Detroit 'Bridgerton' ball attendees speak out: 'We were completely devastated'
Attendees of a "Bridgerton"-inspired event in Detroit are speaking out after the dazzling ball they were promised turned out to be far less glamorous than expected.
The event was held Sunday at The Harmonie Club on Grand River Avenue and was billed as a "Bridgerton" ball that featured dinner, dancing, games and a "best-dressed" contest where the winner would take home a cash prize.
Just like the characters in the popular Netflix show, guests arrived at the ball in elegant Regency era attire and sparkling gowns, hoping to enjoy a night of revelry and enchantment.
However, one attendee Amanda Sue Mathis told "Good Morning America" that the event "was anything but."
"It was supposed to be a completely immersive experience and make it like we were stepping into the world of 'Bridgerton,'" she said. "And when we got there, we were completely devastated."
Mathis said she and her mom Cindy Tate shelled out over $100 per ticket for the event, but instead of glitz and glamour, they encountered only chaos.
"I noticed in the middle of the dance floor, there was a pole meant for an exotic dancer," she added.
Tink, a circus performer hired for the evening, told ABC Detroit affiliate WXYZ-TV she was contacted by the organizer, a company by the name Uncle & Me LLC, just three hours before the event.
The performer said she offered the organizer a variety of performance options and they chose pole dancing.
"I just feel very bad for all the patrons who showed up to the event," she said. "Just because my goal as a performer is, you know, to bring happiness."
Footage from the widely panned event has since gone viral on social media, with videos criticizing the food and drinks, the decor and the overall atmosphere, and others describing what they saw as a general lack of organization.
Some have compared the event to the doomed Fyre Festival and the disastrous "Willy Wonka" experience earlier this year.
The Harmonie Club told WXYZ-TV the venue is "in no way affiliated with the promoters and/or organizations that rent [the] venue for events such as the 'Bridgerton' Ball."
Uncle & Me LLC has also since responded to the backlash from attendees in a statement to WXYZ-TV.
"We understand that not everyone had the experience they hoped for … and for that, we sincerely apologize," the statement read, adding that the company was "working diligently to address all concerns and reviewing compensation options to make things right."
The disappointed ball patrons -- some of whom claimed they were forced to share water and listen to a lone violinist at the event -- said they felt duped and just want their money back.
"We were very upset," Tate said. "A lot of money was spent putting these outfits together … we got nothing."
