Netflix Sues 'Bridgerton' Musical Creators

The songwriting team behind The Unofficial Bridgerton Musical is facing a copyright infringement lawsuit from Netflix in Washington, D.C. district court. Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear, who won the 2022 Grammy for Best Musical Theater Album, staged their musical at the Kennedy Center in Washington last week, selling out the venue. Netflix claims they made "repeated objections" before the performance.

The streamer claims Barlow and Bear misrepresented to audiences that it used the Bridgerton trademark "with permission" when they staged The Unofficial Bridgerton Musical Album Live in Concert, reports Variety. Netflix also sought to stop the production's upcoming tour dates and from selling a planned line of merchandise. Barlow and Bear did not comment on the lawsuit.

The lawsuit alleges that the show included "over a dozen songs" that replicated dialogue, character traits, and other elements of Bridgerton. "It included dramatic portrayals of Bridgerton characters by Broadway actors, emoting through the performance of the songs that comprise the 'musical,'" the lawsuit reads.

"Netflix supports fan-generated content, but Barlow & Bear have taken this many steps further, seeking to create multiple revenue streams for themselves without formal permission to utilize the 'Bridgerton' IP," Netflix said in a statement. "We've tried hard to work with Barlow & Bear, and they have refused to cooperate. The creators, cast, writers, and crew have poured their hearts and souls into 'Bridgerton' and we're taking action to protect their rights."

Bridgerton executive producer Shonda Rhimes defended the streamer's lawsuit. "There is so much joy in seeing audiences fall in love with Bridgerton and watching the creative ways they express their fandom," the Grey's Anatomy creator said. "What started as a fun celebration by Barlow & Bear on social media has turned into the blatant taking of intellectual property solely for Barlow & Bear's financial benefit. This property was created by Julia Quinn and brought to life on screen through the hard work of countless individuals. Just as Barlow & Bear would not allow others to appropriate their IP for profit, Netflix cannot stand by and allow Barlow & Bear to do the same with Bridgerton."

Julia Quinn, the author of the Bridgerton books that the series is based on, praised Barlow and Bear as "wildly talented," but said there was a difference between developing a musical for fun on TikTok and taking it to the stage and selling tickets. "I would hope that Barlow & Bear, who share my position as independent creative professionals, understand the need to protect other professionals' intellectual property, including the characters and stories I created in the Bridgerton novels over 20 years ago," Quinn said.

Barlow, 23, and Bear, 20, developed the musical on TikTok, shortly after the first season of Bridgerton became a sensation for Netflix. They released the 15-song album in September 2021 and performed songs on The Kelly Clarkson Show and Today. Darren Criss performed one of the songs during the Kennedy Center 50th anniversary concert in September.

In an April 2022 New York Times interview, the two said they could not stage the show without Netflix's approval. "It's a bit out of our court because we don't own the I.P. We feel like it would fit perfectly onstage," Bear said. "We see it so clearly. Netflix, you know where to find us."