‘Bridgerton’ newcomer on being trolled by viewers

Bridgerton season two has seen the departure of old faces, and new ones make their grand entrances.

But fans are not so happy with the “in with the new” approach. In fact, actress Charithra Chandran – who plays character Miss Edwina Sharma – revealed that she has been mercilessly trolled by viewers.

Charitha joins fellow newbie Simone Ashley, who plays her sister Kate Sharma in the Julia Quinn-inspired series.

Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, Charithra revealed that Bridgerton viewers had taken to disliking her character.

This, after season two revealed that characters Edwina and sister Kate were in a “love triangle” with Anthony Bridgerton, played by male lead Jonathan Bailey.

Not only did she receive hate on social media, but she discovered that Bridgerton fans also cropped her out of official posters.

She said: “Of course, it’s a bit disappointing, but I’m also like, ‘How can one comment and have such extreme emotions about something they don’t know?’.

“I don’t know what to say, like, I can’t lie. Edwina is in love with Anthony in the show. It’s true. They do have a connection. But also, that doesn’t mean there’s a catfight between the sisters, and it’s more complicated than that.”

She continued: “The reality is, the TV show is so nuanced. It’s so complicated and you don’t see a catfight between the sisters. You see Edwina being hostile with Kate because she loves Kate more.”

Charithra also spoke about her reaction to being labelled a “brown token” addition to the Bridgerton cast.

Speaking to The Telegraph, the 25-year-old British actress claimed that “many assume my success is due to a diversity quota.”

Of her Bridgerton role, she added: “I’ve even had friends say to me, ‘Oh you got that because you’re brown,’ and that really hurts.

“What’s really scary is that you can start believing it and thinking, ‘The only reason I got cast as Edwina is because they were looking for an Indian family.’”