Over 500 Broadway artists have signed an open letter condemning Patti LuPone

The letter - provided to Playbill - said of LuPone's comments about Lewis: "it is a blatant act of racialised disrespect. It constitutes bullying. It constitutes harassment. It is emblematic of the microaggressions and abuse that people in this industry have endured for far too long, too often without consequence".

Regarding LuPone's remarks about McDonald, the letter states: "To publicly attack a woman who has contributed to this art form with such excellence, leadership, and grace - and to discredit the legacy of Audra McDonald, the most nominated and awarded performer in Tony Award history - is not simply a personal offence. It is a public affront to the values of collaboration, equity, and mutual respect that our theatre community claims to uphold."

The letter went on to insist the remarks are part of a pattern in the theatre industry, which has "a persistent failure to hold people accountable for violent, disrespectful, or harmful behaviour - especially when they are powerful or well-known".

The Broadway League and American Theatre Wing were encouraged to disinvite LuPone from industry events, including the Tony Awards.

The letter said: "Individuals, including Patti Lupone, who use their platform to publicly demean, harass, or disparage fellow artists - particularly with racial, gendered, or otherwise violent language - should not be welcomed at industry events, including the Tony Awards, fundraisers, and public programmes."

Tony winners James Monroe Iglehart, J. Harrison Ghee and Maleah Joi Moon, as well as stage and screen veterans like Ephraim Sykes, Wendell Pierce, and Jaquel Spivey signed the letter. Musician Courtney Love is also among the signatories.