Patti LuPone Issues Public Apology After Broadway Community Condemns “Bullying” Remarks

New York City, 2 June 2025 — Three-time Tony Award winner Patti LuPone has formally apologised to colleagues Audra McDonald and Kecia Lewis after a wave of backlash over comments she made in a recent New Yorker profile. More than 500 Broadway artists signed an open letter calling her remarks “degrading” and “misogynistic,” prompting the 76-year-old actor to release a statement acknowledging she had “made a mistake” and pledging to make amends.

Background to the controversy

• The comments: In The New Yorker interview published Monday, LuPone dismissed any friendship with six-time Tony winner Audra McDonald and questioned McDonald’s acclaimed turn as Mama Rose in Gypsy.

• Regarding Kecia Lewis: LuPone also criticised Lewis’s claim of being a Broadway veteran, using an expletive and noting her own larger body of work.

• Community response: Within days, leading performers, directors and producers released an open letter condemning LuPone’s language as a “blatant act of racialised disrespect” and urging a public apology.

LuPone’s statement

Posting to Instagram, LuPone said she had long “spoken [her] mind and never apologised,” but conceded that her recent words were “demeaning and disrespectful.” She expressed a desire to apologise directly to McDonald and Lewis and endorsed the values outlined in the community letter, emphasising theatre’s role in “lifting each other up.”

Reactions from McDonald and Lewis

McDonald, currently starring in a Broadway revival of Gypsy, addressed the controversy in a preview for CBS Mornings, saying she was unaware of any personal rift and suggested that questions be directed to LuPone. Lewis has not yet issued a public response.

Industry perspective

The swift and collective push-back highlights evolving expectations around conduct in the theatre world, where public critique of colleagues—once commonplace—faces sharper scrutiny amid efforts to foster more inclusive and respectful workplaces.

What’s next

LuPone indicated she would seek private conversations with the artists involved. Meanwhile, the open letter’s organisers say they hope the episode will encourage deeper reflection on how industry veterans use their platforms and power.

For now, Broadway’s attention turns to whether personal apologies can heal public wounds and how the community balances frank artistic discourse with professional respect.

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