{"id":439815,"date":"2026-04-21T11:44:06","date_gmt":"2026-04-21T09:44:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/?p=439815"},"modified":"2026-04-21T11:44:06","modified_gmt":"2026-04-21T09:44:06","slug":"actrice-bridgerton-ruby-barker-brise-silence-sante-mentale","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/people\/bridgerton-actress-ruby-barker-breaks-the-silence-mental-health-439815","title":{"rendered":"&quot;I was living a nightmare&quot;: A Bridgerton actress breaks her silence on her mental health"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Known to the public for her role in the series &quot;Bridgerton,&quot; British actress Ruby Barker has decided to open up about a difficult reality. In a very personal Instagram post, she discussed the visible effects of her bipolar disorder treatment on her body.<\/p>\n<h2> &quot;Some days, I hate myself in the mirror.&quot;<\/h2>\n<p> Ruby Barker shared a video from the gym, filming herself on a treadmill and showing a scale reading 112.5 kg (240 lbs). In the caption, she explains that this weight is a direct result of eight months of medication for her bipolar disorder, calling this bodily change &quot;medical weight gain.&quot; <em>&quot;Many of you know my story and the battles I&#39;ve fought living with bipolar disorder. This is the physical aftermath of eight months of treatment\u2014and honestly, it brings a whole new mental challenge with it,&quot;<\/em> she wrote.<\/p>\n<p>The actress didn&#39;t try to downplay the difficulty of what she was going through. She confessed that some days she &quot;hated&quot; looking at herself in the mirror, caught in a spiral of comparison with her former body or with others. <em>&quot;It can feel like a real nightmare, and it doesn&#39;t just disappear overnight,&quot;<\/em> she acknowledged, before urging people to be patient with themselves. She also thanked her partner, Oliver, for his support throughout this journey. <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"tiktok-embed\" style=\"max-width: 605px; min-width: 325px;\" cite=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/@rubybarkeractress\/video\/7611198732087856406\" data-video-id=\"7611198732087856406\">\n<section> <a title=\"@rubybarkeractress\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/@rubybarkeractress?refer=embed\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">@rubybarkeractress<\/a> One thing I don&#39;t see talked about enough is how hard it is to cope with medical weight gain. Well\u2026 here I am. Many of you know my story and the battles I&#39;ve faced living with bipolar disorder. This is the physical aftermath of eight months of treatment \u2014 and honestly, it&#39;s brought a whole new mental challenge with it. Hooray \ud83d\ude43 I&#39;m doing what I can, and I&#39;m grateful to have Oliver supporting me through it. Please wish me luck on this journey, because it isn&#39;t easy. I truly empathize with anyone struggling with their weight \u2014 the comparison, the mirror, the constant mental noise. Some days I hate what I see and can&#39;t stop measuring myself against my past self or others. It can feel like a living nightmare, and it doesn&#39;t resolve overnight. But on a positive note: today is my fourth day vape-free, and I&#39;m already feeling the benefits in my cardio. One step at a time. <a title=\"fyp\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/tag\/fyp?refer=embed\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">#fyp<\/a> <a title=\"foryoupage\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/tag\/foryoupage?refer=embed\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">#foryoupage<\/a> <a title=\"weight loss\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/tag\/weightloss?refer=embed\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">#weightloss<\/a> <a title=\"weightgain\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/tag\/weightgain?refer=embed\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">#weightgain<\/a> <a title=\"myjourney\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/tag\/myjourney?refer=embed\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">#myjourney<\/a> <a title=\"\u266c original sound - Ruby Barker\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/music\/original-sound-7611198914175208194?refer=embed\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u266c original sound - Ruby Barker<\/a><\/section>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/embed.js\"><\/script><\/p>\n<h2> Two psychotic episodes since Bridgerton<\/h2>\n<p> Ruby Barker had already broken her silence in 2022, revealing that she had experienced two psychotic episodes, the first occurring just after filming season 1 of &quot;Bridgerton.&quot; <em>&quot;I&#39;ve been struggling since Bridgerton, that&#39;s the truth. I was really unwell. I was in the hospital,&quot;<\/em> she said at the time. She was subsequently diagnosed with bipolar disorder and described it as &quot;an inner rage fueled by intergenerational trauma.&quot;<\/p>\n<h2> Netflix and Shondaland in the crosshairs<\/h2>\n<p> While in 2022 she thanked Netflix for &quot;saving her life&quot; by casting her, Ruby Barker has since changed her tune. In an Oxford University podcast, she accused the streaming platform and production company Shondaland of never contacting her after her breakdowns.