Bridgerton Actress Ruby Barker Reveals Her Dad Died

Bridgerton star Ruby Barker is starting 2023 on a sad note, having revealed that her father has died.

The 26-year-old actress, who plays Marina Thompson on the Netflix hit series, made the announcement in a post on Instagram Wednesday.

“Rest in peace Daddy, I love you more than life itself,” she wrote beside a series of photos of herself as a young child spending time with her father. “I hope I did and will continue to do you proud.”

“This world is less lighter without you, I will never get over this,” she added.

Barker did not share any details regarding her father’s death, but did add a note of thanks to the “Glasgow general infirmary,” a hospital in in Glasgow, Scotland.

Julia Quinn, author of the Bridgerton novels upon which the TV series was adapted, commented with her condolences: “I am so sorry for your loss, Ruby. May his memory be a blessing.”

The sad event comes just months after Barker endured another emotionally difficult period in her life. Last May, the actress told her followers on Instagram that she’d been hospitalized for mental health issues after struggling “for a really long time.”

Following her discharge at the end of that month, however, Barker told fans she was feeling much better. “I can’t wait for the future, I’m doing ok for myself, I’m in a beautiful environment right now to take some time to myself and relax and breathe,” she said.

“Getting outdoors, going for walks, speaking to loved ones, trying not to ostracize yourself, that’s a really big step,” she added. “If I have any advice for my younger self, I would just tell myself, ‘Listen, it’s not all doom and gloom, even when you hit rock bottom.'”