‘Bridgerton’ author Julia Quinn defends gender swap of Francesca’s love interest

(From left) Hannah Dodd and Masali Baduza as “Bridgerton” characters Francesca Bridgerton and Michaela Stirling, respectively. Images: Courtesy of Netflix

Julia Quinn, author of the “Bridgerton” novels, came to the defense of the showrunners after the hit series swapped the gender of Francesca Bridgerton’s love interest — one of its titular characters — into a woman.

The original storyline of Francesca in “When He Was Wicked,” sixth of the “Bridgerton” book series, revolves around the aftermath of the death of her husband, John Stirling. Along the way, she finds comfort and romance in John’s cousin, Michael Stirling, who has always been in love with her since then.

Fans of the novels, however, were up in arms on social media after season three’s finale introduced Michaela Stirling (Masali Baduza) as the second love interest of Francesca Bridgerton (Hannah Dodd), shortly after her wedding to John Stirling (Victor Alli). Baduza was eventually confirmed as the love interest of Dodd in the series.

Despite this, Quinn addressed the backlash in a lengthy statement on social media on Monday, June 24, saying she was initially surprised by the change in Francesca’s storyline until she eventually gave her blessing to the showrunners.

“Anyone who has seen an interview with me from the past four years knows that I am deeply committed to the ‘Bridgerton’ world becoming more diverse and inclusive as the stories move from book to screen,” she said.

“But switching the gender of a major character is a huge change, and so when Jess Brownell first approached me with the idea of turning Michael into Michaela for the show, I needed more information before conferring my agreement,” she continued.

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Francesca’s ‘abiding love’

In her statement, Quinn said she had a “long” discussion with the showrunners, where she reiterated the importance of Francesca’s love for John and Michael while addressing the change of the latter’s gender in the series.

“I wanted to be sure that we could remain true to the spirit of the book and of the characters. Jess and I talked for a long time about it. More than once. I made it clear that it was extremely important to me that Francesca’s abiding love for John be shown on screen,” she said.

While recalling how she “fought” for the novel’s “first four chapters,” Quinn thanked the fans for their “feedback” while assuring the show’s adaptation will be as “tearjerking” as the novel itself.

“I felt that if I didn’t show how deeply she loved John, and how deeply Michael, his cousin, also loved him, then their feelings of guilt at falling in love with each other after John’s death made no sense… I wanted the reader to feel it,” she said.

“I’m confident now that when Francesca has her Bridgerton season, it will be the most emotional and heart-wrenching story of the show… Thank you to readers and fans for your feedback. I am grateful for your understanding and touched by your deep commitment to the characters of the Bridgerton world,” she further explained.

Quinn also appealed to the fans to have faith on the decision of show runners’, led by producer Shonda Rhimes,  to change Michael’s gender, saying this would now allow them to enjoy “two series” of Francesca’s story.

“I ask that you grant me and the Shondaland team some faith as we move forward. I think we are going to end up with two stories, one on page and one on screen, and they will both be beautiful and moving,” she said.

Comments on Quinn’s post are marred with backlash, with many reiterating that while it’s “important to represent LGBTQIA+ love stories” onscreen, the change of Michael to Michaela “ruined” the novel’s original storyline.

Screenshots from Instagram/@juliaquinnauthor

Based on the books, “Bridgerton” revolves around the story of the Bridgerton siblings. The series has been a hit on Netflix since it’s first streaming.

Season one centers around Daphne Bridgerton (Phoebe Dynevor) and Simon Basset (Regé-Jean Page), while Season two focuses on Anthony Bridgerton (Jonathan Bailey) and Kate Sharma (Simone Ashley).

Season three tells the love story of Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton) and Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan).