"Bridgerton" is supposed to be an escapist fantasy. It is one filled with wistful romance and heightened drama. The Netflix series makes its audience fall in love with its conventionally attractive leads and pastel-colored 1800s Regency-era fashion and vibes. This is why it was a surprise when a "Bridgerton Ball" experience in Detroit transformed fans' experience with the beloved show into a disaster straight out of a nightmare.
In a now-viral post to X by would-be eventgoer Rachel Eaton, she states that she and others spent $300 on what she deemed a "scam," sharing a photo of a depressed looking few scrolling their phones at the event while lying about in fancy dresses.
The event was marketed as "a step into the enchanting world of the Regency-era . . . for an evening of sophistication, grace and historical charm." Instead, countless eventgoers described a disorganized mess with a cheap and sparsely decorated venue that left attendees waiting in long lines, sitting on floors and watching a pole dancer — one of two entertainers hired for the "classical, romantic evening."
The evening left people furious and even drew comparisons to the infamous and catastrophic Willy Wonka Experience that stunned the internet earlier this year.
So what happened at the "Bridgerton Ball" experience in Detroit? Salon explains it all:
The "Bridgerton Ball" experience
From the start, the "Bridgerton Ball" experience did not seem very well planned.
Postponed from its initial date in August to Sept. 22, the event had issues with its venue. Originally, the ball was planned to be held at Beacon Park, but was switched over to the Harmonie Club, the event organizers Uncle & Me LLC said in a statement posted to Facebook.
In the statement, organizers explained that the original venue canceled the event due to capacity, saying, "In light of this, we have secured a new, larger venue that can comfortably accommodate all attendees and more."
Ticketholders alleged that after the event was canceled on short notice, the organizers did not provide refunds, nor did they respond to anyone’s email asking for one. At that point, people knew they'd been scammed.
In the viral thread that Eaton posted, which has been viewed over 30 million times, she stated, "For starters, NEVER go to an event that’s being run by Uncle & Me LLC. Disorganized, dishonest, and will take your money guilt-free."
Detroit news station WBCK reported that the ball was not a Netflix-sponsored event. This could be noticed by the event's lack of organization and sparsely detailed website listing ticket prices ranging from $150 to $1,000.
One of the eventgoers interviewed by a local ABC affiliate WXYZ, Amanda Sue Mathis, described her experience, saying, "The way that it was described was this was going to be a Bridgerton evening. We were gonna have classical music and a good dinner. There was gonna be a play and they were gonna pick Diamond of the season. They were gonna give away all of these prizes. And we went in and it was completely empty in there."
She continued, "There is nothing going on. They have a pole in the middle of the dance floor. A stripper pole in the middle of the dance floor."
Another "Bridgerton Ball" goer, Amecia Fuller-Ragland, shared: "It was complete chaos today. They never even scanned our tickets. Then there were random people that we had paid to eat dinner and there were random people all throughout the venue."
Yet another attendee who alleged that Uncle & Me LLC was just trying to make money off of people demanded that they give the eventgoers their money back.
"I think we should absolutely get refunds and honestly I want to see this company never doing business again," Camerin Morey said.
The viral thread
While Eaton bailed on the event, despite paying $300 for a ticket, she documented other people's experiences of the chaos. From WXYZ's reporting, Eaton posted screenshots of people in gowns waiting outside in the rain for the event on a busy first floor. However, when eventgoers were let in — they were met with nothing but bare walls, backdrops and decor that was described as "party city/dollar general level."
There were no prizes, giveaways or naming of the Diamond of the Season, as advertised on the event's website. And most egregious of all, the guests' live music entertainment was a single lone violin player alongside the dance entertainment which ended up being a pole dancer in lingerie.
Outside of the lackluster entertainment performances, allegedly there were food vendors that ran out of food after an hour — food that was undercooked and raw.
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In a statement to WXYZ on Tuesday, the event organizers apologized for the disappointment and outrage caused by the trashy "ball."
"We understand that not everyone had the experience they hoped for at our most recent event Sunday night at The Harmonie Club, and for that, we sincerely apologize," the statement read. "Our intention was to provide a magical evening, but we recognize that organizational challenges affected the enjoyment of some guests. We take full responsibility and accountability for these shortcomings."
"Please know that we are working diligently to address all concerns to ensure that all guests have the enjoyable experience they deserve. Your feedback is invaluable, and we truly appreciate both the positive and constructive comments shared with us," the statement furthered. "We are reviewing resolution options, which will be communicated shortly. Your understanding and loyalty mean the world to us, and we are committed to doing everything in our power to make this right."
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