A ‘Bridgerton Ball’ promised elegance but delivered undercooked food, empty rooms and an exotic dancer: ‘It was chaos’

Dearest reader, prepare to clutch your pearls.

What was billed as a dreamy, high society “Bridgerton Ball” in Detroit on Sunday night quickly turned into a Regency-era disaster, leaving hundreds of Netflix fans angry and disillusioned.

With tickets reportedly ranging from $150 to $1,000 for exclusive packages, the event promised a Bridgeton-themed ball with prizes and a chance to win $2,000 for the best-dressed “Diamond of the Season.” What attendees got instead, according to ticket holders, was a bare room, fluorescent lighting and room-temperature drinks. The event was compared to the disappointing Willy Wonka-themed event from earlier this year.

“It was chaos,” Alison Germain, 36, who attended the event with her mother, told Yahoo Entertainment. “There were no chairs, no floating canapés, no refreshments. The attendees were sitting on the floor off to the side, including me, in our beautiful dresses that we had spent money on.”

The event’s organizer, a company called Uncle & Me, had sold 1,500 tickets over the summer before the ball was moved from Aug. 25 to Sept. 22 due to the venue backing out at the last minute, according to ABC7 Detroit. It was ultimately held at Detroit’s historic Harmonie Club.

Videos and photos that surfaced on social media this week showed diners standing around awkwardly, looking more confused than amused. Some even sat on the floor and ate Kit Kats sold by vendors — an upgrade from what was described as undercooked chicken.

“There was a complete lack of organization throughout the night,” Alexis Dallas told Yahoo Entertainment. “People were extremely angry, and they were leaving within the first 30 minutes of arriving.”

Dallas said she and her date each paid $170 for an upgraded ticket, about $500 for their outfits and another $90 for professional photos they never received.

Since Sunday’s event, attendees have filed numerous police reports, according to a Facebook group run by victims. One of the group’s administrators, Ashlyn Cook, said about 150-200 people have signed up for a potential class-action lawsuit against the event’s organizer.

Yahoo Entertainment reached out to Uncle & Me and the event’s lead organizer, Chelsea Beard, but did not immediately receive a response. Beard did acknowledge the complaints in a message shared on Instagram Tuesday.

“Our goal was to create a magical evening, but we recognize that organizational challenges and unforeseen changes, including a last-minute change of venue and date, impacted the experience for some guests,” she wrote. “Nevertheless, we take full responsibility for these shortcomings.” The company’s website has also been disabled.

Netflix also did not respond to a comment, although it reportedly has nothing to do with the event. The event is not related to similar events the streamer organizes elsewhere in the country.

Despite the shortcomings and the expense, Germain said she and the other attendees were “determined to have a good time no matter what,” though she maintained that Beard had been given a clean slate.

Rakisha Johnson, who was named as the event’s head decorator, is facing a wave of backlash that she feels is unfair.

Johnson said her contributions were limited to a few centerpieces, booths and linens. Larger elements, such as the floral backdrop for photos and the room where “the queen” sat, had nothing to do with her business, Designs by Rakisha.

Yet Johnson claims she has received more than 11,000 hateful comments on social media since Sunday.

“It was all under my name — but it wasn’t mine,” the set designer told Yahoo Entertainment. “I’m too good of a person to have my name dragged around like this.”

Johnson explained that she was hired by Beard’s cousin, with whom she had worked previously. When she arrived at the venue, it became clear to her that things were getting out of hand. For starters, there was no one at the entrance to check tickets, and with guests growing increasingly frustrated with the lack of food and drink, Johnson said she became the face of the event’s failures.

At one point, she sent her cousin out to buy cases of water in a desperate attempt to calm the crowd, but, she said, “that wasn’t my job.” She and others later acted as intermediaries for the absent organizer and the caterer, passing out plates, donning gloves and serving food.

Another bizarre twist at the event was the last-minute addition of an exotic dancer, hired just three hours before the show started.

“They accepted my rates and it was a very smooth application process,” said dancer C. “Tink” Young, who told Yahoo Entertainment she was paid $800 for three five-minute pole dancing sets.

“I was only there for an hour, doing my job,” she explained. “I had no idea that the event was a disaster for the guests. I found out the next morning, but personally I was treated very well by the company.”

Unfortunately, this cannot be said of all those present.

Juanita Morton said she spent a total of $800 on tickets, outfits, hair and makeup, but later found out the event organizers had completely dropped the ball.

“Everything was horrible,” she told Yahoo Entertainment. “There was no effort put into it. No chairs past the first floor. Backdrops that looked like they came from Dollar Tree. Nothing was as promised.”

“There was a promise of ballroom dancing lessons,” Germain said. “But those lessons consisted of the Cupid Shuffle instead.”

Germain and Dallas said they have repeatedly tried to contact organizers but have been met with silence. They have since filed a police report, while Morton has joined the potential class-action lawsuit.

How to spot potential scams

These debacles are becoming all too familiar. According to a February report from the Federal Trade Commission, U.S. consumers reported losing more than $10 billion to fraud in 2023, a 14% increase from the previous year.

Kay Dean, a former federal investigator who heads Fake Review Watch, an organization that holds companies accountable for online scams, says a big part of the problem is the images used to promote events, which paint a misleading picture of what attendees can expect.

“Websites with compelling photos and content can be created quickly, and fake testimonials add an air of authenticity,” she told Yahoo Entertainment. Additionally, “people should never rely on online reviews, whether it’s to judge a company’s level of service, the quality of a product, or the legitimacy and value of an event.”

For Dallas, the warning signs were already there.

“There was a lack of communication before the event,” she explained. “I emailed the organizers twice for clarification and never heard back. I just assumed it was a mistake on their part.”

Unfortunately, their experience is now a warning for many ticket holders.

“I hope this gets resolved,” Dallas said. “I really do.”

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