Tony Award winner Patti LuPone has issued a formal apology to fellow Broadway actors Kecia Lewis and Audra McDonald over comments she made in a recent interview that drew widespread backlash from the theater community.
LuPone shared a statement on her social media platforms, saying she was “deeply sorry” for using demeaning and disrespectful words towards Lewis, particularly in an interview with The New Yorker published last week. She expressed regret over her flippant and emotional responses, which were deemed inappropriate by many.
The apology comes after an open letter signed by over 600 members of the Broadway community called for LuPone to be disinvited from this year’s Tony Awards due to what they described as “a blatant act of racialized disrespect” towards Lewis and McDonald, who are Black.
LuPone acknowledged her mistake and committed to making things right, stating that the theater community deserves better. She agreed with the content of the letter, emphasizing that theatre has always been about lifting each other up and welcoming those who feel they don’t belong.
The controversy surrounding LuPone’s comments began after a 2024 incident in which she complained about sound cues from an Alicia Keys musical, which features a predominantly Black cast. Lewis criticized LuPone’s actions as “racially microaggressive” and “rooted in privilege.”
Source: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/patti-lupone-apology-audra-mcdonald-kecia-lewis_n_683c3de1e4b08af1a43cffcf