Ruby Barker is a 26-year-old British actress best known for her role as Marina Thompson in Shondaland’s Bridgerton series on Netflix. She’s been working since her teens and had a big break in the British indie film scene with How to Stop a Recurring Dream, which was released in 2020, the same year as Bridgerton. Ruby has been candid about her mental health struggles, particularly a hospitalization last year, and is currently an ambassador for the organization Wellbeing in the Arts. She appeared on the LOAF Podcast last weekend and revealed that she had another hospitalization back in 2019, right after filming ended for the first season of Bridgerton. She also said that no one from Netflix or Shondaland reached out to her, for either hospital stay, or offered her support in handling the demands of promoting a massive hit. Here is what she had to say:
During the podcast, Ruby said that she suffered two psychotic breaks, including one shortly after filming wrapped in 2019 and another in 2022.
She went on to say she received “no support” from Netflix amid her struggles, nor was there “aftercare” even while dealing with sudden stardom.
“When I went into hospital a week after shooting Bridgerton Season One it was really covered up and kept on the down-low because the show was going to be coming out,” she explained.
“During filming I was deteriorating. It was a really tormenting place for me to be because my character was very alienated, very ostracized, on her own under these horrible circumstances,” she continued.
“Not a single person from Netflix, not a single person from Shondaland since I have had two psychotic breaks from that show have even contacted me or even emailed me to ask if I’m okay or if I would benefit from any sort of aftercare or support. Nobody.”
“In the run up to the show coming out I was just coming out from hospital, my Instagram following was going up, I had all these engagements to do,” Ruby went on to say.
“My life was changing drastically overnight and yet there was still no support and there still hasn’t been any support all that time. So I was trying really really hard to act like it was okay and that I could work and that it wasn’t a problem.”
“It’s almost like I had this metaphorical invisible gun to my head to sell this show because this show is bubbly and fun. I don’t wanna come out and poo-poo on that because then I might never work again!” she added.
I listened to the podcast and it’s unclear what happened exactly – which is her prerogative. It’s hard to know what kind of support the producers could have provided her and to what extent they were aware of her struggles. I fully support her investing in her mental health. In my mid-twenties I picked up my life and moved back home (which was cross country) because something was fundamentally wrong in my psyche. I knew enough to recognize that I was a shadow of myself, and with the support of my family I was able to find people to speak with and activities to engage in that allowed me to find a way back to myself. Good for Ruby for getting the help she needed and for paying it forward through her work as an ambassador.
Photos credit: Liam Daniel for Netflix and via Instagram
That doesn’t seem like a reasonable expectation for her to have, but I’m going to think on this for a bit.
I don’t think a phone call to check if she is okay from people she’s worked with is unreasonable. I don’t think she was asking for more than that. Just an acknowledgment of what she was going through. I mean I’ve worked at companies who sent employees flowers when they had a death in the family.
@Ameerah that would depend on what they were aware of and when (and, possibly, how they were informed of the situation). It’s quite possible most of the people she worked with on the show were not aware or we not close enough with her to be aware of what was going on with her personal life
@yup me- I don’t think it’s reasonable either, these younger folks though……
I’m in my 40s and worked in corporate America for over 15 years. 5 of those years were in HR. It’s in no way unreasonable to acknowledge an employee’s hospitalization and illness.
How is it UN reasonable. At minimum to find out if that person is planning on returning.
Anyway I’m in leadership and I kick myself for forgetting to check in on my folks. It’s. Not. Hard. So where is it unreasonable?
@Mel “The good old days” bs…Horrible young folks wanting more from the corporations that make millions on their backs. Wanting a more humane work environment shouldn’t be controversial.
@Amreerah I have worked almost 15 years in HR, and I have never reached out to an employee who was medically out unless it was part of my duties to check (such as workers comp). I have asked how they are once they’ve returned, and I have listened to my employee vent when they are not doing well. I’m not against employers caring more, but I also don’t think it’s their place either. I know I wouldn’t want my work knowing all my troubles.
@Red – That’s odd to me. Because we definitely did at my company. The CEO even visited one of our employees who was battling cancer in the hospital.
That’s incredibly rare then, Ameerah.
My work reaches out if we know someone is sick – we’ll send a GC or something as a team. Our PTA does this for teachers at school as well.
