Bridgerton: Author Julia Quinn reacts to Michaela Stirling backlash

Bridgerton first swept onto our screens in December 2020. And it felt like a breath of fresh air. This is a period drama that was full of scandals but also of love and female identity.

The debutantes in their silk dresses and gloves at those extravagant balls made us instantly fall in love with the show. But beneath the polished surface, it’s always been about breaking the pattern.

This is a show that reimagines society through a lens of diversity and desire. Each season gets deeper into the intimate lives of the Bridgertons. It reveals their love lives that are complicated and messy. It shows how people connect and grow, but sometimes fall apart. There is elegance but also pain, rebellion, longing, and courage.

The final moments of Bridgerton Season 3 gave us something unexpected: Michaela Stirling. She is the gender-flipped version of the original book character, Michael Stirling. Michaela was introduced as the cousin of John Stirling. And, more importantly, the future love interest of Francesca Bridgerton.

She is played by Masali Baduza. Though she appears briefly, that itself rewrites everything we thought we knew about Francesca’s story. And not everyone took it positively.

Bridgerton: Julia Quinn didn’t expect the hate

Bridgerton introduced Michaela Stirling as Francesca’s future love interest. And many fans of the books were caught off guard. But Julia Quinn, who is the author of the beloved book series, wasn’t. She was looped in long before we were.

In an interview with Us Weekly, she shared that the gender swap from Michael to Michaela was a major change. But she didn’t think it would stir this much backlash. She said:

"I mean, I think it is a bigger story change than making the characters more racially diverse. I did not expect the level of meanness among some of the fans.”

She didn't anticipate this much hatred from fans of her books. She added:

"I mean, some of them, like, I knew some people were going to be really disappointed and upset, and I wanted them all to know that I talked about it with the showrunner."

"I had more time to get used to the idea than everybody else, and also I have more information about it than everybody else about how it’s going to be done. So, I felt good about it,” Quinn said of the gender-swap. “I expected some disappointment, [but] I didn’t expect people, like, calling me names and saying like, ‘Oh, go deposit your big fat check,’ and ‘You sold out. You’re a terrible person.’ So, that was a little strange, but I’m fine. It’s just, like, if you can’t handle it, there’s always the book. I’m not going to rewrite the book, and you can have one of each."

She is clear that the books will always be there for them to read. Francesca and Michael still live on in the pages, but the show is its own creative world. And really, the show is doing something different.

Francesca’s character was always a bit of a mystery. She is more introverted, more private. Her connection with John was peaceful, respectful, and gentle.

But the moment she sets her eyes on Michaela, something stirs in her. And that speaks volumes.

Bridgerton is about exploring identity and expanding the very definition of love, as seen in the case of Benedict Bridgerton as well. And now, it’s simply letting that love take new and unexpected forms

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