"Bridgerton" breakout star Regé-Jean Page, who played the Duke of Hastings, will not return for Season 2

Regé-Jean Page, the breakout leading male star of Netflix's "Bridgerton" will not return to the hit historical show as the Duke of Hastings for Season 2. The news was announced as an article Friday in Lady Whistledown's "Society Papers" — the popular gossip column weaved throughout the show's storyline. 

"Dear Readers, while all eyes turn to Lord Anthony Bridgerton's quest to find a Viscountess, we bid adieu to Regé-Jean Page, who so triumphantly played the Duke of Hastings," the show said in a statement, written in the style of the anonymous narrator voiced by Julie Andrews. "We'll miss Simon's presence onscreen, but he will always be a part of the Bridgerton family." Page, who played the alluring yet unattainable Simon Basset, became an instant star after the release of the series, winning an NAACP Award for his portrayal. He recently hosted "Saturday Night Live" and will soon star in Netflix's "The Gray Man" and Paramount's "Dungeons & Dragons."