Over 500 Broadway artists unite to call out Patti LuPone's 'racialized disrespect' toward Audra McDonald, Kecia Lewis
Patti LuPone was previously criticized for interview comments about Audra McDonald and Kecia Lewis.
Playbill published an open letter signed by over 500 Broadway artists calling out LuPone.
The letter called LuPone's remarks "inappropriate and unacceptable" and "racialized disrespect."More than 500 Broadway artists are calling for "accountability, justice, and respect" after theater legend Patti LuPone received widespread pushback over recent comments she made about fellow stage icons Audra McDonald and Kecia Lewis in a recent New Yorker profile.
Theater publication Playbill reported on Friday news of the letter's circulation in the community. The document is addressed to the American Theatre Wing and the Broadway League, with signatories including Tony winners Maleah Joi Moon (Hell's Kitchen), James Monroe Iglehart (Aladdin), and Wendell Pierce (Radio Golf).
The letter mentions LuPone's recent comments, which saw the 76-year-old refer to Lewis as a "bitch" when questioning her status as an industry veteran, and also shade McDonald by calling her "not a friend" despite the pair previously working together.
"Recently, Patti LuPone made deeply inappropriate and unacceptable public comments about two of Broadway's most respected and beloved artists," the letter reads. "This language is not only degrading and misogynistic — it is a blatant act of racialized disrespect. It constitutes bullying. It constitutes harassment. It is emblematic of the microaggressions and abuse that people in this industry have endured for far too long, too often without consequence."
The letter continues, "It is a public affront to the values of collaboration, equity, and mutual respect that our theater community claims to uphold. Let us be clear: this is about more than one person. It is about a culture. A pattern. A persistent failure to hold people accountable for violent, disrespectful, or harmful behavior — especially when they are powerful or well-known. This is not about differing opinions. It is about public actions that demean, intimidate, or perpetuate violence against fellow artists. It is about the normalization of harm in an industry that too often protects prestige over people."
It adds that the community can't "continue to welcome back those who harm others simply because of their fame or perceived value," and calls for an end to this kind of behavior.
"We will no longer tolerate violence — verbal, emotional, or physical — against artists within our own community," the letter adds. "No more free passes. If our industry is truly committed to equity, justice, and respect, then those values must be applied consistently, even when it's uncomfortable. Especially when it's uncomfortable. No artist, producer, director, or leader—regardless of legacy or celebrity—should be allowed to weaponize their platform to belittle, threaten, or devalue others without consequence. Period."
The letter further asks the American Theatre Wing and the Broadway League to take immediate action, including ensuring that people who make disparaging remarks against other artists in the community to be barred from the Tonys, and to ensure that "participation, recognition, and attendance at high-profile events must be contingent on conduct that reflects community values."
It ends with a note that the intent behind the letter is "not to punish, but to protect" people like McDonald and Lewis.
Entertainment Weekly has reached out to representatives for LuPone, the American Theatre Wing, the Broadway League, Moon, Iglehart, Pierce, and to several individuals listed as signatories on the letter for comment.
After LuPone's comments courted controversy, McDonald addressed the incident in an interview Thursday with CBS Mornings' Gayle King.
King asked McDonald if she was "surprised" by LuPone's words, with McDonald responding to say that she was unclear on why LuPone said what she did.
"I mean, if there's a rift between us, I don't know what it is. That's something you'd have to ask Patti about," McDonald said, adding that she hasn't been around LuPone in more than a decade.
"I haven't seen her in about 11 years because I've been busy with life and stuff," McDonald continued. "So, I don't know what rift she's talking about. You'd have to ask her."
The New Yorker piece additionally probed into a 2024 incident that saw Lewis post a video publicly calling for LuPone to apologize for alleged "racial microaggressions" after the latter, who was working on a show inside a neighboring theater in Manhattan, reportedly inquired "about changing a couple of our sound cues because you found them to be too loud," according to Lewis. (A representative for LuPone did not immediately respond to EW's request for comment at the time.)
When the writer interviewing LuPone noted that McDonald reacted to Lewis' video with "supportive emojis," LuPone replied, 'Exactly."She continued, 'And I thought, You should know better. That's typical of Audra. She's not a friend.'
LuPone additionally drew criticism for her comments about Lewis, saying 'Oh, my God" in response to a question about the 2024 incident, as part of the profile.
'Here's the problem. She calls herself a veteran? Let's find out how many Broadway shows Kecia Lewis has done, because she doesn't know what the f--- she's talking about.' (A representative for Lewis did not respond to EW's request for comment.)
Watch McDonald react to LuPone's comments about her in the clip above.
Read the original article on Entertainment Weekly
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