May 29, 2025
Patti LuPone’s harsh comments about Audra McDonald have sparked backlash online.
Actress Patti LuPone is facing backlash online for her latest interview, where she blatantly shades two Black Broadway stars.
In a deep dive with The New Yorker published on May 26, LuPone was asked about her rift with Hell’s Kitchen Tony Award-winner Kecia Lewis, who accused LuPone, a two-time Tony Award-winner, of “bullying” and being “racially microaggressive” toward the Hell’s Kitchen cast. When making the claims in a lengthy Instagram caption, six-time Tony Award-winner Audra McDonald shared supportive emojis.
When asked about McDonald’s response, LuPone didn’t hold back.
“Exactly,” she said. “And I thought, You should know better. That’s typical of Audra. She’s not a friend.”
When asked about McDonald’s record-breaking Tony-nominated performance in the current revival of Gypsy, LuPone reportedly stared in silence for 15 seconds before turning to a window and saying with a sigh, “What a beautiful day.”
As for Kecia Lewis, LuPone dropped a few expletives while bragging about her greater Broadway experience compared to Lewis.
“Here’s the problem. 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,” she said. “She’s done seven. I’ve done thirty-one. Don’t call yourself a vet, bitch.”
LuPone’s feud with Lewis began when the Agatha All Along star criticized the loud sound cues in Alicia Keys’ hit musical. While starring with Mia Farrow in The Roommate next door, LuPone claimed that noises from Hell’s Kitchen were audible through the shared wall. After the Hell’s Kitchen team lowered the volume and LuPone sent flowers as a peace gesture, Lewis still took to social media to call her out.
Now, LuPone’s harsh remarks against Lewis and McDonald aren’t sitting well with fans. Since the interview dropped, many have criticized her, citing a reputation for being difficult.
“patti is so tactless and tone deaf…like girl,” one critic tweeted.
“Patti LuPone had to wait 28 years for her second Tony. Meanwhile, Nathan Lane once introduced Audra McDonald as ‘the woman who wins a Tony every time she leaves her house,’” added someone else.
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