<\/p>\n<p>She also highlighted the painful paradox of playing an ostracized and isolated character \u2013 Marina Thompson \u2013 while she herself felt abandoned behind the scenes. <em>\u201cWhen I went into the hospital a week after filming season 1, it was really hushed up and kept quiet because the series was about to air,\u201d<\/em> she confided. <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"tiktok-embed\" style=\"max-width: 605px; min-width: 325px;\" cite=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/@pagesix\/video\/7296130526694493483\" data-video-id=\"7296130526694493483\">\n<section> <a title=\"@pagesix\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/@pagesix?refer=embed\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">@pagesix<\/a> \u201cBridgerton\u201d star Ruby Barker called out Netflix and Shondaland after claiming she suffered \u201ctwo psychotic breaks\u201d while filming the series. Link in bio for details. <a title=\"\u266c Original sound - Page Six\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/music\/original-sound-7296130627991128878?refer=embed\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u266c original sound - Page Six<\/a><\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/embed.js\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>Despite the harrowing nature of her story, Ruby Barker ended her post on a hopeful note. She mentioned being on her &quot;fourth day without vaping&quot; and having &quot;experienced improvements in her cardio endurance.&quot; <em>&quot;One step at a time,&quot;<\/em> she concluded. In the comments, her followers offered her overwhelming support, thanking her for opening up the conversation about the often-overlooked side effects of psychiatric medications.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Known to the public for her role in the series &quot;Bridgerton,&quot; British actress Ruby Barker has decided to...","protected":false},"author":8375,"featured_media":439825,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"disable_msn":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[307],"tags":[97759],"class_list":["post-439815","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-people","tag-news"],"image":{"medium":["https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/@rubyparker-_-Instagram-200x113.jpg",200,113,true],"large":["https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/@rubyparker-_-Instagram-500x281.jpg",500,281,true]},"custom":{"td_video":"","featured_image":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/@rubyparker-_-Instagram.jpg","author":{"name":"Fabienne Baure","avatar":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/fabienne_baure-96x96.jpg"},"categories":[{"term_id":307,"name":"Celebrities","slug":"people","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":307,"taxonomy":"category","description":"<p>The Celebrities section of The Body Optimist follows celebrity news from a specific angle: what stars\u2019 public statements reveal about bodies, mental health, aging and beauty standards. Actresses, singers, models and athletes open up about their insecurities, their battles and their refusal of rigid beauty rules, stories that echo questions many women ask themselves.<\/p>\n<h2>What you\u2019ll find in the Celebrities section<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Bodies and body shaming<\/strong>: stars criticized for their weight, figure or face, and how they respond to the comments.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Mental health<\/strong>: eating disorders, body dysmorphia and anxiety, as when <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/people\/after-suffering-from-body-dysmorphia-actress-lana-condor-returns-to-the-pressure-related-to-appearance-446438\">Lana Condor spoke about body dysmorphia and the pressure to look a certain way<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Aging and unfiltered beauty<\/strong>: growing older in the spotlight, gray hair, makeup-free faces and the pressure to stay young forever.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Motherhood and life choices<\/strong>: pregnancy, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/people\/after-criticism-of-her-appearance-the-model-confides-in-her-postpartum-body-446593\">postpartum body<\/a> under public scrutiny and the choice not to have children.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Representation and diversity<\/strong>: plus-size artists, LGBTQIA+ public figures and athletes who challenge conventional ideas of femininity.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Celebrity style<\/strong>: red carpet and everyday looks as inspiration to adapt to your own body type.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>How can you follow celebrity news without comparing yourself?<\/h2>\n<p>Following celebrities without comparing yourself means remembering that their images are the result of professional work: lighting, makeup, styling, picking the best shots and sometimes retouching. A few habits help:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Focus on what the person says or creates rather than on their weight or age.<\/li>\n<li>Notice which accounts make you feel uneasy and clean up your feed.<\/li>\n<li>Avoid commenting on celebrities\u2019 bodies, even to compliment them: praising weight loss reinforces the very norm that causes harm.