Bridgerton fans have been left disappointed after an event in Detroit, that was described as an ”enchanting world of the Regency era” was far from regal, after fans that paid to attend the so-called lavish event, were scammed.
The event seemed to be inspired by Netflix’s official immersive travelling party series named The Queen’s Ball: A Bridgerton Experience. The unofficial event that was encouraging the dedicated fans to dress up in ball gowns or suits, advertised that the guests of the ball could win cash prizes, winning ‘Diamond of the Season’ along with other prizes (and lies).
The price of the tickets ranged from $150 to $1000 for VIP tickets and offered extra perks that were not fulfilled on the day, 22nd September, after being rescheduled from an original August date.
The backlash of the scam originally took off on social media via X, as one of the guests of the so-called party, Rachel Eaton, shared details after sharing her dismay of spending $300 along with hundreds of others. The videos and images that surfaced were of a bare room with cheap decor, basic food and with some guests sitting on the floor, with others standing looking confused in their ball gowns and party attire.
Before the ‘event’ started those that attended were left standing in the rain, even after the original start time, and once they got in they were met with staff wearing sportswear, serving food that didn’t last long, and no staff were clearing up dishes or rubbish.
There were 2 thrones according do Eaton, which had a floral backdrop made of plastic, with a ”Queen” in attendance that took the time to hand out business cards instead of the promised photo opportunities.
Speaking of promises, the company that organised the day had also advertised a string quartet but instead there was one violinist playing, there was also a lone pole dancer set up in the middle of the room. The dancer, known as Tink, also is a professional circus performer and aerialist, spoke out and said that after offering her ”full menu of acts” the organisers ”decided to go with dancing pole”.
Tink also said how she was told it was a Bridgerton ball, but not being fan had to look it up before they went, “I packed a bunch of different costumes, and they approved the one I wore when I got there… I had a few costumes that I wore for a Chicago Great Gatsby–themed event, and that’s what they went with.”
Another attendee said ”Bridgerton food is turkey and ham and grand dessert tables with things like macaroons, but we got soggy noodles with tomato sauce and small chicken wings”.
On 25th September, 3 days after the disastrous day, Chelsea Beard, co-founder of the family owned event management company, released a statement on her personal Instagram after the backlash of the event,
“Dearest Gentle Readers, we understand that not everyone had the experience they anticipated at our event on Sunday night at The Harmonie Club, and for that, we sincerely apologize,Our goal was to create a magical evening, but we recognize that organizational challenges and unforeseen changes, including a last-minute venue and date change, impacted the experience for some guests. Unfortunately, some nonrefundable deposits from the original bookings resulted in losses on our end, which added to the challenges. Nonetheless, we take full responsibility for these shortcomings. Please know that we are working diligently to address all concerns and will be reaching out with further details shortly.”
The Detroit Bridegerton Ball has been compared to the viral Willy Wonka experience held in Glasgow at the beginning of the year.
