Broadway is taking some serious steps to make sure that no more nude footage of Jesse Williams‘s d**k is leaked online during his performance in the play Take Me Out.
Earlier this week, a video of the Grey’s Anatomy alum fully nude during his performance in the show leaked online. In the critically-acclaimed production, he plays a gay pro baseball player coming out to his teammates and the world. In one pivotal scene, the players are all nude with each other in the shower. But one theatergoer couldn’t focus on the plot once they saw Jesse swinging that bat. They couldn’t help but whip out their phone and press rec!
Now Second Stage Theater, where the show takes place, is taking some major steps to ensure the privacy of its cast members!
According to Entertainment Tonight, the theater is “adding additional staff” and has already installed an infrared camera system inside the theater to catch anyone violating their no phone policy! Peter Dean, the director of production for Second Stage, told The New York Times:
“This will allow us to focus on an audience member who looks like they’re doing something suspicious, and assess whether they’re just going through a purse to get a breath mint or pulling out a phone.”
Wow! They’ve really lost all trust in their future spectators!! Better not do anything suspicious now or you’ll have a whole security team coming after you!
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Part of the reason this nude content hitting the internet was so concerning is the fact that anyone attending the play was required to lock their phones in a sealed case. According to the theater’s website, the only way to unlock the device is to use an unlock tab in the lobby after the show. So, it’s unclear how someone managed to record anything at all. Maybe they snuck in a second device? But either way, the expectation was very clear: enjoy the peen in person, but don’t go snapping photos for later!
As the news went viral on Twitter, Second Stage Theater released a statement condemning the actions of the fan, saying:
“Second Stage Theater has worked to ensure the privacy of the ‘Take Me Out’ company by creating a phone-free space with locked phone cases at all performances. 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, their fellow audience members, and, most importantly, the cast in this manner.”
As much as we know everyone got a thrill from seeing the TV star’s Anatomy, think about it this way: if actors don’t feel safe going nude in the theater because of leaks, no one will get to enjoy that anymore. And, you know, the art will suffer, too.
The theater also pointed out the legal implications that a post like that could have, adding:
“Taking naked pictures of someone 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 theater community. We are actively pursuing takedown requests and ask that no one participate in the distribution of these images. Second Stage is also adding additional staff at the theater to enforce the policy.”
So far, Williams hasn’t said much about the exposure, but he has downplayed his nude scenes in most interviews. When appearing on Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen on Monday night — one day prior to the leak — he said:
“It’s a body — once you see it, you realize it’s whatever, it’s a body. I just have to make it not that big of a deal.”
We wonder how he’s feeling now, though?! Thankfully, he was nominated for a Tony Award for his role in this play, so hopefully, that’s taken up most of his attention. Reactions, Perezcious readers? Do you think this is an appropriate step for the theater to take? Should they be doing more? Sound OFF (below)!
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