Peloton Stock Price Falls After 'Sex and the City' Character Dies Riding

Warning: this article contains spoilers from the first episode of the Sex and the City reboot.

On Thursday, HBO Max released the first episode of the new Sex and the City series. The episode, entitled "Hello It's Me", reunites characters from the original series, including Carrie Bradshaw, Miranda Hobbes, and Charlotte York Goldenblatt. In addition, the show's real star, Mr. Big, played by Chris Norh, makes his long-awaited return.

So far, all of this is positive news. Great, in fact. But then things quickly turn sideways.

On Thursday, December 9, 2021, Mr. Big suffers a heart attack while riding his Peloton bike and dies.

While we are all saddened to learn of Mr. Big's fate, no one has felt his death harder than Peloton. According to CNBC, Peloton's stock price fell 5.3% after the episode aired -- it was as high as 11% according to TotalFratMove.com, raising questions about the company’s image and safety issues.

To stop the steep fall, Peloton issued a statement:

“I’m sure ‘SATC’ fans, like me, are saddened by the news that Mr. Big dies of a heart attack,” said Dr. Suzanne Steinbaum, a preventative cardiologist and member of Peloton’s health and wellness advisory council.

“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. 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.”

“More than 80% of all cardiac-related deaths are preventable through lifestyle, diet and exercise modifications. And while 25% of heart attacks each year are in patients who already had one (like Mr. Big), even then they are very, very treatable. The lesson here is, KNOWYOUR NUMBERS! It’s always important to talk to your doctor, get tested, and have a healthy prevention strategy. The good news is Peloton helps you track heart rate while you ride, so you can do it safely.”

So riding his Peloton Bike may have even helped delay Mr. Big's cardiac event, the company thinks.

We can't completely blame HBO for Peloton's rough morning. Peloton confirms that it was aware that the episode would depict a fictional Peloton instructor and include one of the company's bikes --the bike that kills Mr. Big.

Sorry, his death is not an excuse not to exercise this weekend.