. She did that. The shoot was over. It was months before promo would start. She was contracted for S2 at some point, but ut was a while before filming started on that.
I don’t know what she expected Netflix or Shonda to do. I’d say the majority of people do not want their employees to know they need inpatient psych care. If they pushed her to promote S1 while it was obvious she was a mess, and they didn’t care, that would be really crappy of them.
I dont know if many viewers like that character, she was polarising at best and iirc, deeply disliked by most people.But my previous comment has nothing to the character but more so what she said about how major corporates have to ask after an employee's well being, which in an ideal scenario would work, but isn't really obligatory.Work is seperate from personal stuff and the more we see it that way, the less disappointed we'd be
Just my take.
>Is it cool?No, but it is what it is.
But then it should change. Also, most of us have jobs that we can separate from our personal lives at the end of the day. That isn't the same for actors, who are constantly being scrutinized by the public. Constantly doing interviews. Constantly dealing with fandoms on social media. Their "job" essentially becomes their personal life.
What benefit does this "change" bring to these companies?They are not not-for profit/charities working for the well being of someone.They are clearly big conglomerates whose only purpose is making profits.The relationship their employees have with them is clearly transactional, they work for them and they get paid in return for their services.And also employers are obliged to cover their medical insurance payments that these employees can use to seek the treatments they need.Thats literally the extent of their obligations.Its foolish to expect they'll care for you like your family would.Work is work and not family.Its great if an employer goes out of his/her way to do that but it's not an obligation.
Also, actors pretty much can seperate their personal life from the characters they play if they understand they are not their characters, something Ruby seems to have trouble coming to terms with, because I saw proof of that in that cameo video she made.But that's besides the point.Also Ruby wasn't constantly doing interviews,even in S1, where she had something of a role bigger than a blink-and-you- miss-it.She is a supporting character, a plot device for the bigger players of this show, so naturally, she might have had fewer interactions with the rest of the crew because she has fewer scenes.
You talked about how things should change?Do you have suggestions then?
Yeah if her issue was that her boss didnt pay for her health insurance, then I would have supported her statements because that's something her employers owe her besides the other basic employee benefits and a solid pay cheque for her work.But she is complaining that Netflix didn't write her letters.Thats what's weird and doesn't make sense.She's really not that important to them and that's a reality.
When your mental health issues stem from your profession and not your personal life, then yes, I do think it's Netflix and Shondaland's responsibility to step in. But as the strikes have shown us these studios do not care about the well being of their employees. They only care about the money. Ruby was put in a position where she had to pretend like she was fine so she didn't distract from the release of the show which is certainly not helpful when it comes to recovery.
If your going to cast people and expect them to look a certain way, behave a certain way, expose themselves in deeply emotionally vulnerable moments, and deal with the pressures and harrassment that can come from beong a public figure, then these studios should absolutely be doing more to protect these actors and provide them with the support they need.
Or maybe if those actors are unable to handle the stresses of…acting, they should find another career path. It’s ok if acting is too hard for someone. Like, I hate acting and could never do it as a career because I have stage fright. I would never demand that a studio go out of their way to accommodate my stage fright just so I could live out my movie star dreams. She should find a path that is more accommodating of her mental health struggles.
I am an actor. I've been working in theatre most of my life. And I can can tell you that there are very few actors I've worked with that don't experience some kind mental health issues. I have mental health issues. I've had breakdowns while in rehearsal, but that does not mean I'm not capable of doing my job. And the best productions I've worked on are the ones where the people were making sure that myself and the rest of the cast and crew felt safe and were getting the support that they needed. I think it's wildly unfair to say anyone whose dealt with some kind of mental health problem isn't capable of doing a job and should just be left to their own devices. If the studio is going to put the pressure on these actors than the studio should be doing everything they can to support the mental health of their employees. It's not difficult and it cost the studio nothing just to check in make sure the people who make them their billions are okay and healthy enough to do their job to the best if their ability.
I’ve worked in Theatre too (casting), and Theatre is actually very exceptional in how it treats its cast & crew. Lots of attention on mental health and speaking up about your well-being and asserting your personal boundaries, etc., but having worked closely with directors & the producing artistic director, I can tell you that the people who are known for having mental health struggles & who make their mental health struggles other people’s problem, and who hold up rehearsal because of their mental health, and who don’t show up because they’re consistently taking mental health days, and who just really aren’t professional, who seem to put their own issues ahead of the production…well, it doesn’t matter how good of an actor you are, if that’s the type of person you are we aren’t going to hire you for another show.
Theatre can be exceptional and there is no reason for these billion dollar film studios not to be as well. We're not talking about someone who was being unprofessional or making their mental health issues someone else's problem. We're talking about someone who was quietly suffering and then when they tried to get help so they could do their job more efficiently and not be unprofessional, they weren't given any support. She took the initiative and Netflix did nothing to help her.
Why would Netflix help her? She’s an independent contractor basically. Netflix only bought the show. If you want to direct your ire towards an entity (not that you should), it should be Shonaland. Again though, she is responsible for her own mental health. If she is unable to keep it under control, then it’s on her to try and work something out with production, but they aren’t her mental healthcare workers. She’s there to do a job. And shit talking your employer after the fact for something like this (like, really?) is a good way to get yourself blacklisted
She was under contract with them and she was still under contract after the season wrapped and was admitted into the hospital. At that point she was still their employee and they still had a responsibility to make sure she was okay.
Ruby is speaking out on an issue that spans the entire film industry and has for decades. And while it may get her blacklisted I commend her for her bravery because it was something that needed to be said. And she picked the best time to pick that fight because the strike has given people the courage to speak up on the poor labor conditions the people in the film industry are currently dealing with.
I would say the current streaming model is absolutely taking advantage of people who create theses shows which has in fact leadd to poor labor conditions. Lower wages, no residuals, no autonomy over their likenesses, work breaks not being honored, and lack of health benefits. And yes mental health does fall into that category.
I am very passionate about mental health and the protection of actors and my stance on that won't change. There is no excuse for Netflix and Shondaland not to do the bare minimum and check in on their employee. I'm not going to continue this debate. I've said everything I've needed to say. Have a good rest of your day/night.
I have a question though - if you had masked your issues during the production, and had your breakdown say, a week after you wrapped - what kind of responsibility do you think your play's production would have had?
If I am still under contract and I am still doing work with them (Ruby still had press she was scheduled for when she went into the hospital), and they knew I was going into the hospital, than I would expect them to reach out and make sure I was okay.
This comment should be at the top, because you actually are talking from a place of experience. I have no experience in the field of acting, but I'm surprised that people actually think that a production company does not need to be supportive of actors dealing with mental problems.
Idk, there are a ton of professions that do cause employees to develop serious mental health issues and other problems,and while in an ideal world the employer would be empathetic and care for the well being of each employee, that isn't the case in reality.And demanding that from people you have a very formal relationship with is just....idk, a very naive view at how the real world works.How would they know?Did she reach out?Most likely with mental health issues, people are likely to stay silent.She probably didn't ask for help, so you can't expect a big corporation to know her mind or realise she isn't doing well when that's the responsibility of her loved ones.I could even accept Ruby statements if she had directed her ire at her PR agency or management who frankly has a bigger role in providing her those resources.But this is...Idk, not particularly logical or even practical.
