Last week, the New Yorker published their profile of Patti LuPone, the 76-year-old musical theater legend, and legendary “difficult woman.” Nothing Patti said in that profile surprised me, because she’s always had the reputation as a sh-t talker and someone who loves to start fights within the acting/Broadway community. But it looks like a lot of people were shocked by LuPone’s comments in the New Yorker, especially her disparaging remarks about Glenn Close, Kecia Lewis and Audra McDonald. She referred to both Close and Lewis as “bitches” and she said that Audra was “not a friend.” Gayle King even got Audra on the record last week about LuPone, and Audra said “I haven’t seen her in about 11 years.” Well, things kept moving over the weekend. First off, over 500 people within the Broadway community signed an open letter to LuPone.
Patti LuPone’s recent comments in the New Yorker, about her fellow actors Kecia Lewis and Audra McDonald, has continued to send shockwaves throughout the theatrical community. After individual Broadway artists, and even McDonald herself, responded, an open letter has now been circulating throughout the industry. The letter has received over 500 signatures, including from Tony winners James Monroe Iglehart, Maleah Joi Moon, and Wendell Pierce. Even Courtney Love has signed the letter.
The letter, which was provided to Playbill, addresses the Broadway League, the American Theatre Wing, and “the greater theatre community.” It characterizes LuPone’s comments about Lewis and McDonald as “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 also says that LuPone’s comments are part of a pattern in the theatre industry, which has “a persistent failure to hold people accountable for violent, disrespectful, or harmful behavior—especially when they are powerful or well-known.”
It then calls for the League and the Wing to disinvite LuPone (and anyone else “who use[s] their platform to publicly demean, harass, or disparage fellow artists”) from industry events, including the Tony Awards. And it also asks those disinvited individuals, if they want to continue to engage with the community, to complete “comprehensive anti-bias or restorative justice programs.” The letter also asks for “clear, transparent policies for addressing harmful behavior.”
The League and the Wing are the producers of the Tony Awards. While the League and the Wing have previously made clear that equity, diversity, and inclusion are part of their organizational values, they have shied away from establishing industry-wide rules or policy on the topic.
I fully understand why LuPone’s comments about Kecia Lewis and Audra McDonald were the straw that broke the camel’s back in this case, but I’m going to continue to point out that LuPone said some really horrible sh-t about Glenn Close too! Anyway, I’m glad that the Broadway community decided to stand up for Audra and Kecia, and stand against LuPone.
It looks like that letter was the thing which finally got through to LuPone as well. Never in her 76 years has LuPone ever backed down from a fight or a beef. But she backed down and issued a thorough apology for everything. LuPone said, in part: “I am deeply sorry for the words I used during The New Yorker interview, particularly about Kecia Lewis, which were demeaning and disrespectful. I regret my flippant and emotional responses during this interview, which were inappropriate, and I am devastated that my behavior has offended others and has run counter to what we hold dear in this community. I hope to have the chance to speak to Audra and Kecia personally to offer my sincere apologies….For as long as I have worked in the theater, I have spoken my mind and never apologized. That is changing today.” I’m including LuPone’s IG below. My question: how will the Tony Awards milk this drama? Do you think they’ll get Patti, Audra and Kecia on stage together?? But what about Glenn??
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.
