'They were ripped off': 'Bridgerton'-themed ball leaves guests feeling scammed

'Bridgerton' ball a bust in Detroit Partygoers who spent hundreds of dollars to attend a Bridgerton-themed ball in Detroit say the event was a bust.

Fans of the Netflix series "Bridgerton" were expecting an evening of elegance and refinement in Detroit earlier this week. Now they say it turned out to be nothing more than a bust.

Hundreds of guests took part in a "Detroit Bridgerton-Themed Ball" on Sunday night, hosted by a party organizing company named Uncle N Me LLC. According to the company's now-deleted website, with ticket prices between US$150 and US$1,000, fans were promised "an evening of sophistication, grace, and historical charm," and that they would "experience a night like no other filled with music, dance, and exquisite costumes."

Instead, those in attendance at the Harmonie Club in downtown Detroit say they were left disappointed, with undercooked food, no alcohol and decorations that looked like they came from a dollar store. To top it off, the entertainment for the evening was a pole dancer, instead of the promised live theatre.

TikTok user Nita (@moreofnita) said she got her hair, nails and lashes done for the event, but once she arrived, she knew it was a letdown.

"As I started to get up the stairs, I'm like, 'We're not watching the same Bridgerton,'" Nita said in a post on the social media platform. "I'm seeing people so bored out of my mind, they're literally sitting on the floor on their phones."

Nita's nine-minute TikTok shared everything the event had to "offer," including a poorly maintained photo booth and a single violinist who only played a few songs.

Guests allege when it came to the food, a staffer wearing a sports jersey served undercooked meals, and dirty plates weren't cleared by staff, forcing attendees to clear their own tables.

"Uncle N Me: y'all really low-key scammed these people," Nita concluded in her post. "Lots of people flew in for this event and paid hundreds of dollars on plane tickets, on dresses, on Airbnbs, hotels, rental cars … and they were ripped off."

ABC Detroit affiliate WXYZ-TV showed up late into the night, speaking with attendees and hearing complaints in real time. One of the guests said nothing they were promised took place.

"They said we were going to have classical music, good dinner. There was going to be a play," Amanda Sue Mathis told WXYZ-TV, adding they were promised someone would be chosen as the "diamond," a reference to the show where the queen chooses the season's most eligible lady.

"We went in, and it was completely empty in there," Mathis added.

The Bridgeton ball was originally scheduled to take place in August, but WXYZ-TV reports that guests received an email from Uncle N Me LLC saying the ball had been rescheduled because the original venue, Beacon Park, cancelled the event. However, one user on TikTok who works at the original venue said they cancelled because the event organizers wouldn't pay the full amount to rent the building.

In a statement to WXYZ-TV, Uncle N Me LLC says they understand not everyone had the experience they hoped for and that they "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," it said.

The owners of the Harmonie Club also shared a statement with WXYZ-TV following the event, saying in part that they were "in no way affiliated with the promoters and/or organizations that rent our venue for events such as the Bridgerton Ball."