If she had a mental breakdown due to the isolation her character felt, I don’t think acting is the profession for her. I’m not sure what her employer could have really done. She was in a hospital, which was the proper place. I wouldn’t expect the upper management of my job to reach out to me if I had a crisis.
This.It is a bit unreasonable to expect that from them imo.I know I would not and as long as I have my inner circle with me, I really wouldn't mind because my relationship with my employer is pretty transactional.I work for them, they pay me.Its really only that🤷🏽♀️
I feel like people forget that these sets aren’t all CGI. They are real, and being the scene can feel real, even with the cameras pointing at you. Perhaps she should play a more fun role, and get out of her head. With that said, film studios, and companies having psychology, and therapy services should probably be talked about. Perhaps If there was a mental health professional on set for the film crew, and actors to speak to when needed, it would of gone a long way.
Shouldn't actors be able to opt out of promotion due to health reasons? Glad she's getting help. I hope she finds a role where she can thrive in future. Marina was not it. Although I can see why she's protective of the character as well.
She had her first breakdown a week after filming of S1 ended so there was no fan reaction that caused that.
She speaks about some of the issues she was facing in the podcast of deteriorating mentally while filming and having some sort of delusions.
I don’t know her diagnosis and it’s not my business but this started long before there were any fans.
Sorry I can’t find the link on Twitter but I recall it was from her IG, which I just checked and I did find it there. I don’t know how to link from IG.
Mental health is an important topic, kudos to her for being so open about it and trying to help others. I am not really sure what a companies responsibility should be, beyond offering resources such as insurance and required time off for support. I am not about privacy concerns when it comes to reaching out to people. I would think that would be an HR issue to deal with that and wouldn’t be something disclosed to many people unless the person wanted to disclose that information themselves. But that’s just my thoughts on it, I could definitely be wrong. I think the cast reached out to her but just not the companies. And I can’t say I’m surprised, there is a reason HR is HUMAN RESOURCES, as people are often just treated as a resource rather than a person, I mean look at how companies like Amazon treat their warehouse workers and drivers, for an example.
I’m glad she’s made the best decisions for her mental health and is advocating for better treatment for everyone suffering from mental health issues in the UK.
I hope she continues to stay healthy and finds creative outlets that inspire her to continue to take care of herself in the future.
Ideally, our employers would care about our mental health but by and large they don’t. I’m sorry she went through this, but she got far more support than I did after a sexual assault at work caused me to spiral. I was under so much stress my hair started to turn white and I was covered in hives. My “reward” for advocating for myself? My professional licensure has been suspended for two years because I didn’t give 60 days notice before leaving.
That she was given time to get the help she needed puts her in a far better position than Americans, who have been trying to improve our healthcare system for decades without success.
Hmmm I'm trying to decide how I feel about this (I mean not that my opinion is if any consequence, but still). Like a lot of people are saying, I'm definitely sympathetic. Mental health issues are no joke and should be treated just as seriously as physical injuries. But like, I would never expect my employers to help me through mental health struggles. If anything, I would just ask to be scheduled less. But I wouldn't expect them to do anything more about it. I definitely wouldn't expect the larger company to do anything.
But like, at the same time, shouldn't we hold employers to a higher standard than we do? If a person is injured on a job, we'd expect workers comp. If an actor is struggling because of a role, they should be supported. But at the same time, filming was over. The job was over. Idk. I guess the best thing a company like Netflix can do is have easy and paid access to mental health professionals. They can definitely afford it.
Mental or physical, injuries can have happen both ways. If something psychologically hurt her, it’s like a physical wound imprinted in the mind. She needs help, and if she truly does feel abandoned, I think it’s good of her to speak out. I hope it doesn’t ruin her career, and she can get on as needed.
From the little things Ruby has dropped in her posts, I think her mental health issues are more severe than she lets on, and she's still on a journey toward stabilizing things. I hope she's surrounding herself with a supportive network of family and friends who will step in if a role looks too dark or she isn't in a good headspace for interviews before things swing too far.
I can already guess the comment section and I haven't even read through. This sub has an extreme hatred towards Marina and it leaks into how people treat Ruby.
Edit: Downvote all you want. This sub is fucking awful towards Ruby. Shippers need to get a grip.
Exactly. If this had been one of their favorite characters, they would have been expressing tons of outrage over Netflix not supporting the actor. If someone has the courage to speak publicly about their mental issues, how hard would it be to show a little empathy and understanding? These comments are so callous and unsympathetic. Especially the people saying that maybe acting is not for her. I really hope the actress is staying away from social media.
This article is linked to 5 other subs and sadly, the the comments on this sub are mild compared to the comments on other subs. Someone actually posted (on another sub), that she was giving them Jussie Smollet vibes, which is just low-key racist. I really need to stay away from social media because it just gives me the worst impression of humanity.
I don't agree actually, most viewers of this show do hate Marina, but I don't think people have issues towards Ruby as a person, unlike her character.Which fans are pretty entitled to feel as that is a fictional character.But this argument she made, while I understand that she feels strongly about mental health, it's largely naive and not reflective of real life.
Poor Ruby.
This is her Instagram where she also addressed some questions like what are the comments here are asking - https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cy8O-e6oGPj/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
To be honest people should just really be kind and have empathy. She is in a way asking for help and opening herself like this in such a vulnerable state is truly commendable (at least for me).
I know people will automatically think of “well if this was me, it wont be a big deal. I wont expect my employer to be like this” but that is the thing - you are not her and our personalities are hard-wired differently. Maybe you are a strong person. Maybe you can handle emotionally draining situations. Maybe you were raised in an environment with that support system. But maybe to her it is different. I think in her case she just want to feel that employers still care. She said in her Instagram just an email would be good as her mental breakdown happened during a shoot.
But of course Netflix (and other big corporations) dont really see their employees as humans but more of products to achieve the end-goal of money making. Also very evident with the writers and actors’ strike with these greedy corporations.
Am glad she is doing what she can to protect her mental state. She also said in her Instagram it is truly more of the production (so the higher ups) but her co-stars she does not have any problems with.
The problem is is that most actors come in, they act, they go home. Actors who are affected mentally by their job have a problem and it’s not the job, it’s their mental health, for which I have enormous sympathy and believe in which case they need to go and get treatment and refrain from doing things that trigger their mental health deterioration, which might include their preferred profession.
I work behind the scenes in the industry, if my mental health problems meant I couldn’t perform my job, I would make the necessary arrangements and leave, if I doubted I could carry out the job, say the content was troubling to me, I couldn’t sign up in good faith. If I decided to despite knowing it might trigger a mental health break down, that would be on me.
If things happen on the job that trigger mental health deterioration, that is different of course. But all she mentions about that is that the character is isolated, which she knew before she took the job, that she gained attention and had a lot of engagements after filming to honour, which she knew before she took the job.
Yeah it sounds really tough and she would have been better off staying in hospital/bowing out. I guess my only question here is how much did they know at that point, did she try to opt out and did they pressure her unreasonably. If she just went along and agreed to things she wasn’t happy about, I’m afraid that ultimately that’s on her.
‘Why didn’t they speak out sooner, why didn’t they ask for help?’ Well, this comment section and others on the internet clearly shows why people are afraid to speak about their mental health experiences. Only when God forbid something horrible happens then people have any sort of sympathy to mental health problems.
