Footage from an event themed around Netflix hit Bridgerton—not affiliated with the show—has gone viral, along with complaints that the food was raw and a pole dancer was offered as entertainment.
One person alleged: "I knew I got scammed."
Billed as an opportunity for attendees to "step into the enchanting world of the Regency era... for an evening of sophistication, grace, and historical charm," the Detroit Bridgerton Themed Ball, which took place on Sunday, offered patrons "a night like no other, filled with music, dance, and exquisite costumes."
The reality proved dramatically different, with some attendees describing an event at the city's Harmonie Club that erred more on the side of bare bones than luxuriant.
In a viral thread on X, formerly Twitter, which as of press time has garnered more than 14 million views, Rachel Eaton wrote: "People waited outside in the rain to get into an overcrowded first floor."
"Well into the event, there was nothing to do," Eaton added, illustrating the post with a photo of a costumed attendee sitting on the floor. "People were bored and just sat on their phones."
"The 'live music' advertised was this poor lone violin player," Eaton captioned a photo showing a performer in a black dress.
After showing decor described as being akin to the fare offered by discount retailers, Eaton said: "Food apparently ran out after an hour, and some was raw. No one was there to pick up plates, so you had to deal with strangers' leftovers yourself."
Eaton also shared video footage of a dancer in red underwear. In the clip, an attendee can be heard saying: "I don't remember this in Bridgerton."
Eaton wrote: "Besides the lackluster event itself, they promised a cash prize to the best dressed (didn't happen), that they'd choose a diamond of the season like they do in the show/other Bridgerton inspired balls (didn't happen), and had an itinerary with contradicting information."
Eaton compiled her report from shared accounts of the event. She wrote of having paid $300 for the occasion, which had originally been scheduled to take place in August before being postponed. After falling ill and being unable to attend the rescheduled event, Eaton alleged that the event's organizers did not respond to requests for a refund.
"They did not provide refunds, nor did they respond to anyone's email asking for one. At that point I knew I got scammed," Eaton alleged.
Newsweek has contacted event organizers, Uncle N Me LLC, via a website request form, the Harmonie Club via phone message, and representatives of Netflix via email for comment.
Local ABC affiliate WXYZ Channel 7 on Tuesday shared a statement from Uncle N Me LLC that read: "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. 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," the statement continued. "Your feedback is invaluable, and we truly appreciate both the positive and constructive comments shared with us.
"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."
Aerialist Tink, who performed a pole dance at the event, told WXYZ that she was hired three hours before the event and asked to pole dance over her other skills, that include "hair suspension, Lyra hoop, and aerial sling."
"This is truly a horror story and I'm just completely awestruck seeing everything that happened," Tink told the news outlet. "Normally it's not like that. Normally when you go to a show, especially a circus performer, it's an amazing experience. You get wowed, thrilled even. It's a little dangerous and I'm sad they didn't get to experience that."
"I just feel very bad for all the patrons who showed up to the event just because my goal as a performer is to bring happiness and cheers to everyone," she added. "So it kind of just bummed me out knowing everyone was so unhappy with the outcome."
Also speaking with WXYZ, local resident Pedro Soto, who went to the event with his new wife two days after they had eloped, said: "The ticket included food, a bar, at least a table and chair for us to sit down and enjoy. It included an orchestra. What we really got was, it's going to sound funny, Kool-Aid from a bottle, no bar.
"There [were] not enough seats and chairs for us. We had to reuse cups, not enough plates. The backdrops were just paper. It was nothing special. The photographs were actually extra."
Earlier this year, images from an event in Scotland that was themed around Willy Wonka—though not affiliated with the classic film—went viral online due to similar complaints from attendees.
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