‘Bridgerton’ Gender-Swap Controversy Explained: Why ‘Michaela Stirling’ Has Fans Upset
Topline Fans of the original series that inspired the hit Netflix show “Bridgerton” were shocked in the final minutes of the season 3 finale when the character Michael Stirling was introduced by a different name—Michaela—and played by a female actress, a change that led to the show’s inclusion of a lesbian romance and prompted the show’s creator to defend the swap.
The third season of “Bridgerton,” the second of which was released last week, follows the relationship of Francesca Bridgerton and the Earl of Kilmartin John Stirling, who introduces his new wife to his cousin in the final moments of the season.
That cousin, named Michael in the books, is instead introduced as Michaela Stirling and played by actress Masali Baduza.
The switch may go unnoticed—and may seem insignificant—to those who only watch the show, but fans of the series know that Michael Stirling and Francesca fell in love after John Stirling’s untimely death.
With the switch, “Bridgerton” is setting itself up to tell the lesbian love story of Francesca and Michaela, a change that has sparked such intense online discussion that it prompted “Bridgerton” creator Julia Quinn to issue a statement on Monday.
Quinn said she is “deeply committed to making the world of ‘Bridgerton’ more diverse and inclusive as the stories move from book to screen,” and said that, despite some “disappointment” from fans, she is confident that the season featuring the couple will be “the show’s most moving and heartbreaking story yet.”
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Season 4. Netflix confirmed in 2021 that there will be a fourth season of “Bridgerton,” but when it will be released and who will star are still unknown.
The launch of the “Bridgerton” series on Netflix has caused sales of Quinn’s original eight-book series to skyrocket. According to data from Circana Bookscan, Quinn sold 77,541 books in 2020, the year before the movie was released. That number jumped to 1.6 million the following year and remained high at 1.16 million in 2022. The series sold another 495,435 books last year and has sold 357,493 so far in 2024.
