Audra McDonald Breaks 11-Year Silence on Patti LuPone Friendship
Broadway’s hot take this week features two legends, zero small talk, and an intermission that’s lasted longer than most plays. In a measured reply on Live with Kelly and Ryan (Oct. 16), Audra McDonald confirmed she hasn’t crossed paths with Patti LuPone in 11 years, neatly sidestepping any backstage drama. Meanwhile, the rest of us have friends we see more often at the Starbucks drive-thru. McDonald’s deadpan delivery makes you wonder if she’s quietly compiling a list of more polite strangers.
When host Kelly Ripa brought up LuPone’s candid People Magazine remark that the pair “aren’t friends,” McDonald leaned into the discomfort with surgical precision. “I haven’t seen her in 11 years,” she said, voice as calm as a library at midnight. Clearly, she didn’t rehearse that line in a mirror—unless the mirror was ghosting her, too. Clips from the MSNBC morning show have already gone viral, proving that even prima donnas need a PR-friendly rebound moment.
Patti LuPone first dropped the friendship bombshell during a recent Broadway fan Q&A, sparking headlines across Variety and Playbill. LuPone’s blunt “we’re not friends” comment felt more like an impromptu curtain call than backstage banter. The remark ignited a flurry of social media theories that ranged from genuine estrangement to award-season sabotage. Not that it’s a shock—celebs tend to treat each other like Wi-Fi: only notice it’s gone when it cuts out.
Both women boast six Grammy nominations and multiple Tony wins, thanks to powerhouse performances in Carousel, Evita and more. Yet despite sharing marquee billing in the late ’90s, their paths wildly diverged post-2000. Sources tell Dotdash Meredith that scheduling conflicts, differing creative circles and perhaps a dash of diva avoidance cemented their distance. At this point, they’d probably need a producer-brokered reunion just to remember each other’s names.
Looking ahead, McDonald is set to star in a new Netflix limited series, while LuPone prepares for a West End revival. Industry whispers suggest they might cross at next year’s Tony Awards—an encounter bound to be more tense than a sold-out opening night. Plot twist: they might even share the spotlight again, albeit on opposite sides of the aisle wearing metaphorical armor.
Tune in next time for more Broadway plot twists, because nothing says theater like unresolved rivalries and questionable invitations. Let’s pretend we learned something about friendship today.
Sources: Celebrity Storm and People Magazine, Live with Kelly and Ryan (ABC), Dotdash Meredith
Attribution: Robert Millard (Creative Commons)
