"My mind hasn’t changed"—Bridgerton fans accept storyline changes after Julia Quinn's response

Weeks after Bridgerton season 3 divided fans based on the gender identity of Michaela (Michael in the books), writer Julia Quinn is clapping back at the people who raised questions about the maker's decision to gender swap the character.

Speaking on the matter at length on Instagram, the author put up a post on June 25, stating—

"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. 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.”

She continued—

"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. 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.”

Besides this, she also added that she was looking forward to seeing how Francesca's story plays out in the upcoming seasons.

After Quinn released this statement via her Instagram, the post became a topic of discussion among social circles. Bridgerton fans largely took to social media to discuss the matter. On Reddit, the conversations gained maximum momentum with people either agreeing or disagreeing with Quinn's views on the matter.

A comment by a Reddit user(Image via Reddit)

"My mind hasn't changed, but I was on board to begin with", wrote one user extending their support.

"My mind didn't change, because it didn't need to. This is an adaptation. Things have already changed. I'm not a racist homophobe, so life moves on and I don't need to throw tantrums on the Internet about queer people of color existing in a show I like," wrote another.

They also added—

"Sad that some of you cling to your homophobia and racism and pretend it's because you care about the ~accuracy~ of a show that has never been faithful to the books."

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The audiences have been positively receptive towards Julia Quinn's clap back concerning Bridgerton

After Julia Quinn made it clear that she was on showrunner Jess Brownell's side when it came to elements in the Bridgertonverse, the audiences mostly welcomed Quinn's thoughts with an open mind.

Most hold the view that Michael's gender swap is a welcome change that is in tune with the show which rides high on inclusivity. However, some had problems with how Michaela and Francesca's story panned out towards the end of Bridgerton season 3.

"I would have been way more satisfied with the change if we see Michaela breathless and falling first for Frannie. That’s way more in the spirit of their relationship, regardless of any gender. - Myself, and I think a lot of people are sad because of the way they directed / wrote things, and not due to the race and sexual orientation of the characters in the show," wrote one user.

"Like when I heard, during the break between part 1 and 2 about the swap, I was excited to see a bisexual story AND a second-chance love story... so being blindsided by a lesbian Fran and a finding "real true" love was just a tad bit disappointing. I loved how they portrayed show John in part 1 so I felt a tiny bit betrayed on his behalf," one user wrote.

They continued—

"That look after the wedding kiss before she even met Michaela was one thing but together with that convo with Violet and that reaction to Michaela later? Like book Fran doesn't have Michael on her radar at all as a romantic interest because she loves John so much"

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About season 3 of the show

Bridgerton season 3 which was recently released on Netflix, followed the love story between Colin and Penelope. After several debacles throughout the entire season, the two finally managed to end up together in a happy marriage. Their union also resulted in the birth of kids at the end of the season.

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All three seasons of Bridgerton are currently streaming on Netflix.