Jesse Williams responded to having videos and pictures leaked online of his onstage nude scene in the Broadway play Take Me Out.
Now, Williams is addressing the aftermath. On Thursday, he told The Associated Press, “I’m not down about it. Our job is to go out there every night, no matter what.”
“I’m not really worrying about it. I can’t sweat that. We do need to keep advocating for ourselves. And it’s wonderful to see a community push back and make clear what we do stand for, what we don’t,” Williams continued. “Consent is important, I thought. So, let’s keep that in mind universally.”
He added, “Theater is a sacred space, and everybody doesn’t understand that. Everybody doesn’t necessarily respect or regard that in a way that maybe they should, or we’d like.”
On May 9, a playgoer secretly recorded and took photos of Williams’ nude shower scene from Take Me Out. The video quickly went viral, sending social media ablaze.
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Second Stage had a no-phones policy before the leak. Audience members were asked to lock up their phones until after the show. It was an effort to protect the actors, especially with the use of nudity in several scenes.
Following the leak, the theater announced it would continue the policy with additional security and an infrared camera system facing the audience.
“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 the audience forged in the theater community,” the theater said.
— Second Stage Theater (@2STNYC) May 10, 2022
Take Me Out focuses on a Major League Baseball superstar, Darren Lemming, coming out as gay.
Williams was recently nominated for a Tony Award for “Best Performance By An Actor In A Featured Play” for his role.
He shared the news on Instagram, writing, “No words, just gratitude. A student in a sea of teachers 🌊”
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