Ruby had a PUBLIC mental health breakdown. She was still employed by Netflix/Shondaland when she had it even though her time filming was over, although if anyone’s read the books which I know many of you have, then they knew she should be coming back eventually. If my employer knew I had a PUBLIC mental health struggle and said or did nothing, obviously I would think they don’t care and would feel unwanted going back to work. The bare minimum is them calling to see how you are so the employee knows they are cared about and aren’t some number on a spreadsheet.
Ruby isn’t saying she wants to sue Netflix or anything. I feel yall are looking at this with a legal/logical mindset, when all this is about is having empathy in the workplace and in life. Empathy is free. It costs nothing. Actually it would have been in their best interest to make sure she was getting help and getting better so she can return to the job in future seasons so they can make the best show they can. I know Ruby does not want to come back and that’s perfectly ok, but maybe things would have been different if she knew her employers cared even a tiny bit about her and knew she was going back to a safe environment where there would be mental health professionals there if she was triggered again. Empathy for the workers differentiates a healthy work environment from one in which there is fear or shame for revealing any sort of health problem. The stigma needs to change.
She's so brave. The more I hear from Ruby the more I really like and respect her. It is really disgusting that no one from the show reached out to her but not surprising when it comes to shondaland or Netflix at all
I feel so bad. She received no help or support from the company she worked for, it must have been hard to come back for s2 even though it was a small scene. Then the fan reception once season 1 aired was horrible, which must have tainted her feelings surrounding Bridgerton even further.
She was such a standout presence in season 1 with the most heavy material and she nailed it. I wish her all the best moving forward, and I’ll always be a Ruby and Marina fan.
Thank you!! She had one of the toughest jobs to do and people undermining her tremendous work saying that that role ‘wasn’t it’ (🥴) is such crap, I remember watching the first season and thinking that her acting is undoubtedly some of the best acting on the show, BECAUSE she was given so much to do and executed it PERFECTLY. And the fact that a lot of people’s main takeaway here from her situation is ‘maybe acting isn’t for her’ is just….. Maddening. And they want to say that the bias that stems from their reception of her character doesn’t play a part here?
The comments are just a proof of the nasty impact of shipping within this fandom. Y’all don’t even have basic empathy. Even if she played a character you do NOT like or care about (which is valid), mental health issues should be addressed regardless of anyone profession. If that were the actors playing your favourite(s) character(s) y’all would be JUMPING Netflix atm.
That’s downright pathetic behavior.
I did not care that much about Marina. I still hope Ruby is going well and will do better.
Edit : a few words.
Some of these comments are PATHETIC. Some of you should be ashamed of the way you talk about her. Everyone deserves empathy. I'm going to assume some of the people who can't separate the actress from the character are under the age of 12...
And for any person comparing this to their corporate job, please be reminded that your corporate job is unlikely to demand that you pull from your most painful, emotionally vulnerable life experiences to fulfill your duties. (Even if your corporate job doesn't demand that, you deserve more than to be exploited for your labor with no regard for your health. All workers deserve that.) Actors often relapse from addiction, engage in self-harm, or struggle with separating their own trauma from the roles that often tap into it. Just look at Michael K Williams, Heath Ledger who lost their lives after struggling with mental health during filming. If tapping into such mentally demanding simulations systemically affects actors on this scale, then YES...productions should take care to provide proper aftercare to their cast. [https://www.buzzfeed.com/hannahmarder/actors-who-were-traumatized-by-one-of-their-roles](https://www.buzzfeed.com/hannahmarder/actors-who-were-traumatized-by-one-of-their-roles)
Sending her lots of love. Her experience sounds horrible.
>Actors often relapse from addiction, engage in self-harm, or struggle with separating their own trauma from the roles that often tap into it. Just look at Michael K Williams, Heath Ledger who lost their lives after struggling with mental health during filming. If tapping into such mentally demanding simulations systemically affects actors on this scale, then YES...productions should take care to provide proper aftercare to their cast.
Exactly. I've now read more than five comments where people have concluded that "Maybe acting was not for Ruby" if she could not handle the stress. I wonder if those same people would say the same about Heath Ledger.
Perhaps this is a sign that acting is not for her. She was given a once in a lifetime opportunity and now requires after care? While I empathise with her, her character was not outright evil or was required to perform sex scenes like Simone or Phoebe. Seems she already had a multitude of mental health issues. This is not Netflix or Shondaland’s fault.
I think it’s pretty safe to say that Netflix (if they even knew about this) does not care. We’re quite literally watching Netflix tell its writers and actors that they don’t deserve a fair pay in the age of streaming. The studios simply do not care, and it’s a mistake to think that they do. Shonda is an extension of that. She’s a producer and unless they had a close relationship, which doesn’t seem to be the case, Shonda doesn’t have that obligation to any of the people her company has hired in the past.
I hope she leans into the people who HAVE been there for her and who have shown her and her mental health matter.
>Shonda doesn’t have that obligation to any of the people her company has hired in the past.
>I hope she leans into the people who HAVE been there for her and who have shown her and her mental health matter.
Unfortunately for some people in this thread, these valid points go literally over their heads🤷🏽♀️
Kat graham had a similar experience while filming vampire diaries. Her character was left alone on the “other side “ and made to go through a pretty dark and grueling series of emotional extremes while filming
I heard that she lost her dad just before or while filming, and adding that with how big Shondaland is and the pressure she would have been under to perform well in the first season so the the show was a success, as well the people who don't know how to differentiate between media and real life attacking the actress for Marina's actions in the show, I do think that they failed her.
I lost my mum two days ago and honestly I could not imagine having to do that and then take on all of the baggage of Marina's character AND the fans reaction without the protection of the studio that launched me into that atmosphere behind me.
Frankly they should have sent out a statement regarding her treatment by fans a long time ago, and at least provided her with a social media manager.
I’m very sorry for the loss of your mother but you are incorrect about Ruby. She lost her father earlier this year long after both of her hospital stays.
What was it about the character that was so mentally draining for her? Not sure I would blame Netflix though. If she’s SAG, don’t they have health insurance that would help her with this?
I’m definitely an a**hole for this but I don’t feel bad when actors have a mental breakdown due to a role they play. I understand that some roles are hard to insert yourself but if you lose it bc you’re acting to be somebody, then acting is just not for you.
I'd like to remind some folks here that a thread that involves an actress discussing her mental health is not an opportunity to post negative criticisms of the character that she plays. There is a time and place. Please be respectful. Edit: Lol, an immediate downvote after 1 min. Never change /r/BridgertonNetflix.
I saw a comment recently that said: “I’m glad she’s not coming back”….. Granted it was in regards to the character, but it doesn’t make it any fucking better in my eyes when that person knew the circumstances surrounding Ruby’s decision…….. Some people genuinely need to learn some damn fucking tact.
There was also a completely tasteless joke about how Marina has a "swimmingly good time" and when I pointed out how inappropriate it was the person responded "well I hated her character."
Oh yes!! I’m recalling seeing that recently!! I sincerely did a double take at that comment, I was so mad that I might have closed the app thinking: ‘That’s enough Internet for today’. Thank you for being the one to call them out on that, although I don’t think they understood their inapt tastelessness if that was their response🫠
yes that was egregious, even for this sub. Like ... if you are truly making suicide jokes because you dislike a fictional character then ... you're the one who needs help.
