Bridgerton's author Julia Quinn has a message for fans regarding Michael Stirling's gender swap in season 3 

Bridgerton book series author Julia Quinn addressed the controversy and displeasure of some fans over the gender flip of one major character from her sixth book titled When He Was Wicked. Instead of Michael, fans were introduced to the girl version, Michaela Stirling (Masali Baduza), in the final moments of the Netflix series season 3 part 2.

With the gender swap, the makers introduced the first same-sex relationship in the screen adaptation which received mixed feelings from fans. Quinn recently addressed those who are now wondering where the show would go regarding Michaela's character.

In a lengthy post she shared on Instagram and Facebook on June 25, 2024, the author noted that she was also hesitant when showrunner Jess Brownell brought the idea to her. However, she mentioned being "deeply committed" to making the Bridgerton world "more diverse and inclusive," although it didn't quell her initial hesitation.

"[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," Quinn said.

For the unversed, Francesca fell in love with Michael Sterling in the third book.

Julia Quinn further noted in her post that she and the series showrunner had talked for a long time about the proposed change more than once. She also shared what part of Francesca's story was important for her to be shown on the screen adaptation—her abiding love for John Stirling (Michael/Michaela's cousin).

The author added that she had fought for this narrative to be included when she wrote When He Was Wicked. It was because her publisher was worried that it would somehow take away from Francesca and Michael's eventual relationship.

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Julia Quinn teases the "most emotional and heart-wrenching story" for Francesca's Bridgerton season

In the her recent Instagram post, author Julia Quinn also mentioned that she "trusts Shondaland's vision of Bridgerton." After speaking with the showrunner on several occasions, she revealed that she's "confident" about where Francesca's story is going. She added:

"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 be the true tear-jerker of the Bridgerton book series."

Julia Quinn went on to tease the readers about Francesca's season hitting the viewers harder in the show than it did in the books.

"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."

Openly expressing her confidence and trust in Shondaland's vision for the rest of the series, the author asked fans to have faith in the makers. She continued:

"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."

Julia Quinn concluded her statement by thanking both the readers and viewers for sharing their feedback on books and screen adaptation.

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While it was never confirmed if Francesca's story will be the highlight of the upcoming season 4, Quinn's latest statement gave fans some sneak peek of what's to come.

All episodes of the first three seasons of Bridgerton are now streaming on Netflix.