Patti LuPone apologizes after the Broadway community condemned her comments on Kecia Lewis and Audra McDonald in a widely supported open letter.
Patti LuPone has issued a formal apology following intense backlash from the Broadway community over remarks she made about fellow performers Kecia Lewis and Audra McDonald. The controversy stems from a recent New Yorker interview in which Patti LuPone referred to Kecia Lewis with the phrase, “Don’t call yourself a vet, bitch,” and dismissed Audra McDonald, saying, “She’s not a friend.”
Her comments sparked swift and widespread condemnation. In response, over 500 Broadway professionals—including James Monroe Iglehart, Kalen Allen, and Tatianna Córdoba—signed an open letter, published by Playbill and addressed to the American Theatre Wing. The letter accused Patti LuPone of a pattern of “inappropriate and unacceptable public comments,” describing her language as “degrading and misogynistic” and “a blatant act of racialized disrespect.”
The letter stated the remarks constituted harassment and microaggressions, and called for accountability from industry leaders. “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 read.
Patti LuPone’s dispute with Kecia Lewis appears to have started during the fall of 2024, when Patti LuPone was starring in The Roommate alongside Mia Farrow. That production was staged next door to Hell’s Kitchen, the Alicia Keys-inspired musical where Kecia Lewis performed and eventually won a Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical.
According to a video posted by Kecia Lewis in November 2024, Patti LuPone had complained about noise from Hell’s Kitchen, leading to sound design changes that negatively affected the show. In the video, Kecia Lewis criticized Patti LuPone’s conduct as “bullying,” “racially microaggressive,” and “rooted in privilege.” She recounted an incident where Patti LuPone refused to sign a Hell’s Kitchen playbill, allegedly dismissing the musical as “too loud.”
Kecia Lewis then called on Patti LuPone to apologize “from one Broadway veteran to another.” But when asked about the situation in the New Yorker interview, Patti LuPone responded dismissively, saying, “Let’s find out how many Broadway shows Kecia Lewis has done, because she doesn’t know what the f— she’s talking about.”
Patti LuPone also took aim at Audra McDonald, who had publicly supported Kecia Lewis’ video. “That’s typical of Audra,” Patti LuPone said. “She’s not a friend,” noting that they had issues in the past without elaborating.
In her apology posted Saturday on social media, Patti LuPone expressed remorse. “For as long as I have worked in the theatre, I have spoken my mind and never apologized. That is changing today,” she wrote. “I regret my flippant and emotional responses during this interview, which were inappropriate.”
Patti LuPone said she was “devastated” that her words had offended others and gone against the values of the theatre community. “I made a mistake, I take full responsibility for it, and I am committed to making this right,” she said. She added that she hopes to apologize to both Kecia Lewis and Audra McDonald in person.
Audra McDonald, the most Tony-nominated and awarded performer in history, responded in an interview with CBS News’ Gayle King, set to air Tuesday on CBS Mornings. She said she hadn’t seen Patti LuPone in 11 years and didn’t know the source of any rift. “That’s something you’d have to ask Patti about,” she said.
With the Tony Awards airing June 8 on CBS and Paramount+, the tension within the Broadway community is more public than ever—especially as Audra McDonald is poised to potentially earn her seventh Tony Award for her performance in the revival of Gypsy.
