Bridgerton the Musical creators are being sued by Netflix

The team behind an unofficial “Bridgerton” musical is being sued by Netflix in a district court in Washington, DCUS for infringement.

Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear, the songwriting team behind the project, initially developed the musical on social media. The duo hit #1 on iTunes’ US pop chart and even won a Grammy for Best Musical Theater Album this year.

Netflix claims it “repeatedly objected” to the team when they planned to host a live stage show of the project. The Unofficial Bridgerton Musical Album Live in Concert performed at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC earlier this week and sold out with ticket prices up to $149.

The stage show reportedly included more than a dozen songs that featured exact copies of dialogue, character traits, expressions and other elements from “Bridgerton.”

The streamer alleges that “The Unofficial Bridgerton Musical Album Live in Concert” misrepresented to the audience that it used the “Bridgerton” trademark “with permission.” Netflix also disagrees with an allegedly planned line of merch and the production’s upcoming tour dates.

Barlow & Bear representatives were not immediately available to comment on the lawsuit.

“Netflix supports fan-generated content, but Barlow & Bear has gone many steps further and attempted to create multiple revenue streams for themselves without formal permission to use the ‘Bridgerton’ IP,” Netflix wrote in a statement. “We tried very hard to work with Barlow & Bear but they refused to work together. The creators, cast, writers and crew put their hearts and souls into ‘Bridgerton’ and we are taking steps to protect their rights.”

“It’s such a joy to see audiences fall in love with ‘Bridgerton’ and how creatively they express their fan base,” said Shonda Rhimes, creator of the “Bridgerton” series. “What started as a hilarious celebration of Barlow & Bear on social media has turned into a blatant expropriation of intellectual property for Barlow & Bear’s sole financial benefit. This property was created by Julia Quinn and brought to life on screen through the hard work of countless people. Just as Barlow & Bear would not allow others to appropriate their intellectual property for profit, Netflix cannot stand by and allow Barlow & Bear to do the same with ‘Bridgerton.’