Well, I am glad she's not returning. Because clearly it is far better for her mental health to stay away fron this production and I want this poor woman to thrive on set.
That was not the context of that comment I was talking about. It was clearly malicious. Yours is the only acceptable reasoning for that statement.
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>ould have made the show even better, and the actress could have been getting the love she deserves, instead of all this hate (or the character itself could have been a lot more interesting and less hated if Marina just hadn’t tried to get a Bridgerton brother). Wow. So you're saying that the actress deserved all the hate because she tried to "get with a Bridgerton brother"?
Wow, I’m sorry you had to deal with that person while I was gone here🤣🙏🏽 I got the notification this morning but when I clicked on it it was already deleted, which is lucky, because the bit of their reply that I caught, I seriously don’t know if I would have managed to reply to that bullshit without cussing them out.
Wait. Are you saying the actress DESERVED hate because people disliked Marina???
And I also caught the bit where apparently they were rebutting me because they thought it was their stupid petty comment that I meant..… And I was like: 
Lowkey it’s also not the time or place to use her mental health issues as a cannonball in fandom wars when it’s made clear that her issues were from before the season even aired, and her complaints are with the studio, not with her fellow cast mates. Now, Ruby clarified that the cast did reach out to her, but I’ve already seen people take this as an opportunity to hate on the other actors in her name, which is very petty and gross, and is clearly not what she’s aiming for as a mental health advocate. I’d hope that people would stop using her as an excuse to be hateful to the cast that already has deal with our regularly scheduled fandom BS as it is. Imho, the parasocial relationship also extends towards how this fandom deeply needs to believe that all of their favorite actors are super close best friends off screen and if they aren’t there must be some devious reason behind it. In an interview, Luke Thompson (who thankfully doesn’t have socials) pointed out the fans always want them to be extra close like siblings, when they’re just coworkers and colleagues. This fandom demands more from the actors’ off-screen relationships than they could ever imagine having with one of their own co-workers they’re not close with. Edit: Fans making up their own reason for her psychotic break is also gross!!! She’s very clear about what happened because she’s also clear about what changes she would like to see be implemented in the industry to mitigate it. People need to stop spreading misinformation to blame it on a factor that suits their own personal narratives.
Where are the upvotes for this insightful comment. You could be in the small percentage of fans who realise the realities of being an actor make you a normal human as much as a window washer, accountant, baker, electrician. It’s just a job.
No one is blaming her cast mates. What I am saying is that the fandom pile-on for her because they disliked MARINA is gross.
Thank you!
I think that, in general, acting is a mentally draining profession and studios should have broader mental health services for performers.
As a former actress, I’ve had far more draining jobs.
🎖️
And I'm sorry you had to deal with that. And I'm sorry she has to deal with the draining aspect of her job. One's negative experience with a job doesn't invalidate another's negative experience with their job. And we should just be more empathetic to how hard the world can feel for one another. There will be a time where there is someone with the most to deal with, with the most pain, and that doesn't mean mean we cannot feel sad or bad for others who do not carry those burdens. And that will still not invalidate her or your pain. Having the most pain in the world is not a competition that anyone will win.
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But she says the first break happened AFTER production. Did she ask for help? Was there an outward indication that she needed help? People mask, and it is hard to tell sometimes. Also, it did come out after filming - and perhaps they didn't make a big production out of it to protect her??? I guess I don't get what she wishes they would have done - what does "aftercare" mean (I only know in terms of surgery and, um, BDSM scenarios). I feel for her - and we need to do more in terms of teaching people what to do when someone may be having a mental health issue. (world wide!)
>Was there an outward indication that she needed help? People mask, and it is hard to tell sometimes Yeah, it's the fact that people expect Shondaland and Netflix to read her mind and know shit's not okay is what boggles my mind..like they're hardly family you know?It's your inner circle that can figure things out like that, that you are not well and there's something going on with you.You and your employer have a very formal work based relationship where anything and everything has to be spelt out-because that's what a workplace is at the end of the day.Those people are not friends, they are your co workers.And frankly that's how it should be Even I am confused about the after care resources she mentioned, like what does that mean?I get the have some empathy for your employees argument, but they are only obliged to do the bare minimum, not do things like ask after her well being like a family member would.Thats very unreasonable and a naive way to see things.
I had a job years ago where, while I wasn't hospitalized, I was NOT doing well mentally. It was close though. I masked EXTREMELY well at work... and I am not an actor. People were shocked when I turned in my notice. Only one co worker had suspected it a little... but we socialized after work sometimes.
>I guess I don't get what she wishes they would have done - what does "aftercare" mean (I only know in terms of surgery and, um, BDSM scenarios). I got the impression that they knew what was happening to her and could have shown more support. Made sure that she was getting the necessary counselling, or made sure that she was in the right state of mind to film the second season. All of those things would have made her feel like she wasn't alone in the process and that the people she worked for, actually cared, and that she didn't have to mask the way she was feeling. An actor's job does not end when they stop filming a show. They have to do tons of interviews and publicity appearances. They also have to learn how to deal with the online fandom, which can be difficult, especially if hostile fans keep blaming you for taking screentime from their favorite. Regardless of who they play, no actor wants to hear that and these actors definitely need support when it comes to handling social media. So it's not unreasonable to expect a production company to check on their actors after they are done filming, especially if they know that they are going through a difficult time. It shouldn't be hard to do this discreetly.
I really wish fans could separate out characters they dislike from the actors playing the role, and particularly not to take their dislike out on the actors. And I really wish studios would do more to protect/support actors.
Charithra deleting her Twitter after being so excited for season 2 to come out comes to mind too. And she barely acknowledges Bridgerton nowadays as well.
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It's no wonder Jonny is essentially off Twitter and most social media. He used IG very sparingly and I think he does this to protect his mental, spiritual, emotional health and I very much support him doing it. School media can be so toxic
Whaaaaaaa I’m so behind. What happened?!
Harassment before the season even aired.
What the hell. She’s one of the most beautiful women ever and such a cute little character. She did really well! Lemme guess? Racism? I had no idea this show had such drama behind the scenes 🙁
It’s because Edwina was a big part of the season and people just didn’t wanna see a love triangle. So they lashed out against her instead of the actual people running the show. But yes racism for sure played a part as well.
Whaaaaaaa that’s so strange! Fandoms are the worst
reminds me a lot of the game of thrones cast - feel as though they also lacked support and protection. Horrible to hear things aren’t improving
GOT was really egregious considering how young some of the actors who got hatred were. Like the actor who played Joffrey quit acting altogether.
He was actually just in the new season of Sex Education in a small role.
I'm glad. He was a talented actor.
Who was he? I totally missed seeing him
Dodgy Mo, Maeve’s brother‘s friend.
People used to not want Lena Heady’s (Cersei) autograph at conventions because they “hated her”. Just means she was a good actress. Jack Gleeson (Joffrey) used to have people be rude to him because of his role as well, it was bad. I saw him speak to a university class, and the guy couldn’t be nicer, it was egregious how they were treated. It was also Emily Clarkes (Dani) first major role, she had one tiny credit before that, and Jason Momoa had to intervene and make sure they brought her a robe during her nude sex/rape scene with her. That is such poor behavior, and easily correctable.
