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Patti LuPone is speaking out for the first time since more than 500 members of the Broadway community signed an open letter criticizing her for discussing an apparent rift with Audra McDonald and calling Hell’s Kitchen star Kecia Lewis a “bitch”“I made a mistake, I take full responsibility for it, and I am committed to making this right. Our entire theatre community deserves better,” LuPone concluded a May 31 statementPreviously, McDonald recently said, “If there’s a rift between us, I don’t know what it is,” and noted that she and LuPone have not seen each other “in about 11 years”
Patti LuPone has apologized for her incendiary remarks about fellow Broadway stars Audra McDonald and Kecia Lewis.
One day after more than 500 members of the Broadway community signed an open letter reprimanding LuPone, 76, for her recent comments directed at McDonald, 54, and Hell’s Kitchen star Lewis, 59, in a May 26 New Yorker profileLuPone issued her apology on Instagram on May 31.
“For as long as I have worked in the theatre, I have spoken my mind and never apologized. That is changing today,” LuPone began her statement. “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,” she continued. “I hope to have the chance to speak to Audra and Kecia personally to offer my sincere apologies.”
“I wholeheartedly agree with everything that was written in the open letter shared yesterday. From middle school drama clubs to professional stages, theatre has always been about lifting each other up and welcoming those who feel they don’t belong anywhere else,” she concluded. “I made a mistake, I take full responsibility for it, and I am committed to making this right. Our entire theatre community deserves better.”
Audra McDonald and Patti luppone in February 2011
Bruce Glikas/FilmMagic
The open letter, which was addressed to the American Theatre Wing, The Broadway League and “the greater theatre community” on May 30, described LuPone’s comments as “a blatant act of racialized disrespect” that “constitutes bullying” and harassment and called on the groups to disinvite LuPone from the Tony Awards on June 8 and take on further efforts to “(establish) a broader standard of accountability moving forward.”
McDonald herself addressed LuPone’s comments about their friendship in an interview with Gayle King on CBS Mornings set to air Tuesday, June 3. The program shared a clip on Instagram on May 29, in which McDonald said, “If there’s a rift between us, I don’t know what it is,” after King asked her whether she was “surprised” by LuPone’s comments.
“That’s something you’d have to ask Patti about. You know, I haven’t seen her in about 11 years just because we’ve been busy just with life. So I don’t know what rift she’s talking about, but you’d have to ask her,” McDonald added in that clip.
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LuPone’s mention of an apparent feud between her and McDonald comes as McDonald is nominated at the upcoming Tonys for her starring role in a revival of Gypsy. When LuPone was asked by The New Yorker what she thought of McDonald’s Gypsy performance, the performer — who won a Tony for playing the same role in the 2008 production — reportedly stared in silence for 15 seconds before turning to the window and sighing, “What a beautiful day.”
Mcdonald audress in 2025; Lupone pats in 2025.
Bruce Glikas/WireImage; Taylor Hill/FilmMagic
McDonald received her record-making 11th Tony nomination for Gypsy, becoming the most nominated performer of all time. The actress already holds the record for wins, with six Tonys. LuPone has three.
The topic of their friendship came up in the New Yorker piece when LuPone was asked about a public conflict she held with Lewis in fall 2024; the Hell’s Kitchen star had posted a video to Instagram criticizing LuPone for calling the Alicia Keys musical “too loud” — remarks that Lewis dubbed “bullying,” “offensive,” “racially microaggressive,” “rude” and “rooted in privilege.” At the time, LuPone was starring opposite Mia Farrow in the play The Roommate and had been complaining about hearing Hell’s Kitchen’s sound cues through the wall the two buildings shared.
In the New Yorker piece, Lupone said, “That’s typical of Audra,” when she was told that McDonald had responded to Lewis’ video with supportive emojis.
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