WARNING: Spoilers for the series premiere of And Just Like That… below.
After a ten year absence, Sex and the City returned to HBO this week with the new revival series And Just Like That…, which wasted no time killing off a major character in the premiere and Peloton‘s stock price in the process. After working out on one of the company’s exercise machines, Chris Noth’s Mr. Big drops dead from a heart attack. Understandably, there’s been some concern from Peloton, which no doubt continued Friday morning as the exercise equipment company’s stock price continued to drop following the episode’s release.
Via Variety:
Shares of Peloton, the fitness equipment company, fell 11.3% Thursday — tumbling to a 19-month low — after a key character in HBO Max’s “Sex and the City” revival, “And Just Like That,” was shown dying of a heart attack after a 45-minute workout on one of the company’s exercise bikes.
The stock continued its slide Friday, down more than 5% in midmorning trading.
Peloton reportedly approved the use of its exercise bike in the series. However, it was not aware that it would be featured prominently in the death of a major character. Following the premiere, Pelton quickly scrambled to put the blame on Mr. Big’s lifestyle, and the fact that he had already experienced a prior heart attack during Sex and the City‘s initial run.
“Mr. Big lived what many would call an extravagant lifestyle — including cocktails, cigars, and big steaks — and was at serious risk as he had a previous cardiac event in Season 6,” the company said in a statement to US Weekly. “These lifestyle choices and perhaps even his family history, which often is a significant factor, were the likely cause of his death. Riding his Peloton bike may have even helped delay his cardiac event.”
(Via Variety)