30 years in HR here, although admittedly not in big corporate environments. And, yes, that makes me pretty old. I think there is a line that you don’t want to cross when it comes to an employee’s personal life and problems, especially when it comes to mental health. I’m available to speak with any employee who wants to talk, but I wouldn’t approach them without a reason. A question like that could just as easily be seen as intrusive as helpful.
The lack of outreach might be reasonable if she worked at some random corporation, however, she works for Shondaland which pushes the narrative that it’s one big, happy family. So the lack of outreach is at odds with their image.
Shondaland’s set environment has been deemed problematic since Grey’s Anatomy. On the other hand, context is everything: Did she explicitely reach out to her agent or Bridgerton people to convey her expectations? Because certain protocols or managers would set a print record and a way forward, once an employee’s mental challenges are acknowledged. She could have been left without a job, and her future employability would have resulted damaged. That’s part stigma and part fair, considering how Ruby’s state of mind was affected by a particular character to the point of hospitalization. No one wants that responsibility on their shoulders. And that’s also why most people temporarily undergoing depression or mental disorders wouldn’t like anyone to know until they feel better. If she didn’t ask for particular shows of support, it’s understandable if producers let her deal privately with her condition, as long as she was available and functional for her commitments. I hope she’s in a place where she can safely pick up her acting, since she was lovely and vibrant as Marina.
If she can’t handle promoting a show and rising popularity then she’s in the wrong business cuz it’s only gonna get worse.
I don’t think it’s unreasonable to expect a call, but I don’t think it should be expected that someone checks on you when you’re a coworker. She’s 26 so I think she’s just naïve and possibly unfamiliar with the ways of the real world. People show up to work, are professional and friendly, and go home to their real lives after work, even if they’re actors, even if they’re spending 18hrs a day filming with you, they go back home and tend to their own priorities…unless they are also friends in real life. Then she might want to do a little clean up with relationships she thought were more than just work camaraderie.
Are there any jobs that really provide support that way? Whether it’s mental or otherwise?
firefighters and police and/or sheriffs although I guess it depends on the city or county you work for.
I think it’s that they expected her to promote it cheerfully. That’s emotional labor, and it’s hard, even damaging, to do if you’re struggling mentally.
I assume she was contractually obligated to promote the show. I wonder why she didn’t ask her agent to intervene and renegotiate her promotion schedule.
@Megan probably because her agent didn’t think it looked good. Agents are concerned with making sure you stay employable – that’s how THEY get paid. And so her agent’s concern wouldn’t necessarily have been her mental well being. Which is sad but not surprising.
@Megan-That’s when your agent or manager should step in to protect you. The producers are just going to keep it moving because there are MANY balls in the air. They’re not going to stop for someone who in the long run is going to be a minor character. I feel bad for her but I think her expectation is outsized and unrealistic.
My company has resources for YOU to reach out to if you’re having problems. No one is making personal phone calls or showing up at hospitals/ home visits unless they are your personal friend.
That’s not how Hollywood works though. A producer could certainly have called her. And it’s not even how my non-Hollywood company worked. Our HR department reached out to people who had illnesses or deaths all the time.
Not anywhere I have worked. I was off for 3 months after an operation and aside from updating my manager on when I hoped to return, I did not hear from anyone. I didn’t expect anyone from HR to contact me. Friends and family were in touch on a weekly basis and a colleague who had become a good friend would also message me. This was the same when my father died and I was out of the country for a few weeks – my manager knew and spoke to HR on my behalf.
You can take a leave of absence for stress in some jobs but that’s the most they’ll do that’s why people have health insurance to cover mental health services.
Well they could have at least called her and asked her how she’s doing. My guess is that if it was a physical illness they probably would have contacted her.
Exactly. And that’s where the stigma comes in. Because if she had broken a leg or something they would have sent a card or flowers.
If it’s health related they have to respect her privacy
I’m glad she’s getting help, and I hope that she gets healthy. It takes a lot of courage to reach out and change. Hopefully her diagnosis will help her access the tools she needs.
As to what she’s saying about Bridgerton, was she forced to say something more positive in the People article back in 2022? “The British actress also thanked Netflix and Bridgerton executive producer Shonda Rhimes “for giving me an opportunity, for saving me,” as well as her close friends and mentors.” In that article it sounds positive, but now it sounds as though she really deeply disappointed.
The Marina of the books also had mental health struggles. It’s a shame that no one from the show could connect those dots.
The companies involved must have human resources departments (?!) I don’t think receiving an email from HR it’s an absurd expectation. A bit disappointing from Shondaland.
