'Queen Charlotte' Dedicates Debut Episode to Jacqueline Avant: Inside the Tragic Backstory of the Tribute

Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos said Avant, who was killed in 2021, initially gave him the idea for a Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story spinoff

Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story dedicated its debut to a special philanthropist who inspired the show.

The first episode of the Netflix TV show featured a dedication placard to the late Jacqueline Avant, who was killed in a home invasion robbery at her Beverly Hills home in 2021.

While Avant, 81, did not have any direct ties to the show and its filming, Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos, who is married to Avant's daughter Nicole, said the late philanthropist initially inspired the series.

In an Instagram post on Thursday, Sarandos, 58, revealed that Queen Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, whom the series is based on, was a "favorite historical figure" of his mother-in-law.

Avant even gave him an idea for a Queen Charlotte spinoff, Sarandos said.

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"After the release of the first season of Bridgerton, I had the occasion to be at [Avant's] home with my wife @Nicoleavantofficial and while Nicole was talking to her father Clarence, Jacquie pulled me aside and said, 'you really must do something on Netflix about Queen Charlotte,'" he wrote in the post, which featured one of the Queen's letters.

"When I told her that [Queen Charlotte] was in Bridgerton she rolled her eyes and disappeared down the hallway and returned with a stack of books and actual handwritten letters written by Queen Charlotte that she had bought at auctions and collected over the years," he continued.

Sarandos said he "politely took them home and started to read and instantly could see what an amazing story she had and my head filled with possibilities."

He then called Bridgerton creator and showrunner Shonda Rhimes "about Jacquie's inspired idea" and told her that "someone was certainly going to tell her story in a film or series and it should be her."

Sarandos said Rhimes, 53, "loved the idea and jumped in," before helping to bring the "first expansion of Bridgerton beyond the book series" to Netflix screens.

Unfortunately, Avant tragically died before getting to see the final product. In late November 2021, she was fatally shot during a home invasion robbery at her Beverly Hills home.

"Jacqueline did not live to see what you all will see tonight but you will see in the last moments of episode one, Shonda has dedicated the series to the memory of Jacqueline Avant," Sarandos concluded his post. "I love that Jacquie and I shared that special moment and it led to the creation of something really magical."

He also noted that Queen Charlotte was "the story of a queen, inspired by a queen."

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Avant was known for doing philanthropic work across Los Angeles and Black communities and organized benefits to raise money for childcare services. She served on many charitable boards, including one for the UCLA International Student Center as well as the National Organization for Women's entertainment division and the Neighbors of Watts, per the Los Angeles Times.

Rhimes has also done her fair share of philanthropic work, giving charitable donations to universities like Dartmouth College and to the film arts, according to the Ford Foundation.

Both Avant and Rhimes also became involved in politics, with the Avant family campaigning for prominent Black politicians like late Los Angeles mayor Tom Bradley and former President Barack Obama, per Entertainment Weekly.

Last year, Rhimes teamed up with Barack's wife Michelle Obama to help educate communities on the importance of voting and voting rights. She has also been a staunch supporter of women's rights and was honored at the annual Global Women's Rights Awards in 2015.

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Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story is now streaming on Netflix.

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