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- Patti Lupone at The Olivier Awards Royal Albert Hall, London, UK 07 April 2019,Image: 535809424, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: WORLD RIGHTS – Fee Payable Upon Reproduction – For queries contact Avalon.red – sales@avalon.red London: +44 (0) 20 7421 6000 Los Angeles: +1 (310) 822 0419 Berlin: +49 (0) 30 76 212 251 Madrid: +34 91 533 4289, Model Release: no, Credit line: B2820 / Avalon
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- WESTWOOD, LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, USA – AUGUST 08: Singer Audra McDonald arrives at the Los Angeles Premiere Of MGM’s ‘Respect’ held at the Regency Village Theatre on August 8, 2021 in Westwood, Los Angeles, California, United States.,Image: 626171863, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Pictured: Audra McDonald, Credit line: Xavier Collin / Image Press Agency / Avalon
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- Audra McDonald attends Paramount+’s “The Good Fight” Series Finale Event on November 2, 2022 at Museum of Art and Design Theater in New York, New York, USA.,Image: 735014981, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Pictured: Audra McDonald, Credit line: Robin Platzer / Twin Images / Avalon
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- 40th Film Independent Spirit Awards at Beach on February 22, 2025 in Santa Monica, CA,Image: 967885013, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Pictured: Patti Lupone, Credit line: Nicky Nelson/Wenn/Avalon
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- The New York Special Screening of Another Simple Favor held at Jazz at Lincoln Center,Image: 993099188, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Pictured: Patti Lupone, Credit line: Udo Salters/Wenn/Avalon
I was proud how the community came together and how Patti responded to that action….most folks Patti’s age & standing would NEVA apologize for being inhumane (LAWD KNOWS I KNOW THAT UNFORTUNATELY😩)…but the whole is greater than the one…Patti saw that and thank 🙏🏾 acted accordingly
In the letter it spoke about putting forward consequences to such behaviour, citing Will Smith being blocked from attending the Oscars for ten years, for example. The threat of being excluded and shunned from the rest of theatre/ Broadway caused her to climb down and in a hurry.
Yes. She had never before experienced consequences for all her sh*t talking.
Patty is petty and jealous. I’m glad she finally got called out and did the right thing. But I also hope she learned her lesson about shit talking her colleagues and peers. Audra holds the record for the most Tony nominations and wins because she is the best.
I thought this too. I hope this is Patti learning something about herself and the world and starting to do better. A lot of people get defensive period, and add to that that people who are legends especially are stuck in their ways because no one has ever called them out.
I’m sure some will see it as a PR generated message (which of course her PR probably is involved). But good for her for realizing that she was wrong and an apology was needed. It’s a good first step.
I am actually… impressed by all this. A community rallied around targeted members and stood up collectively. Patti accurately acknowledged her errors and established a corrective action. This is how people of class negotiate problems. If only our ruling class could do the same, rather than scream, attack, dig deeper, blame and deflect.
I wonder if she will go on the view and explain herself LOL
It was a good apology and her PR people did well to help her along with it.
I’m still dismayed at the amount of her apologists here in the comments last week. Not seeing how degrading and dismissive she was to Kecia and Audra specifically as Black women. Poo, pooing her comments about Kecia in particular. Just because someone isn’t know as a blatant racist like DT and his administration doesn’t mean they aren’t being racist and bigoted.
It’s not only the 😱 racism it’s also that “be respectful to older people” BS…which give Seniors the license to be OFF THA CHAIN! I remember at a family gathering reading my Aunt (40 years in the making🤬) for ONCE AGAIN being disrespectful AF…and I let EVERYBODY know that I don’t cosign on respecting elders no matter WHAT no more & she and anybody ELSE could get THAT work from me!😡 I only regret not doing it sooner! Folks need to start calling people on their inhumanity in REAL TIME!
*Claps*
All of this. Growing old doesn’t give you a pass to be an a**hole.
I was dismayed as well at how people were minimizing what occurred. BW have had to deal with insecure WW for decades. I can only imagine the blatant racism they have both faced in the industry. Being old doesn’t mean you put up with disrespect.
Whoever wrote that apology deserves a raise. PL has never come across as sensitive and self aware. Her behavior has been tolerated because she is talented and puts a$$e$ in seats. I can’t imagine being as talented and accomplished as her and still feel that threatened. I have a feeling Audra refused to kiss her a$$ and enable her behavior. PL is a bully and I doubt this will change that.
Patti LuPone holds a personal grudge against Glenn Close because of Sunset Boulevard back in the 1990’s. LuPone was set to star in the musical, and did for a short while, and even recorded a soundtrack. But she was bumped out of the cast very quickly by Andrew Lloyd Webber who wanted a “bigger Hollywood star” to lead the show. While Patti has been the queen of Broadway for years, I guess she couldn’t compete with Glenn Close in ALW’s eyes. My guess is that’s what this chip on her shoulder towards Glenn is about.
She should hold that against ALW, no Close. IIRC, Close got a lot of mixed reviews for her performance (mostly to the effect that she couldn’t sing), so, she didn’t get off, easy.
