Netflix Reportedly Battles Porn Websites Over Illegal Circulation of ‘Bridgerton’ Sex Scenes
Zack Sharf
Netflix is reportedly in a fight against porn websites over the illegal circulation of sex scenes ripped from the streaming service’s popular romance drama “Bridgerton,” which is on course to reach 63 million households in the four weeks following its December 25 premiere. Page Six reports that “pirated sex scenes from the period piece have racked up hundreds of thousands of views on adult video-streaming platforms, leaving Netflix execs struggling to yank the unauthorized shared footage.” Netflix has reportedly issued warnings about “the misuse of their intellectual property,” which has gotten some clips removed but not all.
“’Bridgerton’s’ sex scenes appearing alongside some of the most obscene material the web has to offer has sparked horror and anger,” an insider told U.K. publication The Sun, adding cast member Phoebe Dynevor is upset with the circulation of the sex scenes. “Raunchy set pieces have contributed to the buzz but it is a prestige drama based on best-selling novels. To peddle scenes as pure smut is beyond the pale.”
The source added, “It’s been particularly distressing for Phoebe and Regé-Jean, two young actors who signed on for the role of a lifetime and did not consent to being exploited in this way.”
“Bridgerton” is far from the first television series to have sex scenes illegally ripped from episodes and distributed on porn websites. “Game of Thrones” sex scenes were frequently circulated across the internet, while Hulu’s breakout 2020 series “Normal People” had its sex scenes edited into a compilation video that was distributed on PornHub. After “Normal People” executive producer Ed Guiney condemned PornHub for distributing the compilation, the video was removed from the platform.
“We’re hugely disappointed that excerpts from the series of ‘Normal People’ have been used in this way,” Guiney said to Variety about the matter last year. “It’s both a violation of copyright and more importantly, it’s deeply disrespectful to the actors involved and to the wider creative team. We have taken appropriate steps to require that the content be removed from the platform with immediate effect.”
IndieWire has reached out to Netflix for further comment. The first season of “Bridgerton” is streaming on Netflix.
