Video: Audra McDonald Shares Experience With a Fan Following Her Home For an Autograph
"That's a big no-no," she said. "That's now messing with my safety, and it's not right."
By: Stephi Wild Aug. 18, 2025
Audra McDonald, who just wrapped up leading the Broadway revival of Gypsy, posted a video on Instagram recently to share an unsettling experience she had with a fan.
McDonald shared that she had been opting out of signing autographs at the stage door during her run in Gypsy, a decision she made due to "health, exhaustion, and vocal health." However, one fan after Friday night's show did not respect McDonald's boundaries.
"Last night, someone, not only, I don't even know if they did the stage door or not, but they snuck around and found me the way I had exited from the theater last night and followed me all the way to where I was staying, came into the building, and was uncomfortably close," she shared.
McDonald said that she got security involved in the situation, and the fan asserted that they deserved an autograph because they traveled from far away to see the show.
"That is crossing a big old boundary, and I just want to call that out," she said. "That's a big no-no. That's now messing with my safety, and it's not right."
In the video, McDonald went on to tell fans how to properly approach stars when seeing a Broadway show. "When you see an actor leave the stage door, if they don't stop, leave them alone," she said. "There is a reason that they're not stopping, and it has nothing to do with you. It's them protecting their space and peace, whatever that may be, and if they do stop or wave or take a picture with you or sign an autograph, great, but please respect the proper boundaries."
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