Rumors of deleted sex scenes between Colin and Penelope in Bridgerton season 3 have made their way to one of the show’s producers — and he’s setting the record straight.
Producer Tom Verica addressed the speculation on Wednesday, June 19, after sharing photos from the set, writing via Instagram, “A few more BTS pics @bridgertonnetflix I snapped along the way. @shondaland @netflix.”
The comments section quickly filled up with complaints from viewers who felt Colin (Luke Newton) and Penelope (Nicola Coughlan) were sidelined during their own season. Others cited rumors that Coughlan and Newton filmed intimate moments that never made it onto the show.
“With all due respect, I would like to ask you something. There are news everywhere that the scenes are being cut. As fans, we are trying to make our voices heard for these scenes. Because we feel that we don’t get to see Polin in the foreground as much as we would like and we are upset about that,” wrote one user. “If the news about the cut scenes is true, is there any possibility of getting them back? I would be very grateful if we could get a clear answer from you on this. @tomverica.”
Verica clarified the speculation, writing back, “Not sure where this all came from but these claims are false. The supposed scenes … don’t exist.”
Season 3, which is based on Julia Quinn‘s novel Romancing Mr. Bridgerton, centered around Colin’s friendship with Penelope as it turned into something more. Past seasons featured Daphne’s (Phoebe Dynevor) love story with Simon (Regé-Jean Page) and Anthony’s (Jonathan Bailey) journey with Kate (Simone Ashley). While switching leads from season to season, Bridgerton has also featured various side characters and story lines.
The creative team behind Bridgerton has yet to reveal which sibling’s search for love is the backdrop for season 4. Some fans, however, have been advocating for Benedict (Luke Thompson) since his book — An Offer From a Gentleman, which is third in Quinn’s series — was passed over for season 3.
Francesca’s (Hannah Dodd) gender-swapped love story with Michaela (Masali Baduza) is also an option as is Eloise’s (Claudia Jessie) connection with her love interest, Phillip Crane (Chris Fulton). Showrunner Jess Brownell confirmed earlier this year that the decision has been made but is staying under wraps for now.
“I won’t give you anything, but I do think that there are some clues at the end of season 3 of where we’re headed,” she told TV Insider in April. “So yeah, I leave that to fans to pick apart, but I think we’re tipping our hand just a little bit.”
Brownell also addressed whether any siblings will share a season, telling Teen Vogue on June 14, “I don’t have any plans to combine seasons. I want every sibling to have their own season and I know that [executive producer] Shonda [Rhimes] wants that as well.”
Brownell was also asked about the show’s future overall, explaining, “I have a roadmap in my head of where we want to go, and Shonda and I have talked privately about our plans for seasons beyond season 4, if we’re allowed to continue in the way that we hope we will be able to.”
Bridgerton is currently streaming on Netflix.
