Audra McDonald Issues PSA After Scary Encounter With Fan Who Tracked Her Post-Show

Broadway star Audra McDonald is speaking out after a frightening encounter with a fan who followed her home after a performance of "Gypsy."

The six-time Tony Award winner shared a video on Instagram warning fans about respecting performers' boundaries.

McDonald, 55, explained that after a recent show on Friday night, a fan waited outside and discovered the private exit she used to leave the theater.

The person then followed her "all the way" to where she was staying and even entered the building, People said.

"They were uncomfortably close," she said in the video posted Saturday. When McDonald asked for security help, the fan defended their actions, saying, "I came all the way from [another city]."

"That is crossing a big old boundary," McDonald stated. "That's now messing with my safety, and it's not right."

McDonald said she normally doesn't stop at the stage door after performances — and for good reason.

Audra McDonald Explains Why She Skips Meet-and-Greets

Audra cited health, exhaustion, and vocal strain as the main reasons for avoiding post-show meet-and-greets during her "Gypsy" run. She also noted her responsibility as a parent.

"There's a lot of reasons performers don't do the stage door," she explained. "Sometimes we're just exhausted. Some people need to protect their health. And some of us have kids to get home to."

According to PageSix, the "Gilded Age" star reminded fans that actors owe nothing after the curtain falls. "When you see an actor leave the stage door, if they don't stop, leave them alone," she urged. "It has nothing to do with you. It's them protecting their peace."

McDonald's post has gained support from fellow performers. Broadway actress Kecia Lewis praised her, writing that fans demanding more after a performance is "the devil's work."

Despite the incident, McDonald ended her run in "Gypsy" on a high note. On Sunday, August 17, she took her final bow in the role of Mama Rose, becoming the first Black actress to play the part on Broadway.

Oprah Winfrey and Gayle King were in the audience to witness her historic performance and joined her onstage afterward.

Asked what she planned to do next, McDonald joked, "Lie down. I don't know what I'm going to do."

McDonald hopes fans can learn from this experience. "I love the theater and I love our audiences," she said. "But we need to feel safe offstage too."