<\/li>\n<li>Don\u2019t treat a makeup-free face as a feat, as our article on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/psycho\/confiance-en-soi\/applauding-celebrities-posing-without-makeup-heres-why-we-need-to-stop-431912\">why we should stop applauding stars who pose without makeup<\/a> explains.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Our approach: listening to what stars say about their bodies<\/h2>\n<p>Celebrity news is often fleeting. What interests us are the moments when a public figure talks about their body, their health or the pressures they face, because these stories resonate with our readers\u2019 daily lives. We aim to share these voices rather than judge anyone\u2019s figure, and to place each story in a broader context: the pressure to be thin, ageism and sexism in the entertainment industry.<\/p>\n<h2>Articles to start with<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Actress Madhuri Dixit opens up about <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/people\/actress-madhuri-dixit-criticized-for-her-weight-reveals-she-has-suffered-from-body-shaming-444560\">the body shaming she faced over her weight<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li>An actress told she wasn\u2019t <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/people\/deemed-not-attractive-enough-leading-role-actress-denounces-beauty-standards-446807\">\u201cattractive enough\u201d for a lead role<\/a> calls out beauty standards in the film industry.<\/li>\n<li>Heidi Klum talks candidly about <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/people\/heidi-klum-discusses-weight-gain-related-to-menopause-435490\">weight gain during menopause<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li>Olivia Wilde <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/people\/actress-olivia-wilde-famous-benefits-age-446182\">celebrates the upside of getting older<\/a>, pushing back against the pressure to stay young.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Frequently asked questions<\/h2>\n<h3>What is body shaming?<\/h3>\n<p>Body shaming means criticizing, mocking or judging someone based on their physical appearance: weight, height, skin, body hair, age or facial features. Public figures are especially exposed because every photo of them is publicly commented on, but it affects everyone, online and in everyday life.<\/p>\n<h3>What is body dysmorphia?<\/h3>\n<p>Body dysmorphic disorder, often called body dysmorphia, is a mental health condition marked by an excessive preoccupation with a perceived flaw in one\u2019s appearance that is minor or invisible to others. It can cause intense distress and repetitive behaviors, such as constantly checking one\u2019s reflection. Only a health professional can diagnose it and recommend appropriate support.<\/p>\n<h3>Why do celebrities\u2019 stories about their bodies matter?<\/h3>\n<p>When a widely followed public figure talks about insecurities, an eating disorder or criticism of their weight, they bring visibility to an experience that is often lived in shame. These stories can help others speak up and encourage them to seek help. They remain personal accounts, however, and are no substitute for advice from a health professional.<\/p>\n<p>Want to go further? Our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/culture\">Culture<\/a> section analyzes movies, TV and music through the lens of representation, our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/societe\">Society<\/a> section looks at beauty standards and discrimination, and our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/psycho\/bodypositive\">Body positive<\/a> section supports you on the road to accepting your body.<\/p>","parent":0,"count":2802,"filter":"raw","cat_ID":307,"category_count":2802,"category_description":"<p>The Celebrities section of The Body Optimist follows celebrity news from a specific angle: what stars\u2019 public statements reveal about bodies, mental health, aging and beauty standards. Actresses, singers, models and athletes open up about their insecurities, their battles and their refusal of rigid beauty rules, stories that echo questions many women ask themselves.<\/p>\n<h2>What you\u2019ll find in the Celebrities section<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Bodies and body shaming<\/strong>: stars criticized for their weight, figure or face, and how they respond to the comments.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Mental health<\/strong>: eating disorders, body dysmorphia and anxiety, as when <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/people\/after-suffering-from-body-dysmorphia-actress-lana-condor-returns-to-the-pressure-related-to-appearance-446438\">Lana Condor spoke about body dysmorphia and the pressure to look a certain way<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Aging and unfiltered beauty<\/strong>: growing older in the spotlight, gray hair, makeup-free faces and the pressure to stay young forever.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Motherhood and life choices<\/strong>: pregnancy, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/people\/after-criticism-of-her-appearance-the-model-confides-in-her-postpartum-body-446593\">postpartum body<\/a> under public scrutiny and the choice not to have children.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Representation and diversity<\/strong>: plus-size artists, LGBTQIA+ public figures and athletes who challenge conventional ideas of femininity.