Broadway icon Patti LuPone did not attend the 2025 Tony Awards on Sunday—a conspicuous absence given recent controversy. The three-time Tony winner, who was not nominated for an award this year, attracted fierce backlash after she criticized fellow Broadway actors in a New Yorker profile last month. The 76-year-old’s remarks about Audra McDonald and Kecia Lewis were condemned as an act of bullying and “racialized disrespect” in an open letter signed by more than 500 Broadway artists. LuPone apologized on May 31, acknowledging on Instagram that her words were “demeaning and disrespectful.” She said she agreed “wholeheartedly” with everything written in the open letter. It’s not clear if LuPone was originally planning to attend Sunday’s ceremony. Several performers weighed in on the controversy in red carpet interviews, including Christopher Jackson of Hamilton, who said his initial reaction to her comments had been: “Damn, read the room!”
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