Bridgerton fans slam Daphne and Simon’s ‘toxic’ romance after ‘rape scene’ backlash

BRIDGERTON fans have slammed Daphne and Simon’s ‘toxic’ romance after ‘rape scene’ backlash.

The Netflix period drama has taken the streaming platform by storm since it dropped om Christmas Day but one particular moment has received stark criticism from viewers.

• The best series on Netflix
• The best movies on Netflix
• New on Netflix: What to watch this week

The series follows two families whose daughters are desperate to find their dream man.

However, Daphne Bridgerton (Phoebe Dynever) plots with Simon Bassett, the Duke of Hastings (Regé-Jean Page), to pretend they are in a relationship.

However, the pair actually develop feelings for each other and in episode six, things take a turn Daphne forces Simon to have sleep with her.

This happened despite him previously telling her he does not want to have children and told her to stop not once but twice.

Fans have had their say on Twitter as one fan demanded: “They really should have left the rape scene out or held Daphne accountable for her actions #Bridgerton.”

Another fan wrote: “Hmm I’m disturbed that the gravity of what Daphne did to Simon in #bridgerton wasn’t properly addressed. It’s clearly marital rape.

A third viewer raged: “for anyone watching #Bridgerton , episode 6 has a male rape scene that they…somehow made worse than the book. I’m so angry.”

While a fourth follower argued: “…Did we really just completely ignore a rape scene? Okay. That’s not what we like to see from a sexy period drama. #bridgerton.”