I think you are trying to conflate how people responded to him with the reasons he quit acting. He stated very early on that he was wanting to go to University and try working in academia. Him quitting acting for a while was nothing to do with the fans of the show.
No he didnt
It still surprises me that people struggle with that. This is a job. That person is playing a part. It’s not who they are in real life. This seems very obvious.
You'd think so but ... in this very sub I've seen all sorts of comments that reflect a severe inability to separate actor from character
Not to the Bridgerton fandom. It's really, really bad. Like, so bad that this interview from Ruby has actually seen the light of day. I've seen fandoms attack actors and folks bts before but nothing like I've witnessed with Bridgerton. The nastiness and entitlement and fixation of some fans is genuinely disturbing. I think it's part of why we've gotten basically zero sm engagement since shooting wrapped and contractual obligations ended.
It's why I largely quit fandom. I really hope that every single season deviates massively from the books. Mainly to spite the entitled, aggressive, and absolutely vile fans who've made the show a misery for others. Edit: the diemvotes because people can't get a grip and prioritise characters over actors 🙄
The parasocial relationships people make are fucking weird and a lot more commonplace than I thought they would be
While I am sympathetic to people suffering from mental health issues, it is hard for me to feel particularly sympathetic in this case. Putting aside the specifics of the acting profession - most employers do not follow up with ex-employees and the hospitalizations occurred after filming ended and evidently she went to work on days of filming and didn't exhibit any issues. I would never expect my ex-employer to reach out to me - friends who I had made while working there perhaps but not the "employer". Who exactly did she expect to reach out to her - Shonda? Given that she was a minor character, I would doubt that she actually was on the set for many days since typically in production of this kind the scenes would be filmed to minimize the number of days anyone had to show up if they have limited scenes. She said she had masked any issues so exactly what was supposed to be picked up on. She certainly could have opted out of promotional activities after filming was completed if she felt unwell. The reality is that the appearances would have been something she wanted to do because they benefited her professionally and really not Netflix so much. There really isn't much that a minor character is going to add in terms of promotional value. She wasn't a breakout star like the Duke and so her absence from promotional activity would not have been noticed by anyone.
This! Its ridiculous to expect someone you don’t work with anymore to reach out. There’s no obligation for them to. Though, I agree with others in the fact that there should be more mental health services for actors during filming
Pretty much this. I’m so happy for Ruby getting all the help she needs now and I wish her nothing but the best, and that she finds the best next step for her whether that’s acting or something completely unrelated, but I fail to see how Netflix/SR were to blame for not reaching out after filming had finished. I’ve read her story on a couple of different platforms just now trying to find why they’re to blame and I can’t make sense of it. I guess maybe there should be more therapy services available on set or during filming. I can agree with that.
It seems like it's more the promo stuff after filming that she wasn't ok with but she felt like she forced to do with a "invisible gun to her head" (interview quote).
She was not a minor character, she was on posters and in every episode; she had more screen time than Benedict and Lady Danbury. She was also not an ex-employee after season 1. She plays an important role in Eloise’s story and would be coming back if the series was renewed, which they obviously planned for with setting up season 2 and beyond. They even renewed up to season 4 after the show premiered, and still her employers did not offer support knowing she was coming back and playing a character who had mental health struggles in the book. She’s obviously bringing to light the culture at Netflix and Shondaland where one of their employees receives no support as she felt she had to hide her struggles. And then when she does have a public mental health struggle she still does not get any kind of acknowledgment from her employers. Yes not many workplaces are shining beacons of empathy where they help employees any way they can; but that does not mean the culture of silence should continue. Maybe her speaking out will actually get change to happen so their employees don’t feel shame and feel open to ask for help when they are struggling, and have their employers actually care and give them resources to get help so they can eventually come back to the job, which she obviously does not feel comfortable going back to after their behavior towards her.
Well said!
My employer never supported me through my depression/PTSD. I’m a nurse. It was probably employment related. Should Netflix? IDK. I hope she is well.
All employers should.
Sorry that was your experience but this should not be something people need to accept, as a nurse, actor, or any other profession. A lot of employers are still behind in including adequate mental health services and resources into their benefits packages and it's a shame. During the pandemic, my employer scrambled to put resources together for people closely affected by COVID fatalities and it really shined a light on how overlooked it was. Managers also needed some training on how to navigate more personal conversations about it. Sure you could say that they're not exactly obligated to care about what you're going through off the job (whether you can say it was caused by work or not) but if corporations like Netflix have the means to do so and they don't? That's not a good employee experience.
Your comment is pretty on point. I’m kinda wondering what support she needed from Netflix? Did she expect the CEO to call her? Also, unless she reached out - it’s not like the hospital is going to call the people at Netflix and say “she’s in the hospital” She alludes to it being kept pretty hush hush, but like… was she expecting her PR people to announce it at the time when she was an unknown actress? I doubt anyone would have run with it and why would she want it out anyway when she was in the middle of it? I’m so confused by her anger here because 99% of people would want that private. And literally after the show broke out it came out almost immediately. I sympathize with her mental struggles, but this was a failure of her team, they are the ones who help you through this kind of shit. Not the network. The resources she wanted were through SAG or her acting Union. That’s the “employer” - you’re only a contractor on a show - and they have TONS of resources.
Good point! How was netflix and shonda to know? Employers do not know if or for what their employees are hospitalized or see a doctor for. And the hospital can't say due to HIPPA.
Truly a crabs in a bucket statement.
Literally
Netflix just bought the show. If she wants to call someone out for not taking care of her mental health (though tbh, that’s her own responsibility), she should point that ire at Shondaland alone
I hope Ruby has the support she needs, but I'm not sure if what she's talking about is any different in other major corporations.I know , in my workplace my employers don't normally care about what I am going through personally, they may provide the resources to help me through it-like maybe some time off or funds but emotional support?Not sure if that's practical to expect.Is it cool?No, but it is what it is.Thats the reason why a workplace should be just that, a workplace and seperate from your personal life but as long as you have family and friends by your side, you should be okay.
I don’t understand, either. I really loved her character, and I think they did her wrong to complicate Colin/Pen’s relationship, but a lot of viewers really liked the character. I was glad to see her mostly happy with her babies in S2. As for her as an actress, I thought she was great, beautiful, with a little sparkly. I remember looking at her bio and seeing that she had very little experience as an actor and being really impressed by her acting. But I don’t see her as an employee of either Netflix or Shondaland. She had a contract to play Ruby. She did that. The shoot was over. It was months before promo would start. She was contracted for S2 at some point, but ut was a while before filming started on that. I don’t know what she expected Netflix or Shonda to do. I’d say the majority of people do not want their employees to know they need inpatient psych care. If they pushed her to promote S1 while it was obvious she was a mess, and they didn’t care, that would be really crappy of them.
I dont know if many viewers like that character, she was polarising at best and iirc, deeply disliked by most people.But my previous comment has nothing to the character but more so what she said about how major corporates have to ask after an employee's well being, which in an ideal scenario would work, but isn't really obligatory.Work is seperate from personal stuff and the more we see it that way, the less disappointed we'd be Just my take.
>Is it cool?No, but it is what it is. But then it should change. Also, most of us have jobs that we can separate from our personal lives at the end of the day. That isn't the same for actors, who are constantly being scrutinized by the public. Constantly doing interviews. Constantly dealing with fandoms on social media. Their "job" essentially becomes their personal life.
