Patti LuPone faces backlash for blasting Broadway colleagues

Patti LuPone is under fire following a controversial New Yorker interview in which she took aim at fellow theater veterans Audra McDonald and Kecia Lewis, sparking intense backlash from fans and industry insiders.

The 76-year-old Tony winner bluntly stated that McDonald is “not a friend anymore,” a revelation prompted by a question about McDonald’s current role in Gypsy, a production LuPone is famously associated with. 

According to Daily Mail, her silence followed by a deflective “What a beautiful day” response has since gone viral.

In the same interview, LuPone questioned Kecia Lewis’ status as a Broadway veteran, scoffing at Lewis’ résumé and referring to her dismissively as a “b****.” 

As per the publication, this came months after Lewis publicly criticized LuPone for comments she perceived as racially insensitive and bullying, particularly LuPone’s complaints about the volume of Lewis’ show Hell’s Kitchen.

Emmy-nominated writer Douglas Lyons and On Stage Blog’s Chris Peterson joined a growing chorus condemning LuPone’s tone, accusing her of using her status to demean Black women in theater. 

Moreover, Lyons posted on X, “31 shows doth not equal class.”

As debate rages online, some praising LuPone’s candor, others slamming her vitriol, calls for accountability are growing louder, with Lewis herself urging LuPone to replace performative gestures with a sincere apology.