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Celebrity style<\/strong>: red carpet and everyday looks as inspiration to adapt to your own body type.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>How can you follow celebrity news without comparing yourself?<\/h2>\n<p>Following celebrities without comparing yourself means remembering that their images are the result of professional work: lighting, makeup, styling, picking the best shots and sometimes retouching. A few habits help:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Focus on what the person says or creates rather than on their weight or age.<\/li>\n<li>Notice which accounts make you feel uneasy and clean up your feed.<\/li>\n<li>Avoid commenting on celebrities\u2019 bodies, even to compliment them: praising weight loss reinforces the very norm that causes harm.<\/li>\n<li>Don\u2019t treat a makeup-free face as a feat, as our article on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/psycho\/confiance-en-soi\/applauding-celebrities-posing-without-makeup-heres-why-we-need-to-stop-431912\">why we should stop applauding stars who pose without makeup<\/a> explains.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Our approach: listening to what stars say about their bodies<\/h2>\n<p>Celebrity news is often fleeting. What interests us are the moments when a public figure talks about their body, their health or the pressures they face, because these stories resonate with our readers\u2019 daily lives. We aim to share these voices rather than judge anyone\u2019s figure, and to place each story in a broader context: the pressure to be thin, ageism and sexism in the entertainment industry.<\/p>\n<h2>Articles to start with<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Actress Madhuri Dixit opens up about <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/people\/actress-madhuri-dixit-criticized-for-her-weight-reveals-she-has-suffered-from-body-shaming-444560\">the body shaming she faced over her weight<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li>An actress told she wasn\u2019t <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/people\/deemed-not-attractive-enough-leading-role-actress-denounces-beauty-standards-446807\">\u201cattractive enough\u201d for a lead role<\/a> calls out beauty standards in the film industry.<\/li>\n<li>Heidi Klum talks candidly about <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/people\/heidi-klum-discusses-weight-gain-related-to-menopause-435490\">weight gain during menopause<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li>Olivia Wilde <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/people\/actress-olivia-wilde-famous-benefits-age-446182\">celebrates the upside of getting older<\/a>, pushing back against the pressure to stay young.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Frequently asked questions<\/h2>\n<h3>What is body shaming?<\/h3>\n<p>Body shaming means criticizing, mocking or judging someone based on their physical appearance: weight, height, skin, body hair, age or facial features. Public figures are especially exposed because every photo of them is publicly commented on, but it affects everyone, online and in everyday life.<\/p>\n<h3>What is body dysmorphia?<\/h3>\n<p>Body dysmorphic disorder, often called body dysmorphia, is a mental health condition marked by an excessive preoccupation with a perceived flaw in one\u2019s appearance that is minor or invisible to others. It can cause intense distress and repetitive behaviors, such as constantly checking one\u2019s reflection. Only a health professional can diagnose it and recommend appropriate support.<\/p>\n<h3>Why do celebrities\u2019 stories about their bodies matter?<\/h3>\n<p>When a widely followed public figure talks about insecurities, an eating disorder or criticism of their weight, they bring visibility to an experience that is often lived in shame. These stories can help others speak up and encourage them to seek help. They remain personal accounts, however, and are no substitute for advice from a health professional.<\/p>\n<p>Want to go further? Our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/culture\">Culture<\/a> section analyzes movies, TV and music through the lens of representation, our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/societe\">Society<\/a> section looks at beauty standards and discrimination, and our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/psycho\/bodypositive\">Body positive<\/a> section supports you on the road to accepting your body.<\/p>","cat_name":"Celebrities","category_nicename":"people","category_parent":0}]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/439815","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8375"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=439815"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/439815\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":439845,"href":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/439815\/revisions\/439845"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/439825"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=439815"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=439815"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=439815"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}