‘The dancing they had was ONE. STRIPPER’: ‘Bridgerton’ got its own Willy Wonka-sized scam event, and Lady Whistledown it ain’t

Dear gentle readers, I hope you’re sitting down because those ladies and gentlemen of the ton with the most delicate of dispositions — and perhaps some Netflix executives and lawyers out there — may need to reach for their paper fans and smelling salts upon discovering the heinous affront to the Bridgerton brand that just took place over in the States.

While the rest of the world saw this past February’s Willy Wonka Experience debacle as a cautionary tale about being careful of unofficial events, apparently other enterprising individuals viewed it as a viable business model. This September, Netflix-loving Detroit citizens got themselves dressed in their finest Regency-era gowns and suits to attend a “Bridgerton Ball,” an immersive event that promised fans their very own classy soiree to rival Lady Danbury. Unfortunately, it turned out to be the kind of ball Temu would throw if they decided to venture into event planning.

The writing was already on the wall when the event, originally scheduled for August, was ultimately pushed back to Sep. 22. This was apparently because the initial venue was deemed too small, but it’s since come out that this was a total fib and the organizers actually failed to provide the rent money.

X user Rachel Eaton ultimately wasn’t able to attend, which might’ve been a blessing in disguise, but she’s still a whopping $300 out of pocket thanks to the exorbitant ticket prices — Rachel reached out requesting a refund, but she and everyone else who’ve inquired have been ignored. Others, though, had the misfortune to find out how much of a scam it was first-hand, like TikTok user @moreofnita.

Nita revealed in her video that she spent $150 on a ticket, and was excited to attend, but when she showed up to the venue she found three floors full of virtually nothing. The promised activities were absent, the supposedly lavish decorations appeared to be bought from Party City, and those poor people dressed in all their finery were reduced to sitting around doing nothing on their phones. The real kicker? There wasn’t even anyone checking tickets at the door, so customers could’ve just walked in off the street without paying.

“We’re not watching the same Bridgerton show,” Nita accused. “There’s no way y’all are watching the same Colin, Anthony, and everybody else as me. There’s no possible way.”

One TikTok comment quipped, “This looks like the meeting to discuss the set up for the Bridgerton ball.” Another is seriously thankful they didn’t bug their boyfriend more: “And to think I was trying to convince by boyfriend to take me. Omg he wouldn’t have never let me live this down.” Some weren’t so fortunate, however. “Not a single lie was told!” said another guest. “We were in literal hell.”

Somehow, the list of crimes doesn’t end there. Live music was also promised, but what this ended up being was a lone violin player playing in a corner.

What’s more, the catering turned out to be less fine dining and more of a food poisoning starter kit. Apart from not having enough of it to go around, many guests complained that it wasn’t cooked properly, with one forced to munch on cold chicken. Leftovers piled up without anyone clearing them away, and servers decided not to get into the spirit of things and appeared in casual everyday clothing. Not that there was much ambiance to spoil, all things considered.

It’s apparently a rule of these erroneous experiences that they have to put something back into the lore that they are so shamelessly plagiarizing for profit. The Willy Wonka Experience memorably had The Unknown, a creepy horror movie character who definitely never appeared in the works of Roald Dahl. The Bridgerton Ball, meanwhile, somehow went even more off-the-wall with its own innovation. For some unfathomable reason, the dancing that had been promised to guests turned out to be a solitary pole dancer.

Maybe the brains behind Detroit’s Bridgerton Ball have advanced access to the scripts for season 4, and it turns out the ton is hit by a recession and the balls suddenly aren’t so spectacular. Not to mention there’s a scene where the boys take Benedict to an anachronistic strip club for his bachelor party. Maybe, but somehow, gentle readers, I doubt it.