Bridgerton author Julia Quinn’s father and sister killed in car crash with drunk driver

"I have lost my father, and I don’t have my sister with whom to grieve."

Bridgerton writer Julia Quinn's father and sister have died in a car crash involving a drunk driver. The author, who has penned eight books in the popular adapted for Netflix series, shared the tragic news on social media today, stating that her father Steve Cotler and her sister Violet Charles had passed away following the incident.

She wrote: "I have lost my father and my sister. Because a catering company did not secure their load and canvas bags spilled onto the highway. Because a pickup driver thought nothing of driving while his blood alcohol level was nearly 3 times the legal limit.

"I have lost my father, and I don’t have my sister with whom to grieve. I have lost my sister Violet Charles Comics, with whom I had just finished writing a graphic novel. It was dedicated to our father.

"It will still be dedicated to our father. It won’t be a surprise anymore, but I’d like to think he suspected we’d do it. He knew us so well. He was our dad." Cotler, who also an author, and his daughter, cartoonist Violet, both died at the scene in Utah, emergency services confirmed this week. A tribute has since been posted to Cotler's Facebook page reading: "On June 29, 2021, our father Steve Cotler was killed by a drunk driver in a crash that also took the life of his youngest daughter, the noted cartoonist Violet Charles," it read. "Violet’s beloved service dog Michelle also perished in the crash."

The tribute featured a memory from Quinn, of the moment when she "finally stopped being embarrassed by her father."

"It was his 25th reunion. I was a sophomore, so I stayed in Cambridge to attend the festivities with him," it read. "The entire class of ’65 had gone to a club in Boston for dancing, and Janet Jackson came on the speakers.

"My father started dancing very badly (typical) but with great enthusiasm (also typical). I saw a few teenagers pointing and snickering, and I thought, ‘Yeah, you WISH your dad danced like that.’ After that, I felt nothing but pride in his geekiness.

"He was willing to try almost anything, and he never let the fear of embarrassment rule his actions. As a friend said after his sudden death, “We should all be a little more Steve.”’