Actors are considered employees, but production companies have not traditionally had robust HR departments.
Honestly, actors get their healthcare through their union, so that’s probably who should be checking up at times like this. There’s a reason employers stay out of employees mental health issues. And dealing with becoming famous has always been a “you” thing to deal with. And again, probably something the union would be better at having the resources and people you could talk to.
I agree that it’s great that the younger generation believes support should be out there. But who’s going to be providing it? That’s the question.
Good for her for prioritizing her mental health and normalizing that. But. But. Unless there is something missing here, what did she expect Netflix and Shondaland to do? I hate being on the corporate side of anything but, again it sucks to add the but… But I don’t see any reasonable expectations here.
It would have been nice for them to reach out during her hospitalizations to offer support but what would that look like? A get well card and balloons?
Everything she’s says so far lines up with normal expectations for a working actor and most would *love* to do the promotion for a hit show! I mean, sorry you were successful?
I’m kind of annoyed tbh, bc vague expectations like this serve to undermine stories like Nicole Beharie’s which go to the heart of supportive, equal, safe working conditions.
It in no way undermines stories like Nicole Beharie’s – the two are completely unrelated other than both actresses being Black. Why the need to compare the two?? And it is no way unreasonable for her to expect at least a phone call from the companie(s) she worked for during a time of illness. Companies send flowers and cards to employees all the time when there are deaths, illnesses, etc.
I brought up Behari bc I just started watching sleepy hollow and she was on my mind. Ruby Rose is another example of what I mean, though there are dozens of others who were injured on the job. Yes it would be nice if they sent a card and maybe I wasnt clear but it seems like she expected more in the way of “support” without saying what that should have been, or even if she asked. If she asked to be excused from promotional work etc and had been refused, that would be very different.
It’s one thing to send condolences for a death but health matters are supposed to be confidential. Her workplace would not reach out other than HR getting a return to work date.
Lurker, could you say more about how this undermines N. Beharie’s experience? I think it’s consistent, providing another example, a different one, of what Black women face in this industry.
And a simple phone call would have been the decent thing to do. From anyone, really. But since when is this industry decent?
And there was no way she could have issued this critique while promoting the show, so it makes sense that she praised Shondaland and Netflix. It was her job and she did her job.
Yeah…it sounds like someone who really wanted to make it…makes it, but chooses not to prepare for what impact that will actually have on her life and mental wellbeing. Your employer is not responsible for your physical and mental wellbeing when they have the bases covered at the workplace…It’s okay to recognize that as individuals mental “fitness” as Prince Harry eloquently put it, it just as important as physical fitness.
I hope she’s in a better place now because I quite liked her on the show.
Well the question is… “were the bases covered at the workplace”?? Because she said her issues started while FILMING. And came to a head while promoting the series. She clearly stated that her mental health was “deteriorating” while she was filming.
I think “chooses not to prepare” is rather harsh. “Honestly didn’t know how to prepare” is probably more accurate, but I don’t think that would be her employer’s responsibility. You figure it out or you don’t. You reach out to other actors who have been in similar situations. I don’t know.
I had terrible anxiety at the start of my career too, but I don’t feel like it was up to my bosses or coworkers to recognize that, sit me down, and offer support. They did provide my health insurance, which I used to get medical help. Nobody sent me a card. If I was hospitalized (I wasn’t), a card probably would have been nice though.
A call to check in would have been kind and appropriate.
I had a major surgery and nobody from HR reached out. I had to reach out to them to arrange leave and such, and they certainly didn’t go out of their way to comfort me or check up on me. My personal friends from work did, but that’s about it. So, I’m a little confused by her expectations. Given that she was coming out of a hit show, she must have had the resources to get help, plus she has family and friends, no? Why would she want some strangers from HR comforting her? I would certainly assume it was an SOP, so it would mean nothing to me even if they did.
Also, while her character was isolated, she was not? It’s not like they locked her up in the attic between her scenes? Could she not socialize with the rest of the cast, make friends, etc.?
I am very confused by her take on this, tbh, but I agree with Kismet – it’s not clear what happened exactly, perhaps I’d feel differently if I knew the whole story.
I’m sorry she has had such a hard and scary time. Something to think about is this all came out during a huge launch of a brand new series. Can’t imagine the pressure and stress all involved were going through. Brigerton is highly expensive and at the time it was a big risk for Shondaland. I’m sure they were maybe not as attuned to her needs as they could have been.
