Lady Whistledown is sharing some sad Bridgerton news today — the one and only Regé-Jean Page, who played Simon Basset, the Duke of Hastings — will officially not be returning for Season 2 of the wildly popular Netflix show.
The news was confirmed in an official statement from Netflix and Whistledown herself:
Your Grace, it has been a pleasure. 💜🐝
"We bid adieu to Regé-Jean Page, who so triumphantly played the Duke of Hastings. We'll miss Simon's presence onscreen, but he will always be a part of the Bridgerton family."
And Regé-Jean himself tweeted out the news, calling the experience "a pleasure and a privilege":
Pleasure and a privilege! An honour to be a member of the family - on and off screen, cast, crew and incredible fans - the love is real and will just keep growing ❤️💫 https://t.co/YBk4RvKNpx
He also shared a touching farewell on Instagram, calling the experience "the ride of a lifetime":
While this might seem like a bit of a shock, the truth is it's always been part of the plan — especially since readers of the book series know that Simon's story mostly plays out in the first book.
