'Bridgerton' author Julia Quinn defends the show giving Francesca a queer romance amid fan backlash
Hannah Dodd as Francesca Bridgerton in the season three finale of "Bridgerton." Netflix The "Bridgerton" season three finale introduces a queer plot twist for Francesca Bridgerton. Masali Baduza plays a gender-swapped version of John Stirling's cousin from the book series. Showrunner Jess Brownell got "Bridgerton" author Julia Quinn's blessing to make the change. Warning: Major spoilers ahead for season three, part two of "Bridgerton," and "When He Was Wicked," the sixth Bridgerton book. The season three finale of " Bridgerton " sets up a major change in Francesca Bridgerton 's ( Hannah Dodd ) love story by introducing a gender-swapped character, and book series author Julia Quinn gave her seal of approval. "The fact of the matter is, the fan base is not a monolith, and you're never going to please every single side of the fan base," showrunner Jess Brownell told Teen Vogue in a recent