(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. “B.
