“Bridgerton author Julia Quinn has defended a gender-swap scene from the show’s third season, which aired last week, after the scene sparked complaints from fans.
“Anyone who has seen any of my interviews over the past four years will know that I am deeply committed to making the world of Bridgerton more diverse and inclusive as the story moves from book to screen,” Quinn said in an Instagram post.
“Bridgerton” is a Regency-era drama that focuses on the members of the Bridgerton family and their love stories, with each season focusing on a different member of the family. The book-based TV series has made some big changes for Season 3, the best-selling romance novelist explained in response to fans’ disappointment.
Nicola Coughlan, Luke Newton and the cast of ‘Bridgerton’ share their best dating advice
Luke Newton (left) and Nicola Coughlin (right) pose for photographers as they arrive at a screening of “Bridgerton” season 3 part 2 on June 12, 2024 in London. (Scott A. Garfitt/InVision/AP)
The show has swapped the gender of popular character Francesca Bridgerton’s love interest.
“But changing the gender of a major character is a big change. [showrunner] “Jess Brownell first approached me with the idea of changing Michael to Michaela for the show, but I needed more information before I agreed,” Quinn said.
The author went on to explain that while she believes in the vision for “Bridgerton,” she wants to ensure that any changes are consistent with “the spirit of the books and the characters.”
Ted Sarandos and Shonda Rhimes attended the world premiere of Bridgerton Season 2 held at Tate Modern in London, England on March 22, 2022. (Leah Tobey/Getty Images)
“Jess and I spoke about it at length and I made it very clear to her that it was very important to me to portray Francesca’s abiding love for John on screen,” Quinn said of Francesca’s first husband on the series.
Bridgerton Season 3 Will Feature Classical Covers of Every Pop Culture Song
Fans flooded the comments section to slam the changes to their fan-favourite character, with many upset that one of Francesca’s inspirational storylines – her struggle with infertility – may no longer be seen on screen.
“This season marks the end of Bridgerton,” Vanessa Claudio, a model and publicist for FZ Management, wrote in the comments section of Quinn’s Instagram post.
“I also hate the recent changes to the Bridgerton family because I wanted to see Francesca overcome loss, miscarriage and infertility to find love (and a baby) again with Michael, but this change is Jess Brownell’s fault, not Julia Quinn’s,” writer Kelly Arthur posted on X.
“Fertile ground” when discussing the focus on infertility struggles without acknowledging the abolition of a storyline that means so much to so many? @netflix @Bridgerton “Please try harder. As infertile people we are constantly bombarded with these hurtful and unkind comments. It’s not ok,” Christine McCall wrote to X.
Brownwell, who will take on the role of showrunner for season three, has previously said the show will include LGBTQ representation.
Click here to get the FOX News app
Regé-Jean Page as Simon Bassett in Bridgerton 108. Cr. Liam Daniel/NETFLIX © 2020 (Liam Daniel/NETFLIX)
“I think this is a show about the different ways people love,” Brownell says. He told Refinery29“So we feel it’s right to show all the different forms of love that people can have, including queer love. So we’re going to be exploring queer love stories over the next few seasons.”
Fox News Digital has reached out to Netflix for comment.
Ashlyn Messier contributed to this report.
