The Broadway theater has responded to the video leak of Jesse Williams’ shower scene and said the situation can lead to “legal consequences.”
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Jesse Williams’ nude scene caused a frenzy on social media as he bared it all during the Broadway play “Take Me Out” but Second Stage Theater was not pleased with the content. In a statement, officials said attendees were asked to place their phones in a sealed case before entering the show. “We are appalled that this policy has been violated and unauthorized footage of our acting company has been posted. It is deeply unfortunate that one audience member chose to disrespect the production, its fellow audience members, and most importantly, the cast in this manner,” the statement reads.
— Second Stage Theater (@2STNYC) May 10, 2022
“Taking naked pictures of anyone without their consent is highly objectionable and can have severe legal consequences. Posting it on the internet is a gross and unacceptable violation of trust between the actor and audience forged in the theatre community. We are actively pursuing takedown requests and ask that one participates in the distribution of these images.”
I only got on Twitter today for #JesseWilliams 👀
— Brooke Reese (@BrookeReese) May 11, 2022
Girlllll I’m thinking that man trending because he coming back to greys!!#JesseWilliams pic.twitter.com/8kYTRBWVBi
— PeeRGay (@sheep_witchy) May 11, 2022
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The nude images were leaked online after Jesse Williams was nominated for a Tony Award for ‘Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play’ and Williams discussed his thoughts on being fully nude during an interview with Andy Cohen.
“I don’t like any of it. I’ve learned in my minutes in the theater, which is all a first for me, is don’t read into it. Because it just creates more insecurity. A non-reaction is a really interesting reaction. The quiet, you know. Creates a lot of insecurity.”
According to TMZ, it is unclear how the audience member was able to record the scene due to the only way to unlock the phone is in the theater lobby. Second Stage officials also said they will have additional staff members to enforce the no-camera policy for future shows.
Other attendees said they witnessed a woman recording the scene from a device and claimed she forgot to lock up her phone.
I was there Saturday. The woman behind me had her phone which beeped several times. When she was trying to silence it she said she “forgot” she had it on her 🙄. While I hate the thought of extra waits to do a more through search of property for phones, it must be done.
— Laura Waring (@Lauraleah1432) May 10, 2022
You have a ballpark of where the photographer was sitting, based on the angle of the photos, you have every ticket holder’s name and credit card info. With a little legwork, you can find the offender and turn them over to the police for producing nonconsensual porn.
— Alex Kulak (@AlexKulak2) May 11, 2022