Bridgerton Author Julia Quinn Releases Statement On Michael Stirling Gender Swap

25 June 2024, 15:01

By Sam Prance

Francesca's love interest in her Bridgerton season will now be Michaela Stirling instead of Michael Stirling.

Bridgerton author Julia Quinn has opened up about how she feels about Michael Stirling being gender-swapped in the show.

As soon as Bridgerton season 3 part 2 came out, fans couldn't stop talking about a key detail change from the books. In the season 3 finale, we meet John Stirling's cousin, Michaela Stirling. In When He Was Wicked, Francesca ends up with John's cousin Michael after John passes away. This means Michaela will be Francesca's love interest in the show.

For the most part, fans have embraced the change and have welcomed the fact that Bridgerton will be giving us a main queer romance. That being said, there's also been backlash from fans who are upset that the show is veering away from the books. Bridgerton showrunner Jess Brownell previously revealed that she had Julia Quinn's blessing to swap Michael for Michaela.

Now, Julia has released a statement explaining that she has spoken at length with Jess and is in full support of the change.

• Read more: Is Francesca Gay In Bridgerton? How Season 3 Ending Sets Up Her Future Romance
• Read more: Which Couple Will Bridgerton Season 4 Be About?

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Taking to her Facebook page, Julia addressed the gender swap and made clear that it's important to her to make Bridgerton more inclusive. She explained: "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."

Julia then revealed that the decision to change Michael over to Michaela was not made lightly. 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."

Julia continued: "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."

Showing her support, 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."

Finally, Julia asked her readers to trust her. She added: "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."

Addressing the backlash previously, showrunner Jess told Teen Vogue: "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 also told Vanity Fair: "I would encourage people to channel some empathy for people who have not gotten to see themselves represented inside this world."

So there we have it! Francesca and Michaela's romance has the official Julia Quinn seal of approval. Bring on their season!

Read more about Bridgerton here:

• Bridgerton Season 4: Release Date, Cast, Plot, Spoilers And News
• Bridgerton's Claudia Jessie Says There's "Definitely Room" For Eloise To Have A Queer Romance
• Who Does Eloise Marry In Bridgerton? Sir Phillip Crane Has Already Been Introduced
• Who Does Benedict Marry In Bridgerton? Sophie Beckett Could Arrive In Season 3
• Bridgerton Bosses "Committed" To Making All 8 Seasons At Netflix

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