Shonda Rhimes admitted her shock at fans' reaction to Regé-Jean Page's departure from "Bridgerton" as she said it usually only happens when she has killed off a character from her shows.

The 51-year-old TV mogul told Vanity Fair on Tuesday that she was really surprised since she did not expect "this much of an explosion." She argued that the Netflix series did not kill Page's character, Simon the Duke of Hastings. He is still very much alive but he is just not the focus of the story in season 2.

"I was really shocked, because usually, that happens when I've killed off somebody that's been around for a while. Like, we didn't kill him, he's still alive," Rhimes said adding "[Regé-Jean] is a powerful, amazing actor and that meant we did our job — every season, our job is finding the right people and putting together this incredible, world-shifting romance."

She confessed that she did not expect fans to mourn Page's exit given that every book in Julia Quinn's series (which the show is based on) tells of a different romance. The first book was about Daphne Bridgerton (Phoebe Dynevor) finding love and her happily-ever-after with the Duke of Hastings. The second season of "Bridgerton" will shift focus and follow Anthony Bridgerton's (Jonathan Bailey) pursuit of love. The story is based on Quinn's second book called "The Viscount Who Loved Me."

"What would be the ever-after of this combo? I mean, really: What would Regé-Jean do, you know what I mean? We gave them their happily ever after! And now we have this next couple coming. And so yeah, I was like, 'Whoa!'" Rhimes explained as she noted that it is her "job" to cast men whom audiences will find "devastatingly attractive" that they will "become incredibly overly attached." The downside is these fans "get enraged" when the cast is moved about in any way.

The interview comes after a source told Page Six that Page left "Bridgerton" because of "creative differences" with Rhimes. He was reportedly unhappy with what the producers planned for the Duke of Hastings, which "would have kept him a player but not the focal point of the show."

"If you look at all the big names who have left 'Grey's Anatomy' in the past, you see you don't disagree with Shonda, nobody is bigger than the show," the source said.

Despite the alleged "creative differences," Page left "Bridgerton" on good terms with Rhimes. He has also since thanked everyone involved in the show and the fans for "the ride of a lifetime."

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