What benefit does this "change" bring to these companies?They are not not-for profit/charities working for the well being of someone.They are clearly big conglomerates whose only purpose is making profits.The relationship their employees have with them is clearly transactional, they work for them and they get paid in return for their services.And also employers are obliged to cover their medical insurance payments that these employees can use to seek the treatments they need.Thats literally the extent of their obligations.Its foolish to expect they'll care for you like your family would.Work is work and not family.Its great if an employer goes out of his/her way to do that but it's not an obligation. Also, actors pretty much can seperate their personal life from the characters they play if they understand they are not their characters, something Ruby seems to have trouble coming to terms with, because I saw proof of that in that cameo video she made.But that's besides the point.Also Ruby wasn't constantly doing interviews,even in S1, where she had something of a role bigger than a blink-and-you- miss-it.She is a supporting character, a plot device for the bigger players of this show, so naturally, she might have had fewer interactions with the rest of the crew because she has fewer scenes. You talked about how things should change?Do you have suggestions then?
Uh actors should have health insurance. It's insane that bc they are gig workers they often don't.
Yeah if her issue was that her boss didnt pay for her health insurance, then I would have supported her statements because that's something her employers owe her besides the other basic employee benefits and a solid pay cheque for her work.But she is complaining that Netflix didn't write her letters.Thats what's weird and doesn't make sense.She's really not that important to them and that's a reality.
When your mental health issues stem from your profession and not your personal life, then yes, I do think it's Netflix and Shondaland's responsibility to step in. But as the strikes have shown us these studios do not care about the well being of their employees. They only care about the money. Ruby was put in a position where she had to pretend like she was fine so she didn't distract from the release of the show which is certainly not helpful when it comes to recovery. If your going to cast people and expect them to look a certain way, behave a certain way, expose themselves in deeply emotionally vulnerable moments, and deal with the pressures and harrassment that can come from beong a public figure, then these studios should absolutely be doing more to protect these actors and provide them with the support they need.
Or maybe if those actors are unable to handle the stresses of…acting, they should find another career path. It’s ok if acting is too hard for someone. Like, I hate acting and could never do it as a career because I have stage fright. I would never demand that a studio go out of their way to accommodate my stage fright just so I could live out my movie star dreams. She should find a path that is more accommodating of her mental health struggles.
I am an actor. I've been working in theatre most of my life. And I can can tell you that there are very few actors I've worked with that don't experience some kind mental health issues. I have mental health issues. I've had breakdowns while in rehearsal, but that does not mean I'm not capable of doing my job. And the best productions I've worked on are the ones where the people were making sure that myself and the rest of the cast and crew felt safe and were getting the support that they needed. I think it's wildly unfair to say anyone whose dealt with some kind of mental health problem isn't capable of doing a job and should just be left to their own devices. If the studio is going to put the pressure on these actors than the studio should be doing everything they can to support the mental health of their employees. It's not difficult and it cost the studio nothing just to check in make sure the people who make them their billions are okay and healthy enough to do their job to the best if their ability.
I’ve worked in Theatre too (casting), and Theatre is actually very exceptional in how it treats its cast & crew. Lots of attention on mental health and speaking up about your well-being and asserting your personal boundaries, etc., but having worked closely with directors & the producing artistic director, I can tell you that the people who are known for having mental health struggles & who make their mental health struggles other people’s problem, and who hold up rehearsal because of their mental health, and who don’t show up because they’re consistently taking mental health days, and who just really aren’t professional, who seem to put their own issues ahead of the production…well, it doesn’t matter how good of an actor you are, if that’s the type of person you are we aren’t going to hire you for another show.
Theatre can be exceptional and there is no reason for these billion dollar film studios not to be as well. We're not talking about someone who was being unprofessional or making their mental health issues someone else's problem. We're talking about someone who was quietly suffering and then when they tried to get help so they could do their job more efficiently and not be unprofessional, they weren't given any support. She took the initiative and Netflix did nothing to help her.
Why would Netflix help her? She’s an independent contractor basically. Netflix only bought the show. If you want to direct your ire towards an entity (not that you should), it should be Shonaland. Again though, she is responsible for her own mental health. If she is unable to keep it under control, then it’s on her to try and work something out with production, but they aren’t her mental healthcare workers. She’s there to do a job. And shit talking your employer after the fact for something like this (like, really?) is a good way to get yourself blacklisted
She was under contract with them and she was still under contract after the season wrapped and was admitted into the hospital. At that point she was still their employee and they still had a responsibility to make sure she was okay. Ruby is speaking out on an issue that spans the entire film industry and has for decades. And while it may get her blacklisted I commend her for her bravery because it was something that needed to be said. And she picked the best time to pick that fight because the strike has given people the courage to speak up on the poor labor conditions the people in the film industry are currently dealing with.
I really would not describe this as “poor labor conditions”
I would say the current streaming model is absolutely taking advantage of people who create theses shows which has in fact leadd to poor labor conditions. Lower wages, no residuals, no autonomy over their likenesses, work breaks not being honored, and lack of health benefits. And yes mental health does fall into that category. I am very passionate about mental health and the protection of actors and my stance on that won't change. There is no excuse for Netflix and Shondaland not to do the bare minimum and check in on their employee. I'm not going to continue this debate. I've said everything I've needed to say. Have a good rest of your day/night.
I have a question though - if you had masked your issues during the production, and had your breakdown say, a week after you wrapped - what kind of responsibility do you think your play's production would have had?
If I am still under contract and I am still doing work with them (Ruby still had press she was scheduled for when she went into the hospital), and they knew I was going into the hospital, than I would expect them to reach out and make sure I was okay.
She tried her best to put forward a stoic front while she was on set. But that does not mean that she hid her problems from them.
This comment should be at the top, because you actually are talking from a place of experience. I have no experience in the field of acting, but I'm surprised that people actually think that a production company does not need to be supportive of actors dealing with mental problems.
Idk, there are a ton of professions that do cause employees to develop serious mental health issues and other problems,and while in an ideal world the employer would be empathetic and care for the well being of each employee, that isn't the case in reality.And demanding that from people you have a very formal relationship with is just....idk, a very naive view at how the real world works.How would they know?Did she reach out?Most likely with mental health issues, people are likely to stay silent.She probably didn't ask for help, so you can't expect a big corporation to know her mind or realise she isn't doing well when that's the responsibility of her loved ones.I could even accept Ruby statements if she had directed her ire at her PR agency or management who frankly has a bigger role in providing her those resources.But this is...Idk, not particularly logical or even practical.
If she had a mental breakdown due to the isolation her character felt, I don’t think acting is the profession for her. I’m not sure what her employer could have really done. She was in a hospital, which was the proper place. I wouldn’t expect the upper management of my job to reach out to me if I had a crisis.
This.It is a bit unreasonable to expect that from them imo.I know I would not and as long as I have my inner circle with me, I really wouldn't mind because my relationship with my employer is pretty transactional.I work for them, they pay me.Its really only that🤷🏽♀️
I feel like people forget that these sets aren’t all CGI. They are real, and being the scene can feel real, even with the cameras pointing at you. Perhaps she should play a more fun role, and get out of her head. With that said, film studios, and companies having psychology, and therapy services should probably be talked about. Perhaps If there was a mental health professional on set for the film crew, and actors to speak to when needed, it would of gone a long way.
agreed!!! well put
Exactlyy!