Same. I had to take leave for a mental breakdown and no one from my office called to check up on me. And thankfully so b/c they were the cause. *shrug* Not sure I understand her sentiments.
No employer is obligated to offer support, but I always think the right thing to do is to view your employees as human beings first and foremost. It’s also better in almost every case for your business! I mean, if your actor was hospitalized for psychosis, wouldn’t make sense to check on how their doing before you have them promoting your project? It’s the humane thing to do as well as just sensible.
I hope she’s doing better.
Maybe they didn’t know or maybe they thought she might sue. Never can tell.
Deplorable and NOT unsurprising behavior from the power players in this mess.😠
““During filming I was deteriorating. It was a really tormenting place for me to be because my character was very alienated, very ostracized, on her own under these horrible circumstances,” she continued”
I’ve often said acting can be psychologically problematic and actors need to be careful how they approach certain roles.
This. More than anyone, the director ought to have noticed and checked in with her.
But which director? Bridgerton is an episodic show and had multiple directors during in her season.
I’m glad she’s sharing this. Clearly there is a stigma. Britney spoke about this recently, we know Amanda Bynes has struggled, actors can have emotional and psychological issues related to their job. I’m in construction and we have OSHA, we know the most significantly dangerous aspects of construction and those risks are actively identified and steps are taken to minimize the risks. Acting, being famous, these people make a lot of money for a lot of already rich people, the risks of being in the industry seem to be SA, drug and alcohol addiction, psychological problems, eating disorders… so who holds the industry accountable and asks them to address and mitigate the risks to the employed people?
This is not something happening to her apart from her employment, this sounds to be linked directly to her work, that’s a worker’s comp case. If you are being asked to do something as part of your job that impacts your mental health there should be resources to help you through that.
I’m just speaking what I’m seeing go unsaid. I don’t have the solutions and I realize many jobs have psychological impact, I hope we can all agree that it’s important to care about these things and not okay to just not address them.
Kevin spacey, while a good actor has never shaken his “the usually suspects” character. People who knew him before said he spoke like that character for years. He went to method.
Ron perelman said the ” sons of anarchy” set was affecting his home life. He quit the show and got a divorce a few years later.
Charlie sheen was forced to live his relapse out on “2 and a half men” in real time. he completely spiraled to the point he had to bring in a therapist.
Ally Mcbeal set encouraged eating disorders and Courtney Thorne Smith spoke about how she was scared to lose her job if she ate.
I would thing the actors union would have a mental health program.
Actors and crew members are temporary employees. They are employed during pre production, filming, and post but once the project is completed they are no longer employed by the production company. They can and are hired by a different company. If a TV show comes back and they start again they are employees again. But they are not employees during the hiatus.
I hated the way her character was treated. I can understand the storyline and working conditions taking a toll on someone who was/is mentally vulnerable. TBF, the treatment of Marina is the reason I stopped supporting the show. It felt wrong and racial and I didn’t want to continue. I hope Ruby continues to get help and heal. Wishing her nothing but the best.
I think it’s fantastic she is speaking out about her experiences and advocating for mental health de-stigmatization. I’m of two minds about the rest of it. While I can see how it would have been nice for some kind of acknowledgement of her struggles post-filming, particularly while hospitalized, medical issues are very often private and mental health struggles tend to be even more so. Did anyone from the production or cast know her well enough to know she’d be okay with or desired someone reaching out? What kind of support was she expecting in regards to fame and a hit show? I think there does need to be better care taken with performers mental health – I have routinely heard (and tend to believe) that performer’s mental growth stops at the age where they get famous. I think that’s pretty true unless they actively seek out help and therapy to deal with it.
As far as HR and co-workers acknowledging illness, etc… Most places I’ve worked for will send a card or flowers upon a death in the immediate family. Medical issues, unless the person brought them up themselves, were considered a no-go area. When I had a major depressive episode resulting in a breakdown 15+ years ago, I straight up told my manager what was going on; she got very quiet, said she hoped I got better very soon, and that was it. I heard absolutely nothing from anyone else at the company, and I never expected to. In 20+ years in the workforce, I have worked at exactly 1 place that acknowledged major illnesses of any kind, and their HR was a wreck from top to bottom and I would never emulate it. They tended to fire people who were ill, after organizing a company wide “prayer meeting.”