Breaking down Patti LuPone's latest Broadway controversy—and responses

What did Patti LuPone say about Audra McDonald?

Audra McDonald's stint as Rose Thompson Hovick in the current Broadway revival of Gypsy — a show for which Patti LuPone nabbed a Tony Award in 2008 — came up in a recent interview of LuPone with The New Yorker.

When asked about McDonald using supportive emojis in reaction to a post about LuPone's controversy with the Hell's Kitchen musical (more on that later!), LuPone declared, "That's typical of Audra. She's not a friend."

It's unclear what caused this falling out between the two of them. However, instead of elaborating on what happened, LuPone reportedly sat in silence, looked out the window, sighed, and commented on how it was "such a beautiful day outside."

What did Patti LuPone say about Kecia Lewis and the 'Hell's Kitchen' musical?

The controversy between Patti LuPone and the Hell's Kitchen production — a jukebox musical with music and lyrics by Alicia Keys and loosely based on the singer's life — came about when LuPone starred in The Roommate stage play alongside Mia Farrow.

As the story goes, The Roommate (a play) shared a wall with Hell's Kitchen (a musical), which caused sound to bleed through from one production to another. Once that issue was fixed, LuPone reportedly sent flowers to the crew of Hell's Kitchen.

When asked by The New Yorker about that situation, LuPone expressed her "surprise" over Hell's Kitchen star Kecia Lewis sharing an Instagram video in response to LuPone calling the musical "too loud."

In the video (below), Lewis referred to herself, as well as LuPone, as Broadway "veterans," stating that LuPone's comments were "offensive," "rude," and "racially microaggressive."

"She calls herself a veteran? Let's find out how many Broadway shows Kecia Lewis has done, because she doesn't know what the fuck she's talking about," LuPone told The New Yorker when asked about Lewis's video. "She's done seven. I've done 31. Don't call yourself a vet, bitch!" The real tally, as noted in The New Yorker profile, is 10 for Lewis and 28 for LuPone.

LuPone's comments in The New Yorker referencing Lewis and McDonald did not go over well on social media, with many Broadway fans, critics, and fellow performers expressing their opinions over LuPone's remarks.

Social media reactions to Patti LuPone's remarks went viral.

"Audra McDonald has won six Tonys, the only performer to win in all four acting categories! Patti LuPone comes across horribly in this new interview! She is a bully. That’s not 'diva' behavior, that's asshole behavior. She is a bitter woman and jealous," X/Twitter user @RyanForEQUALITY wrote.

"Dear Patti LuPone, 31 shows doth not equal class," @DouglasSings wrote on X/Twitter, with a longer response (shared via Facebook) attached to the post.

'Hell's Kitchen' star Jessica Vosk reacted with two Instagram stories.

Kecia Lewis's former and current co-stars on Hell's Kitchen, Shoshana Bean and Jessica Vosk, spoke out in support of her and Audra McDonald via Instagram posts.

Vosk wrote in two posts shared via Instagram stories:

"It's not hard to be kind. But it takes a hell of a lot of effort to be intentionally cruel. Lastly, talent does not excuse bad behavior. Read it again. Harassment and bullying are not welcome here."

'Hell's Kitchen' alum Shoshana Bean also shared a response on social media.

Bean started a series of Instagram stories writing, "Here's what I know for certain… Speaking this way about any woman is unacceptable to me. Let alone a Black woman. I don't care how many shows or Tony's or years. Their achievements are remarkable yet irrelevant to me when it comes to the respect they inherently deserve as BLACK WOMEN."

"It is unacceptable to speak of or to Black women in ANY industry, let alone OUR SHARED COMMUNITY, in the manner we have just seen," Bean added. "My entire artistry and inspiration stands on the shoulders of Black women… I will always stand for, with, beside, in front and behind, to protect, celebrate and raise them high."

The actress continued, "And for all the little white girls who look up to Patti watching this all unfold? This is not how it's done. We will not teach nor perpetuate this behavior."

"This community is already under attack," Bean wrote. "Our own government is threatening the very existence of art and creators on a daily basis, our funding, our validity… while simultaneously trying to erase the history and contributions of Black people in this country."

Bean concluded, "We won't allow attacks like this within our own community. This one woman is not who WEEEEEE are."

What happened between Patti LuPone and Lillias White?

Patti LuPone's latest remarks about Audra McDonald and Kecia Lewis have also resurfaced a past situation involving fellow Broadway icon Lillias White.

During her 2022 stint in Hadestown, White mistook a venue-provided captioning device for hard-of-hearing fans for a recording device. The actress reprimanded the audience member in the middle of the show — and given that LuPone had done similar things on more than one occasion, an intense social media discourse was split between criticizing White and comparing the instance to LuPone's past behavior, as reported by Broadway World.

Back then, even the audience member who was reprimanded by White shared an X post urging people to have some grace for the Broadway legend. "I ask to extend kindness and forgiveness to Ms. White," the audience member wrote, as reported by Deadline. "Her social media pages, particularly Instagram, have been flooded with ageist [and] racist comments. Please stop harassing her."

Carla Renata, also known as @thecurvycritic on Instagram, shared a statement in support of McDonald, Lewis, and White while highlighting LuPone's recent comments.

"What these beautiful souls have in common other than being Black Tony Award winning women artists is that they have all been verbally attacked and/or disrespected by another legendary Tony winner — Patti LuPone," Renata wrote in an Instagram post. "No matter how many years in the business, no matter how many awards or how many times someone refers to you as iconic or legendary — it tarnishes your status by belittling and calling folks out of their names in public forums."

While acknowledging that LuPone is, without a doubt, a legend, Renata also urged the actress to be more self-aware of her words.

"With all due respect, your blatant disregard for these women and fellow artists in the Broadway community bullying them for no apparent good reason is mind boggling," the critic wrote. "Please put the same reverence and respect on Audra, Kecia and Lillias' name. They earned and deserve it just as you have for decades."

UPDATE (May 31, 2025): Patti LuPone has now shared a statement apologizing to Audra McDonald and Kecia Lewis for her remarks in The New Yorker profile.

After acknowledging that she's spent her entire career in showbiz speaking her mind and not feeling the need to apologize, LuPone's words in this new statement indicate that she's ready to change that stance moving forward.

"For as long as I have worked in the theatre, I have spoken my mind and never apologized. That is changing today.

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.

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. I made a mistake, I take full responsibility for it, and I am committed to making this right. Our entire theatre community deserves better."

This story is still developing…