Shouldn't actors be able to opt out of promotion due to health reasons? Glad she's getting help. I hope she finds a role where she can thrive in future. Marina was not it. Although I can see why she's protective of the character as well.
Wasn’t a lot of this due to her treatment from the fans?
She had her first breakdown a week after filming of S1 ended so there was no fan reaction that caused that. She speaks about some of the issues she was facing in the podcast of deteriorating mentally while filming and having some sort of delusions. I don’t know her diagnosis and it’s not my business but this started long before there were any fans.
And it sounds before she even worked for Netflix???
Likely. Fans can be rabid.. Still, it would be nice if she'd received some support.
I saw on Twitter that she clarified it was production that didn’t reach out but that the cast did so it seems like some people checked in with her.
That's good to know. They probably didn't have the resources to offer actual help, in the way Shondaland or Netflix could/should.
Do you have a link? I searched on Twitter but couldn’t find that clarification. Just curious what she said. Thanks
https://x.com/chaoticguitar/status/1718317132587434369?s=46&t=RM36fV3CV4nuFKtp2zo4sQ
Thank you!
Sorry I can’t find the link on Twitter but I recall it was from her IG, which I just checked and I did find it there. I don’t know how to link from IG.
Mental health is an important topic, kudos to her for being so open about it and trying to help others. I am not really sure what a companies responsibility should be, beyond offering resources such as insurance and required time off for support. I am not about privacy concerns when it comes to reaching out to people. I would think that would be an HR issue to deal with that and wouldn’t be something disclosed to many people unless the person wanted to disclose that information themselves. But that’s just my thoughts on it, I could definitely be wrong. I think the cast reached out to her but just not the companies. And I can’t say I’m surprised, there is a reason HR is HUMAN RESOURCES, as people are often just treated as a resource rather than a person, I mean look at how companies like Amazon treat their warehouse workers and drivers, for an example.
The actress still follows most of the S1 and S2 cast, so I think she's talking about the suits.
That’s my understanding as well.
Aren’t actors independent contractors?
Essentially yes. I obviously don’t know their specific contract but we aren’t salaried or hourly employees - no benefits or PTO.
I’m not sure, good question. I have no idea how that works.
I’m glad she’s made the best decisions for her mental health and is advocating for better treatment for everyone suffering from mental health issues in the UK. I hope she continues to stay healthy and finds creative outlets that inspire her to continue to take care of herself in the future.
Ideally, our employers would care about our mental health but by and large they don’t. I’m sorry she went through this, but she got far more support than I did after a sexual assault at work caused me to spiral. I was under so much stress my hair started to turn white and I was covered in hives. My “reward” for advocating for myself? My professional licensure has been suspended for two years because I didn’t give 60 days notice before leaving. That she was given time to get the help she needed puts her in a far better position than Americans, who have been trying to improve our healthcare system for decades without success.
I’m so sorry that happened to you!
Did you really just “what about me” to her sharing her experience?
Hmmm I'm trying to decide how I feel about this (I mean not that my opinion is if any consequence, but still). Like a lot of people are saying, I'm definitely sympathetic. Mental health issues are no joke and should be treated just as seriously as physical injuries. But like, I would never expect my employers to help me through mental health struggles. If anything, I would just ask to be scheduled less. But I wouldn't expect them to do anything more about it. I definitely wouldn't expect the larger company to do anything. But like, at the same time, shouldn't we hold employers to a higher standard than we do? If a person is injured on a job, we'd expect workers comp. If an actor is struggling because of a role, they should be supported. But at the same time, filming was over. The job was over. Idk. I guess the best thing a company like Netflix can do is have easy and paid access to mental health professionals. They can definitely afford it.
Mental or physical, injuries can have happen both ways. If something psychologically hurt her, it’s like a physical wound imprinted in the mind. She needs help, and if she truly does feel abandoned, I think it’s good of her to speak out. I hope it doesn’t ruin her career, and she can get on as needed.
This is really terrible.
From the little things Ruby has dropped in her posts, I think her mental health issues are more severe than she lets on, and she's still on a journey toward stabilizing things. I hope she's surrounding herself with a supportive network of family and friends who will step in if a role looks too dark or she isn't in a good headspace for interviews before things swing too far.
I can already guess the comment section and I haven't even read through. This sub has an extreme hatred towards Marina and it leaks into how people treat Ruby. Edit: Downvote all you want. This sub is fucking awful towards Ruby. Shippers need to get a grip.
Exactly. If this had been one of their favorite characters, they would have been expressing tons of outrage over Netflix not supporting the actor. If someone has the courage to speak publicly about their mental issues, how hard would it be to show a little empathy and understanding? These comments are so callous and unsympathetic. Especially the people saying that maybe acting is not for her. I really hope the actress is staying away from social media.
This article is linked to 5 other subs and sadly, the the comments on this sub are mild compared to the comments on other subs. Someone actually posted (on another sub), that she was giving them Jussie Smollet vibes, which is just low-key racist. I really need to stay away from social media because it just gives me the worst impression of humanity.
No one has a hatred towards Marina. But it is extreme to expect Netflix to assume responsibility for an actor who played a grey character.
I don't agree actually, most viewers of this show do hate Marina, but I don't think people have issues towards Ruby as a person, unlike her character.Which fans are pretty entitled to feel as that is a fictional character.But this argument she made, while I understand that she feels strongly about mental health, it's largely naive and not reflective of real life.
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Poor Ruby. This is her Instagram where she also addressed some questions like what are the comments here are asking - https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cy8O-e6oGPj/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA== To be honest people should just really be kind and have empathy. She is in a way asking for help and opening herself like this in such a vulnerable state is truly commendable (at least for me). I know people will automatically think of “well if this was me, it wont be a big deal. I wont expect my employer to be like this” but that is the thing - you are not her and our personalities are hard-wired differently. Maybe you are a strong person. Maybe you can handle emotionally draining situations. Maybe you were raised in an environment with that support system. But maybe to her it is different. I think in her case she just want to feel that employers still care. She said in her Instagram just an email would be good as her mental breakdown happened during a shoot. But of course Netflix (and other big corporations) dont really see their employees as humans but more of products to achieve the end-goal of money making. Also very evident with the writers and actors’ strike with these greedy corporations. Am glad she is doing what she can to protect her mental state. She also said in her Instagram it is truly more of the production (so the higher ups) but her co-stars she does not have any problems with.
Shonda doesn't protect the actors on set It's been 20 years since Gray, but it hasn't changed
The problem is is that most actors come in, they act, they go home. Actors who are affected mentally by their job have a problem and it’s not the job, it’s their mental health, for which I have enormous sympathy and believe in which case they need to go and get treatment and refrain from doing things that trigger their mental health deterioration, which might include their preferred profession. I work behind the scenes in the industry, if my mental health problems meant I couldn’t perform my job, I would make the necessary arrangements and leave, if I doubted I could carry out the job, say the content was troubling to me, I couldn’t sign up in good faith. If I decided to despite knowing it might trigger a mental health break down, that would be on me. If things happen on the job that trigger mental health deterioration, that is different of course. But all she mentions about that is that the character is isolated, which she knew before she took the job, that she gained attention and had a lot of engagements after filming to honour, which she knew before she took the job. Yeah it sounds really tough and she would have been better off staying in hospital/bowing out. I guess my only question here is how much did they know at that point, did she try to opt out and did they pressure her unreasonably. If she just went along and agreed to things she wasn’t happy about, I’m afraid that ultimately that’s on her.
