Julia Quinn, the author of the novel series around which Netflix’s super hit drama Bridgerton revolves, addressed the season 3 gender swap. After the introduction of Francescas Bridgerton’s new love interest, played by Hannah Dodd, as Michaela Stirling, played Masali Baduza, towards the end of season 3, the show received mixed reviews from fans.

Many expressed their disappointment with the gender-swap decision because the novel originally showcased Lord Kilmartin’s cousin,Michael Stirling, a male.

Addressing fans concerns, the novel’s author Julia Quinn took to Instagram and penned, “I am deeply committed to the Bridgerton world becoming more diverse and inclusive as the stories move from book to screen.
Nonetheless, she admitted, “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’m confident now that when Francesca has her Bridgerton season, it will be the most emotional and heart-wrenching story of the show,” she promised.

Julia also stated, “Honestly, it may pack even 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 we’ve all fallen a little bit in love with him.”

“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,” she expressed as she concluded the post.

Source: People

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