A recent Forbes article by author and activist Virgie Tovar has ignited outrage among Bridgerton fans after the author commented on the “mixed-weight” relationship between the lead characters of this season.
The fictional romance between Penelope Featherington (played by Nicola Coughlan) and Colin Bridgerton (played by Luke Newton) on Netflix’s “Bridgerton” remains a hot topic among TV viewers, though not all commentary has been positive.
Fans refer to the couple as “Polin,” and their relationship this season has been highly anticipated since the series debuted in 2020.
This is because, according to fans of both the show and the Julia Quinn novels it’s based on, Penelope has long hoped to attract Colin’s attention.
Tovar’s piece acknowledges that the portrayal of their romance has sparked controversial discussions.
In her article, Tovar argues, “For some, this romance is unsettling because it forces them to consider that humans are simply not governed by tidy, predictable rules.”
“If this romance upsets you, it says more about how deeply you’ve internalized fatphobia than it says about the bodies of the actors playing Penelope and Colin.”
The article has received varied responses, with some applauding the conversation it initiated and others criticizing the language used.
An outraged fan commented on X, stating, “I find it interesting how there are countless fictional couples in film and television where the man weighs more than the woman, but people didn’t start writing articles about whatever the f—k a ‘mixed-weight romance’ is until it was the other way around.”
Another wrote: “Aside from how ridiculous this whole headline is let’s just remember that ‘mixed weight relationships’ have been very common on TV with one significant difference than the one noted here like it’s literally a sitcom trope.”
Tovar said in a statement: “I think this conversation is really important, as difficult as it might be.”
“As someone who’s watched ‘Bridgerton’ from Season 1, I genuinely and instantly saw myself in Penelope. That isn’t an emotion that can be contrived, and I wrote the piece from that place,” she continued.
“I think there needs to be room for both the plus-size person who didn’t see themselves reflected in Penelope and those of us who did. Neither of us is wrong. I think it’s important to hear from the people who don’t agree with me.”
Coughlan earlier said she was conscious of the discussions surrounding her plus-sized body after the series’ first two seasons and actively requested the inclusion of specific lines and scenes in the new season, which features provocative sex scenes between her character and Newton’s.
She also mentioned, “I chose to be fully nude in one scene, and that was entirely my decision. It felt like a powerful statement against the ongoing scrutiny of my body, which was incredibly liberating.”