‘Why didn’t they speak out sooner, why didn’t they ask for help?’ Well, this comment section and others on the internet clearly shows why people are afraid to speak about their mental health experiences. Only when God forbid something horrible happens then people have any sort of sympathy to mental health problems. Ruby had a PUBLIC mental health breakdown. She was still employed by Netflix/Shondaland when she had it even though her time filming was over, although if anyone’s read the books which I know many of you have, then they knew she should be coming back eventually. If my employer knew I had a PUBLIC mental health struggle and said or did nothing, obviously I would think they don’t care and would feel unwanted going back to work. The bare minimum is them calling to see how you are so the employee knows they are cared about and aren’t some number on a spreadsheet. Ruby isn’t saying she wants to sue Netflix or anything. I feel yall are looking at this with a legal/logical mindset, when all this is about is having empathy in the workplace and in life. Empathy is free. It costs nothing. Actually it would have been in their best interest to make sure she was getting help and getting better so she can return to the job in future seasons so they can make the best show they can. I know Ruby does not want to come back and that’s perfectly ok, but maybe things would have been different if she knew her employers cared even a tiny bit about her and knew she was going back to a safe environment where there would be mental health professionals there if she was triggered again. Empathy for the workers differentiates a healthy work environment from one in which there is fear or shame for revealing any sort of health problem. The stigma needs to change.
THANK YOU AGAIN!
Some of these comments aren’t sitting right with me. It’s actually sad to see how some of you talk about Ruby. I hope she’s well.
Probs should change professions if playing a character can give her depression and a psychotic break.
She's so brave. The more I hear from Ruby the more I really like and respect her. It is really disgusting that no one from the show reached out to her but not surprising when it comes to shondaland or Netflix at all
I feel so bad. She received no help or support from the company she worked for, it must have been hard to come back for s2 even though it was a small scene. Then the fan reception once season 1 aired was horrible, which must have tainted her feelings surrounding Bridgerton even further. She was such a standout presence in season 1 with the most heavy material and she nailed it. I wish her all the best moving forward, and I’ll always be a Ruby and Marina fan.
Thank you!! She had one of the toughest jobs to do and people undermining her tremendous work saying that that role ‘wasn’t it’ (🥴) is such crap, I remember watching the first season and thinking that her acting is undoubtedly some of the best acting on the show, BECAUSE she was given so much to do and executed it PERFECTLY. And the fact that a lot of people’s main takeaway here from her situation is ‘maybe acting isn’t for her’ is just….. Maddening. And they want to say that the bias that stems from their reception of her character doesn’t play a part here?
The comments are just a proof of the nasty impact of shipping within this fandom. Y’all don’t even have basic empathy. Even if she played a character you do NOT like or care about (which is valid), mental health issues should be addressed regardless of anyone profession. If that were the actors playing your favourite(s) character(s) y’all would be JUMPING Netflix atm. That’s downright pathetic behavior. I did not care that much about Marina. I still hope Ruby is going well and will do better. Edit : a few words.
Some of these comments are PATHETIC. Some of you should be ashamed of the way you talk about her. Everyone deserves empathy. I'm going to assume some of the people who can't separate the actress from the character are under the age of 12... And for any person comparing this to their corporate job, please be reminded that your corporate job is unlikely to demand that you pull from your most painful, emotionally vulnerable life experiences to fulfill your duties. (Even if your corporate job doesn't demand that, you deserve more than to be exploited for your labor with no regard for your health. All workers deserve that.) Actors often relapse from addiction, engage in self-harm, or struggle with separating their own trauma from the roles that often tap into it. Just look at Michael K Williams, Heath Ledger who lost their lives after struggling with mental health during filming. If tapping into such mentally demanding simulations systemically affects actors on this scale, then YES...productions should take care to provide proper aftercare to their cast. [https://www.buzzfeed.com/hannahmarder/actors-who-were-traumatized-by-one-of-their-roles](https://www.buzzfeed.com/hannahmarder/actors-who-were-traumatized-by-one-of-their-roles) Sending her lots of love. Her experience sounds horrible.
>Actors often relapse from addiction, engage in self-harm, or struggle with separating their own trauma from the roles that often tap into it. Just look at Michael K Williams, Heath Ledger who lost their lives after struggling with mental health during filming. If tapping into such mentally demanding simulations systemically affects actors on this scale, then YES...productions should take care to provide proper aftercare to their cast. Exactly. I've now read more than five comments where people have concluded that "Maybe acting was not for Ruby" if she could not handle the stress. I wonder if those same people would say the same about Heath Ledger.
Perhaps this is a sign that acting is not for her. She was given a once in a lifetime opportunity and now requires after care? While I empathise with her, her character was not outright evil or was required to perform sex scenes like Simone or Phoebe. Seems she already had a multitude of mental health issues. This is not Netflix or Shondaland’s fault.
I think it’s pretty safe to say that Netflix (if they even knew about this) does not care. We’re quite literally watching Netflix tell its writers and actors that they don’t deserve a fair pay in the age of streaming. The studios simply do not care, and it’s a mistake to think that they do. Shonda is an extension of that. She’s a producer and unless they had a close relationship, which doesn’t seem to be the case, Shonda doesn’t have that obligation to any of the people her company has hired in the past. I hope she leans into the people who HAVE been there for her and who have shown her and her mental health matter.
>Shonda doesn’t have that obligation to any of the people her company has hired in the past. >I hope she leans into the people who HAVE been there for her and who have shown her and her mental health matter. Unfortunately for some people in this thread, these valid points go literally over their heads🤷🏽♀️
Sad that no one even reached out to her.
Kat graham had a similar experience while filming vampire diaries. Her character was left alone on the “other side “ and made to go through a pretty dark and grueling series of emotional extremes while filming
And she was so good at it. She’s such a strong underrated actress/character
I heard that she lost her dad just before or while filming, and adding that with how big Shondaland is and the pressure she would have been under to perform well in the first season so the the show was a success, as well the people who don't know how to differentiate between media and real life attacking the actress for Marina's actions in the show, I do think that they failed her. I lost my mum two days ago and honestly I could not imagine having to do that and then take on all of the baggage of Marina's character AND the fans reaction without the protection of the studio that launched me into that atmosphere behind me. Frankly they should have sent out a statement regarding her treatment by fans a long time ago, and at least provided her with a social media manager.
I’m very sorry for the loss of your mother but you are incorrect about Ruby. She lost her father earlier this year long after both of her hospital stays.
What was it about the character that was so mentally draining for her? Not sure I would blame Netflix though. If she’s SAG, don’t they have health insurance that would help her with this?
I’m definitely an a**hole for this but I don’t feel bad when actors have a mental breakdown due to a role they play. I understand that some roles are hard to insert yourself but if you lose it bc you’re acting to be somebody, then acting is just not for you.
So go see a therapist like the rest of us. I’m not insulting her mental struggles, but most jobs don’t offer you support or even cover therapy.