Bridgerton Boss Responds To Backlash Over Francesca and Michael Stirling Changes

17 June 2024, 15:50

Bridgerton showrunner Jess Brownell responds to Francesca Michaela backlash. Picture: Netflix

By Katie Louise Smith

"I would encourage people to channel some empathy for people who have not gotten to see themselves represented inside this world."

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Alongside a happy ending for Penelope and Colin, a new Lady Whistledown bombshell and a potential future romance for Violet Bridgerton, Bridgerton season 3's ending introduced viewers to Michaela Stirling – Francesca's future love interest.

If you're familiar with Julia Quinn's books, you'll know that Francesca experiences a devastating loss and eventually ends up marrying John Stirling's cousin Michael. In the Netflix series, Michael has now been changed to Michaela, and Francesca's upcoming romance will be explored as a queer relationship.

The major departure from the books has been met with both huge praise and backlash from various parts of the fandom.

Those who are excited to finally see a queer love story take centre stage in Bridgerton are already obsessed with Hannah Dodd and Masali Baduza's instant on-screen chemistry, while others have complained about the show 'destroying' and 'ruining' the character of Michael. (Executive producer Shonda Rhimes' Instagram comments are currently flooded with negative comments.)

Now, showrunner Jess Brownell has responded to that backlash and has explained why Francesca's love story was the perfect opportunity to centre queer love in the major hit series.

Read more: Which Couple Will Bridgerton Season 4 Be About?
Read more: Who Does Francesca Marry In Bridgerton? Here's What Happens In The Books

Bridgerton season 3 introduces John Stirling's cousin Michaela – known as Michael in the books. Picture: Netflix

Speaking to Teen Vogue about Francesca's upcoming love story, Jess addressed the potential backlash and explained that Bridgerton author Julia Quinn also approved of making the change.

"The fact of the matter is, the fan base is not a monolith, and you're never going to please every single side of the fan base," she said. "In, for example, deciding to tell a queer story with Francesca, I spoke with Julia Quinn, I got her blessing."

"We talked about the fact that with almost any single book, there would be a side of the fandom that would be disheartened to see their favorite characters changed. I don't think that there is any book that wouldn't happen with, so for me, again, it came back to story, and it came back to character," she continued.

"Because Francesca's book resonated [with me] in the way that it did, it felt like a natural adaptation."

Bridgerton cast reveal which character they would marry

Similarly, in an interview with Vanity Fair, Jess shared that she was ready for any pushback from fans regarding Francesca and Benedict's queer identities in the show. (Benedict has a brief sexual relationship with man in season 3, and will continue to explore his fluidity in season 4.)

"I am prepared for it," Jess said. "I understand that people are very attached to the way the books are. The books will always be there, and those stories are unchanged. So while book fans will always have their Michael, it felt like queer fans didn’t have anyone in either the books or in the series who was really featured to relate to."

She added: "I would encourage people to channel some empathy for people who have not gotten to see themselves represented inside this world, which is so inclusive in other ways. That is a really, really important message to send to people that they deserve to be included and represented as well.”

Bridgerton showrunner Jess Brownell responds to backlash over Francesca and Benedict's queer identities. Picture: Netflix

Explaining why she decided to introduce Michaela Stirling instead of Michael, Jess told Teen Vogue: "My approach to telling a queer story on Bridgerton has been to look to the books for thematic cues. I didn't want to just insert a queer character for queer character's sake. I want to tell a story that accurately reflects a queer experience, and the first time I read Francesca's book, I really identified with it as a queer woman."

Jess points out that Francesca's book is "very much about [her] feeling different, and not really knowing why." And while she notes that Julia Quinn explored that through Francesca's introverted personality, Jess saw an opportunity to explore that in a different way.

She's also confirmed that Francesca's love story will be one of queer joy, and will have a happy ending. Details about how the show will adapt all the key details in her book story are still under wraps.