Cole Escola Sets The Record Straight About Nicole Scherzinger Tonys Joke
Cole Escola is making it clear that a joke they made at this year's Tony Awards was not an intentional dig at Nicole Scherzinger.
During Sunday night's ceremony, Cole picked up the award for Best Actor In A Play for their hit show Oh, Mary!.
While they were speaking to the press backstage, the winner of Best Actress In A Musical was announced, and when it was revealed that Nicole was the recipient, they quipped: 'The speculating is over… four more years.'
Cole Escola reacts to Nicole Scherzinger winning a Tony last night:'Four more years' pic.twitter.com/6OWKNgVKIK
— Pop Crave (@PopCrave) June 9, 2025
Many interpreted this as shade at Nicole, who last year found herself at the centre of backlash when she interacted with several social media posts that appeared to endorse Donald Trump (she later apologised 'for the hurt caused' by her social media activity, insisting that the 'many presumptions' that were 'being drawn' about her did not 'reflect who I am, what I stand for, or who l voted for').
Posting on their Instagram story on Tuesday night, Cole insisted: 'When I made that joke when I said, 'four more years, four more years', I meant it like, 'well, she won, she's who we've got for the next four years', as if I think winning Best Lead Actress In A Musical is the same as winning a presidential election.'
In their signature semi-ironic style, they then remarked: 'But you know, people just want to pit us Broadway gals against each other. And I think it's sad.
'My only sort of beef right now is with Michael Arden [the director of Maybe Happy Ending, the top winner at this year's Tonys]. And I don't want to get into it, actually. But that story's going to break tomorrow.'
Cole Escola explains their alleged joke about Nicole Scherzinger winning Best Leading Actress in a Musical at the Tony Awards pic.twitter.com/blBtUxszxe
— Portal Nicole Scherzinger (@PortalNicole) June 10, 2025
In her apology post last year, which came a week after the US presidential election – Nicole said: 'Many of the marginalised communities feeling hurt and concerned by the results of the presidential election are people I care about most. I stand with them, as I always have, throughout my life and career. If you know me, you know that.'
The former Pussycat Dolls performer won her first Tony for her work as Norma Desmond in the revival of Sunset Boulevard, having already picked up an Olivier for her performance in the show's West End run last year.
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