Audra McDonald responds to Patti LuPone’s “not a friend” remark, noting she hasn’t seen colleague for years

Audra McDonald has shown no desire to escalate her situation with Patti LuPone. McDonald's recent comments made it clear that she hopes for peace and doesn't see a visible conflict between LuPone and herself. The 54-year-old singer and actress addressed the situation after Patti LuPone's interview with The New Yorker. In Patti LuPone's interview, she shared that Audra McDonald is "not a friend” and referenced an apparent rift between the two Broadway theater legends.

Audra McDonald appeared surprised during her CBS interview, when Gayle King asked for her perspective on the current situation. She said,

“If there is a rift between us, I don't know what it is. That's something you would have to ask Patti about. I haven't seen her in about 11 years just because we've been busy, just with life and stuff. So I don't know what rift she's talking about, but you'd have to ask her.”

LuPone did not elaborate on the nature of the alleged falling out in her New Yorker interview. McDonald’s response came during a conversation tied to her 11th Tony nomination for her role in Gypsy. The full CBS interview is set to air next week.

Audra McDonald caught in broadway dispute after Patti LuPone's noise complaint

Last fall, while Patti LuPone was performing in The Roommate, a noise complaint she filed led to an unexpected chain of events that ignited whispers of tension between her and Audra McDonald.

Patti LuPone had taken issue with sound bleeding through the walls from Hell’s Kitchen, a musical playing next door. The complaint didn’t go unnoticed. Kecia Lewis, one of Hell’s Kitchen’s leading voices and a recent Tony winner, posted a video condemning LuPone’s actions. She referred to them as “bullying” and “racially microaggressive,” accusing LuPone of viewing the Black-led production through a lens of privilege.

Among those who endorsed the video publicly was Audra McDonald, who “liked” the post.

LuPone later addressed that in her interview with The New Yorker.

“Exactly. And I thought, ‘You should know better.’ That’s typical of Audra. She’s not a friend.” she shared

Patti LuPone also took direct aim at Lewis, questioning her professional standing:

“Let’s find out how many Broadway shows Kecia Lewis has done, because she doesn’t know what the f**k she’s talking about... She’s done seven. I’ve done 31. Don’t call yourself a vet, bi**h.”

According to available reports, Lewis has appeared in 10 Broadway productions, while LuPone’s record includes 28. Reflecting on the original complaint, LuPone noted that noise disputes were not uncommon in shared venues.

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“This is not unusual on Broadway. This happens all the time when walls are shared.” she explained.

Patti LuPone did not limit her criticisms to Audra McDonald and Kecia Lewis. In the same interview, she offered candid comments on others, including Glenn Close and her former partner Kevin Kline. Reflecting on her years with Kline, she described their relationship as “painful” and said of their early encounter at Juilliard, “I took an instant dislike to him.”

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