Netflix drops lawsuit against The Unofficial Bridgerton Musical as show's U.K. performances are canceled

Dear reader: It seems the latest chapter in the legal saga surrounding Bridgerton has officially come to a close.

On Friday, Netflix dropped its copyright lawsuit against Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear, the creators of the Grammy-winning show The Unofficial Bridgerton Musical, EW has confirmed.

In their Washington, D.C., federal court filing, obtained by Deadline, the streaming service requested that its original suit against the songwriting duo be thrown out, stating, "Plaintiffs Netflix Worldwide Entertainment, LLC and Netflix Studios, LLC hereby dismiss this action with prejudice."

LIAM DANIEL/NETFLIX; Emma McIntyre/Getty Images Netflix's 'Bridgerton' series; 'Unofficial Bridgerton Musical' creators Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear

While Netflix provided no further reasoning for its dismissal, its move comes just one day after the pair, who perform as Barlow & Bear, were supposed to respond to the streamer's initial complaint made this summer.

In July, Netflix sued the pair for staging "a massive, for-profit stage show" of their hit TikTok musical in D.C.'s Kennedy Center earlier that month, which it said occurred over the platform's "repeated objections."

The complaint also alleged that Barlow and Bear misrepresented their affiliation with the Bridgerton series to its audience and sold unofficial merchandise during the show. It added that their performance also featured "over a dozen songs that copied verbatim dialogue, character traits and expression, and other elements from Bridgerton the series."

At the time, Barlow and Bear had also announced a concert at London's Royal Albert Hall, which was scheduled for Sept. 20. The event has since been canceled.

"Netflix supports fan-generated content, but Barlow & Bear have taken this many steps further, seeking to create multiple revenue streams for themselves without formal permission to utilize the Bridgerton IP," the streamer told EW in a statement in July. "We've tried hard to work with Barlow & Bear, and they have refused to cooperate. The creators, cast, writers, and crew have poured their hearts and souls into Bridgerton, and we're taking action to protect their rights."

Sign up for Entertainment Weekly's free daily newsletter to get breaking TV news, exclusive first looks, recaps, reviews, interviews with your favorite stars, and more.

Related content:

• Netflix sues Unofficial Bridgerton Musical creators for 'blatant infringement'

• Bridgerton-inspired TikTok viral hit wins Best Musical Theater Album at Grammys

• Bridgerton musical creators perform and talk going viral, Broadway dream cast

• Long may she reign: Bridgerton spin-off reveals first look at young Queen Charlotte

• Bridgerton begins season 3 production, adds new cast members