Forbes article on ‘mixed-weight’ romance referring to ‘Bridgerton’ couple Nicola Coughlan and Luke Newton sparks uproar

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Forbes received a lot of criticism after publishing an article about the 'mixed-weight romance' between two characters, Nicola Coughlan as Penelope Featherington, and Luke Newton as Colin Bridgerton from 'Bridgerton'.

The article suggested that society might not be ready to see different body types in on-screen relationships

The online community has expressed anger over the article on 'Bridgerton', outraged by its content, as per Daily Mail.

Forbes article on 'Bridgerton' couple faces backlash online

The article written by Virgie Tovar, a prominent advocate against weight bias, centered on the on-screen relationship of fictional characters Coughlan and Newton.

Tovar noted that the on-screen relationship between the two characters diverged from conventional romance plotlines, mainly because Nicola is larger than Luke.

However, Tovar's use of the term 'mixed-weight romance' has provoked strong criticism from readers, who question why highlighting their body sizes was necessary.

Fans of the Shonda Rhimes series flooded X, formerly known as Twitter, to criticize the writer and the publication, particularly ridiculing the 'mixed-weight' terminology. Many wondered why ‘Bridgerton's latest leading couple was singled out as an example of such a relationship

One tweeted, "Mixed-weight romance? Uh, people seem to accept gorgeous skinny women getting with men who are deemed out of their league just fine. And for the record, Pen and Colin are both gorgeous people. I don’t understand the disparity here?" Another user slammed, "no one seemed to give a f**k when it was men  but now suddenly its "mixed weight romance" when its a woman (also these movies are not recent these are from mid 2000s), you people really disgust me" 

Another distressed user tweeted, "Omg 🤦🏼‍♀️😡 “mixed weight romance” How is that a thing ? I’m thinking it is only relevant when the woman is bigger 🙄 If it was a man then he would be “punching above his weight” and applauded"  Another individual felt, "I just saw the phrase “mixed-weight romance” and honestly I died inside 🤮" The other expressed, "Mixed weight romance? MIXED. WEIGHT. ROMANCE. Get in the actual bin. Nicola Coughlan is a damn Queen and I’m ready to ride into battle over this. Do better, you s**t heads." The last added, "Mixed weight relationships I hate it here." 

Viewers previously criticized a plot twist in ‘Bridgerton’s latest season’s finale

However, recently viewers have criticized a surprising plot twist in the latest 'Bridgerton's season's finale.

In Season Three, Francesca Bridgerton, portrayed by Hannah Dodd, marries John Stirling, but in a twist, she ends up with his cousin Michaela (Michael in the books) after John's death. During a brief conversation, Francesca stumbles over her words and seems unsure of herself when Michaela introduces herself, in the television series adaptation.

The gender swap in the storyline caught book fans off guard and left many feeling disappointed. Showrunner Jess Brownell explained the decision behind the change and expressed intentions to include more LGBTQIA+ representation in the series.

"When we started talking about queer representation on the show, we started with a discussion that this is a show about happily-ever-afters, and that we're not interested in queer trauma - that we really want to see queer joy," Brownell told Variety.

"You're going to see more of Michaela next season. I can't say in what capacity, just in terms of not tipping my hand of where we're going. But there is going to be a relationship between Michaela and Fran, as per the books," she shared with Entertainment Weekly

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