Brief recap if you need it: In the profile, interviewer Michael Schulman asked Patti about her conflict with Hell’s Kitchen star Kecia Lewis. Last year, Kecia shared an “open letter” to Patti on IG accusing her of being “racially microaggressive” in several instances which Patti complained about the volume of Hell’s Kitchen performances during her performance in The Roommate, which shared a wall with the Hell’s Kitchen theater.
Patti’s response was, honestly, terrible. “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 31. Don’t call yourself a vet, bitch!”
Things got even worse when Michael pointed out to Patti that Broadway legend Audra McDonald had responded supportively to Kecia’s IG post. “Exactly,” she said. “And I thought, ‘You should know better.’ That’s typical of Audra.”
Patti went on to say that Audra is “not a friend,” and claimed that the conflict between the two goes back a bit. When Michael asked Patti about Audra’s recent performance in Gypsy, which gained her a 11th Tony nomination — making her the most nominated performer in the awards’ history — Patti reportedly stared in silence for 15 seconds before turning to a nearby window and sighing, “What a beautiful day.” Y-I-K-E-S.
Patti’s behavior offended a lot of people. Yesterday, over 500 Broadway artists signed an open letter calling out the “racialized disrespect” of Patti’s comments, and making an open plea for Patti to be disinvited from this year’s Tony Awards.
Since getting disinvited to a party is a fate worse than death for most famous people, Patti is now taking back her words and actions. “For as long as I have worked in the theatre, I have spoken my mind and never apologized,” she said in a statement sent to BuzzFeed. “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.”