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Broadway Star Audra McDonald Said A Fan Followed Her Home Because They Thought They "Deserved" An Autograph, And People Are Scared For Her
Audra McDonald is reflecting on a "stalking" incident with a fan that left her uneasy.
Audra is currently starring in the Broadway revival of the musical Gypsy, playing the notable role of Momma Rose at the Majestic Theatre. The show opened in December 2024 and will run until August 17, for 269 regular performances and 28 preview shows.
She is the most decorated actor in Broadway history, while also making a name for herself on both the small and big screen in projects like Private Practice, The Good Fight, The Gilded Age, and Rustin, so it's safe to say she has a ton of supporters around the world. But what happens when a line is crossed in the name of support?
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On Saturday, in a video shared to Instagram, Audra opened up about why she doesn't always use the stage door (an alternative exit/entrance that performers often use to leave/enter the building — fans often wait outside this door in hopes of meeting the performers).
"There are a lot of reasons that performers don't do the stage door," Audra said. "There have been shows that I've done it and shows that I've not done it. But some of the reasons are: they're exhausted; some people have anxiety about doing stage door; some people are in a rush to catch trains so they can get home; and some people avoid the stage door because of health reasons."
"And that's perfectly fair. Actors, as much as we would love to greet every single one of you after a show, sometimes we're just exhausted, and it's hard. There are a million reasons. And some people love to do it, and that's great. There have been shows when I've done it, but I have not been doing it in Gypsy for a myriad of reasons. The main ones have been because of health, exhaustion, and vocal health, and trying to conserve what little vocal energy I have so that I can get through the next show, and the next show, and the next show. So, I have not been doing the stage door."
Audra added that when she can, she'll smile and wave, but most of the time she's just trying to get out of there. More importantly, Audra said she has a kid at home that she's trying to get back to — referring to her 8-year-old daughter Sally who she shares with her husband Will Swenson. Audra also has a 23-year-old daughter named Zoe from a previous marriage.
But after leaving a show on Friday, she was forced into an extremely uncomfortable situation with a fan who had no regard for her boundaries and welfare, after they decided to follow Audra back to her temporary place of residence.
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"Last night, someone, not only, I don't even know if they did the stage door or not, but they snuck around and found me the way I had exited from the theater last night and followed me all the way to where I was staying, came into the building, and was uncomfortably close."
"Then, when I finally got some security to help me, their response was, 'Well, hey, I've come all the way — and they named some town, some city that they've come all the way from — and they wanted an autograph, and sort of deserve an autograph.' That is crossing a big old boundary, and I just want to call that out. That's a big no-no. That's now messing with my safety, and it's not right."
She then sent a general message to fans about how to properly address and/or approach celebrities in the future: "When you see an actor leave the stage door, if they don't stop, leave them alone. There is a reason that they're not stopping, and it has nothing to do with you. It's them protecting their space and peace, whatever that may be, and if they do stop or wave or take a picture with you or sign an autograph, great, but please respect the proper boundaries."
Her comments were filled with people acknowledging how scary that situation must've been, while also advocating for the right to privacy and respected boundaries:
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The video eventually made its way to Reddit, where Redditors revealed that, unfortunately, in the Broadway community, this is nothing new:
Iwoulddiefcftbatk commented, "How many people who 'stage door' would like a total stranger meeting them at their workplace at what is essentially the back door to say 'hi' to them or ask for a picture after clocking out of a shift? I don't care if they are actors, no one and I mean no one deserves to be harassed when they leave their job."
They went on to say, "There are so many stories on the Broadway sub of unhinged 'stage-dooring' fan behavior where people will harass actors for blocks, even chasing them once they get into taxis, once they leave a theater after performing in a show. It's become so normalized that it's fine to swarm people leaving work just because you might have (not all 'stage doorers' do so) watched the show. It's so scary for all the staff and actors since it's getting worse. I'm glad Audra wasn't hurt, but there needs to be a hammer dropped on this since this is going to end badly for someone eventually."
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joodee3 added, "Geez, I didn't know it was getting this bad. That truly sucks. I stage-doored when visiting Broadway a few years ago, and it was good vibes, but I know that's just an individual experience. That really sucks that the behavior is growing more prevalent. Yeah, if performers are feeling like things are getting too dangerous, then they should definitely do what makes them feel safe."
LemonKurt said, "Broadway and theatre fans can be especially rabid. Something about the theatre space feeling smaller, the actors being less famous and having less media training and the direct access through stage doors etc. makes some people's parasocial relationships much more intense. So glad she's safe, but I feel like this entitled and scary behaviour happens way too often on Broadway and the West End."
butterflyvision wrote: "This has happened to other performers this Broadway season as well. It's always been a problem, but it feels like post-COVID, the problems have really amped up. The obsessed, entitled fan culture is ruining things for everyone. I really hope shows stop doing stagedoor. I know she says she doesn't know if they were there or not, but it's getting SO dangerous."
I'm glad everyone could see the danger in this situation and that no harm was brought to Audra. Everyone should remember that although we might feel like we know these celebrities or are big fans of their work, we're still not entitled to anything from even a greeting. Please be respectful.
What are your thoughts on this? Watch her full video here, and share your comments with me.
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