Bridgerton Author Julia Quinn Addresses Fan Backlash Over Gender-Swapping Francesca's Love Interest

Bridgerton author Julia Quinn, who wrote the eight-book series the Netflix series is based on, is speaking out amid backlash from fans after the show made a very big change from the novels.

On Monday, the author issued a statement on social media, in which she addressed the fan "disappointment" after it was revealed Francesca's love interest had been gender-swapped, and her character is now queer.

Toward the end of the Bridgerton Season 3 finale, which dropped earlier this month, a newly married Francesca Bridgerton (Hannah Dodd) is introduced to her husband John Stirling's cousin, Michaela Stirling (Masali Baduza). She appears flustered, at a loss for words, and can't seem to remember her own name, alluding that she's possibly attracted to Michaela.

However, Francesca's book, When He Was Wicked, which is the sixth book in Quinn's series, follows Francesca, now a widow, and her whirlwind romance with John's cousin, Michael Stirling.

Following the Season 3 finale, many fans -- particularly book readers -- were angry that Francesca's love interest was changed from a man to a woman, with people calling out Bridgerton Season 3 showrunner Jess Brownell on social media and expressing their frustrations online.

Among the reasons fans say they're upset about the major change is because Francesca struggles with infertility in her story, Michael Sterling is a fan-favorite male character -- while, in the show, Francesca appears not to be very into her first kiss with John, and seems to be immediately taken by Michaela. In the book, she's deeply in love with John, even after his death.

Quinn shared a lengthy statement on social media, in which she weighed in on big change from page to screen.

"Many Bridgerton fans have expressed their surprise, and for some, disappointment in the twist at the end of Bridgerton Season 3 -- that Michael Stirling, with whom Francesca eventually falls in love in When He Was Wicked, would instead by Michaela," Quinn began.

"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 continued. "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."

"I trust Shondaland's vision for Bridgerton, but I wanted to be sure that we could remain true to the spirit of the book and of the characters," Quinn wrote. "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. When I wrote When He Was Wicked, I actually had to fight to have the first four chapters, which establish that love, included. My publisher was worried that writing about Fran's love for John would take away from Michael's role as the eventual romance novel hero."

Quinn went on to add, "I'm confident now that when Francesca has her Bridgerton season, it will be the most emotional and heart-wrenching story of the show, just like When He Was Wicked has always been the true tear-jerker of the Bridgerton book series."

"Honestly, it may pack more of a punch, since John is getting a lot more time on the screen than he ever did on the page, and I think it's fair to say that we've all fallen a little bit in love with him," she explained, referring to how Bridgerton, the show, has already introduced John to viewers.

Quinn concluded her post by thanking "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. I ask that you grant me and the Shondaland team some faith as we move forward," she said. "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."

Despite Quinn's attempt to reassure her followers with her statement, the comments section of her post is flooded with still-angry fans.

Meanwhile, in an interview with Variety, show-runner Jess Brownell opened up about the discussions regarding "queer representation" in the series.

"When we started talking about queer representation on the show, we started with a discussion that this is a show about happily-ever-afters, and that we're not interested in queer trauma -- that we really want to see queer joy," she said. "And if we're going to tell a queer story, we would like to find a way for there to be a happily ever after."

"So we have done a lot of research to figure out how we can achieve that within the confines of our world," she added. "And after people see the next couple of seasons, I'll be able to talk about that more."

Bridgerton Season 3 is available to stream on Netflix.