Women blame other women for the slights of men. It’s cultural indoctrination to see other women as competition. Her generation barely scratched the surface of dismantling those power structures.
Patti sued ALW for being dropped so she did blame him for what happened. The beef with Glenn Close was more hurt feelings.
Wow. I am very impressed and surprised by this response from the theater community. Not only did they call out Patti, but spoke up about how other well-known and powerful members get away with terrible behavior.
It’s up to the women she disrespected to accept the apology or not. But the reason that her statement is so all encompassing and sounds so good is because she clearly brought in a crisis management team which composed the apology. Only time will tell how sincere she is. The whole thing was spiraling out of control and she knew she had to do something. There are far more Black artists in the theater community now than ever before. Fortunately, they have more power and don’t have to put up with Patti’s sh*t. Clearly, she has been high on her own supply for a very long time.
She only said something when it became clear that MANY people in her profession were urging the TONY Awards to exclude her. If that letter hadn’t been published I don’t think we would have seen an apology. No self reflection, just self preservation of her place on Broadway. But at least her publicist did better than “I didn’t intend to offend anyone.” in that statement.
Is it an apology when you were forced to do so? Also, the many articles I saw about this here and on that site Pajiba made me sad. People were really defending her racism.
On the flip side, the pop culture podcasts I listen to were all canceling her, which was encouraging.
True! And I saw a ton of TikTok people in the Broadway community not here for it even a little.
In addition to the racism, her go to insult is calling other women a b!tch. That word is meant to diminish, to disparage, to demean, and every woman I know has had it thrown in our faces. And men call other men that to insinuate that they are acting like a woman (eg acting like a “little B!tch”)
It has just been announced that Lupone has a concert coming up next season on Broadway.
I do think that her apology is somewhat sincere but I wouldn’t be surprised if she got a lot of pressure from her management as well.
I also think that she was surprised by the immense backlash she faced. She’s talked crap about Madonna and Glenn Close for decades but made amends with Lloyd Webber, the man actually responsible for booting her off Sunset Boulevard. Go figure.
I must have missed something; otherwise I do not understand how Patti’s request about addressing the sound issue from the show next door counts as a racial microaggression. Simply because the show next door was Black-centered? Her problem was the noise bleeding through. Racism is not always the plot behind every complaint. I worry when people act as if it were, it ends up diminishing the awful, inexcusable, and unjust existence/impact of truly racist actions and systems.
So I agree with you. I’m a woman of color and didn’t think her complaint about the sound bleeding through had anything to do with race. In fact she made it seem like this sound bleeding through is common in theater and something that she has a long history of dealing with. That is why she was annoyed by Audra backing the claim since Patty feels like she knows sound bleeding is a common issue. No one gave a damn about her smack talking Close. Patty is probably equal opportunity bitchy. I think making everything about race waters down actual racism.
Years ago I knew a slightly chubby, innocent young woman who was thrilled to have acquired a job as a production assistant at a local TV station.
Two famous Hollywood names cling to this memory.
Jerry Lewis-She was asked to put a small microphone on him for an interview. Lewis, as she approached, grabbed the mic from her hands and snarled “I know how to put this on”. Aside from hurting her hand, she was devastated.
Ricardo Montalbán-Several weeks after Jerry Lewis, she had to deal with this star who was appearing in a stage play.
I don’t know what was said between them but I did hear her excitement when she told me he’d invited her to dinner.
This older gentleman was a perfect gentleman and gave this 18year-old a lifetime memory at that dinner.
And that’s actors for ya.
Patti has never had to face consequences for leaving her union (because it wouldn’t put a cap on the income on which she had to pay her 1.5%) or for any of the horrible things she’s said about other actresses. It’s always other actresses. And it reinforces the misogynistic trope that women hate other women.
Now she’s apologizing because she got called out & fears being shunned by the theater community. Not because she believes she did anything wrong.
Patti LuPone — in spite of her talent — is a toxic, insecure and sad individual. Hopefully, this will cause her to take a moment to look inward. She is immensely talented. But she is not the only talented Broadway musical theater star out there. There’s room for everyone. And making room for everyone with amazing chops does not detract from her talent. It provides her with a community of peers.