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Jesse Williams says he's 'not really worrying' about leaked nude scene from Broadway play 'Take Me Out' — but still believes 'consent is important'

Jesse Williams in front of an orange backdrop in a brown suit jacket and black shirt
Jesse Williams at the opening night party for "Take Me Out" on April 4, 2022. Bruce Glikas/Getty Images

  • Jesse Williams spoke out about the leak of his full-frontal scene in "Take Me Out."
  • The actor told the Associated Press that he's "not down about" the leaked images and video.
  • Williams is nominated for a Tony for his performance in the play.
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Jesse Williams spoke out Thursday about the leaked images and video of his nude scene in the Broadway play "Take Me Out."

In a recently published interview with John Carucci of the Associated Press, the actor said he wasn't deterred by the leak on Monday but was encouraged by support from the theater community.

"I'm not down about it. Our job is to go out there every night, no matter what," Williams told the outlet.

He continued: "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. Consent is important, I thought. So, let's keep that in mind universally."

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Williams is starring in a revival of the play by Richard Greenberg, which made its Broadway debut in 2003. He was nominated for a Tony Award for his portrayal of Darren Lemming, a fictional baseball player who comes out as gay. His co-stars Michael Oberholtzer and Jesse Tyler Ferguson were also nominated for their performances.

The "Grey's Anatomy" star told the AP that not everyone appreciates what theater means to its community.

"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," Williams continued.

Second Stage Theater, the theater company that's producing "Take Me Out" at The Hayes Theater, notes on its website that it uses electronically locking Yondr bags to create a phone-free space during the show out of respect for the actors. The group released a statement on Tuesday, saying it was "deeply unfortunate that one audience member chose to disrespect the production, their fellow audience members, and, most importantly, the cast in this manner."

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Ferguson reposted Second Stage's statement on Twitter Tuesday, adding that "Anyone who applauds or trivializes this behavior has no place in the theater which has always been a safe space for artists & audience members."

Oberholtzer also shared his feelings with the AP: "People feel like that they can say and do things because they pay for admission or because they are a subscription member or whatever the case may be, that certain behavior is permissible. But it's not. It's a violation of people's consent."

"Take Me Out" runs through June 11.

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