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Image Credit: Netflix

Welcome, Franchaela: Francesca And Michaela's 'Bridgerton' Love Story Is Everything

It’s turning out to be a major week for queer Bridgerton stans. Apparently, Benedict is not the token queer of the ton — Francesca is also officially a member of the Regency Era LGBTQ+ community! (And hopefully Eloise one day, too… *prays*.) The Netflix show is deviating from the books a touch and gender-flipping Francesca’s love interest, Michael, to Michaela. We love to fucking see it.

What about Francesca’s husband, John, you ask? Those two do seem to have an adorable and genuine connection. Well, if you’ve read Julia Quinn’s Bridgerton books, you know that ends up being a really tragic story. So, what happens to him, and do Francesca and Michaela end up together? Is Francesca gay or bi? Here’s all the Francesca tea, based on the books, the end of season 3, and what Bridgerton showrunner Jess Brownell has explained and teased.

Warning: Spoilers ahead!

Do Francesca And Michaelea End Up Together And Other Bridgerton Questions:

Is Francesca Bi?

Francesca isn’t labeled, but she’s definitely into both men and women. At the very end of season 3, the newly married piano prodigy is introduced to John’s cousin, Michaela, who will be joining her, John, and Eloise on their journey to Scotland. When Michaela smiles and introduces herself, Francesca completely loses her shit and forgets her own name. There’s a lot of blinking and blushing. I squealed.

Bridgerton showrunner Jess Brownell discussed Francesca’s queerness during an interview with Glamour. “I felt like there was fertile ground thematically in her book to nod toward telling a queer story,” she said, noting that Francesca has always felt different.

Jess emphasized that Francesca’s feelings for Michaela doesn’t mean that she didn’t love John. “We love that relationship in the writer’s room,” she said about Francesca and John. “I don’t think that the reveal of Francesca’s future queerness negates what she has with John.” Jess called John and Michaela Francesca’s “two great loves.” Crying.

What Happens With Francesca And John?

Francesca and John in 'Bridgerton'
Image Credit: Netflix

Welll, in Francesca’s book, When He Was Wicked, she and John vibe as a married couple living in Scotland, and they have a close relationship with Michaela. Unfortunately, John dies of a ruptured cerebral aneurysm two years into their marriage, and Francesca is left widowed and devastated.

Does Francesca End Up With Michaela?


In the book, Michael goes to India for four years, and when he comes back, he and Francesca realize their romantic feelings for reach other and, um, get married. The heart wants what it wants (cousins), I guess… ?

But I suppose it all will all work out for Francesca and Michaela in the show, because Jess told Glamour: “It was important for me in telling a main queer story for us to be able to give them a happily ever after, as we have with every other couple.” Oh, I’m so ready for you, season 4 and Franchaela.

Ilana Frost
Ilana Frost is an entertainment writer at Betches. As a teenage girl in her twenties, she spends her time stanning Olivia Rodrigo, baking cakes for award shows, and refusing to ever leave her Reputation era.