Bridgerton’s colorism problem just got harder to ignore

Bridgerton is once again facing criticism for its treatment of actors of color, particularly darker-skinned leads, following Monday’s release of the new TV tie-in book cover and the announcement of Bridgerton Season 4’s premiere dates. Fans noticed that Kate Sharma (Simone Ashley) and Simon Basset (Regé-Jean Page), both darker-skinned leads, are the only ones whose names don’t appear on their covers, unlike Penelope (Nicola Coughlan) and Sophie (Yerin Ha), whose names are clearly displayed.

Per Feminegra:

“The book controversy sits within a wider marketing problem that Bridgerton has yet to fix. Kate and Anthony’s season never received a major joint photoshoot or magazine feature, unlike other couples who graced Vogue and Town & Country. When Redbubble released official merchandise, Penelope and Colin appeared as a romantic illustration while Kate, the Indian Viscountess, was reduced to a green dinosaur. The ad was approved by Netflix’s marketing partners and circulated without revision.

The omission of names and titles is part of a larger pattern that stretches across Shondaland’s empire. Ruby Barker, who played Marina, has spoken openly about the lack of support she received while enduring racist harassment and mental health struggles. Regé-Jean Page faced the same silence when he chose to leave after Season 1. Simone Ashley experienced a more insidious version of that exclusion as her screen time and visibility fell despite her success as a leading lady.

The new Bridgerton book covers have done more than reignite aesthetic debate—they expose how Netflix’s approach to representation remains uneven. Simon and Kate, once promoted as symbols of progress, remain unnamed on their own stories. One could argue that in the original book covers, only Book 4 included both romantic leads because Penelope had appeared since the first novel, and Netflix followed that same format for Seasons 3 and 4. Yet even if the naming choice follows publishing logic, the pattern lands differently when viewed alongside how the series continues to treat its darker-skinned cast, leaving many unconvinced that this omission is purely procedural.”