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Both Cole Escola and Nicole Scherzinger won the leading awards at the 78th Tony Awards on Sunday.
Cole appeared surprised after Nicole’s win. (Photo Credit: Instagram)
Cole Escola has issued a clarification on their recently made quip in response to fellow Broadway star Nicole Scherzinger. After winning the Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play at the 78th Tony Awards, Escola made a joke over Scherzinger’s win for Sunset Boulevard. As soon as Nicole was announced a winner, the Oh, May! playwright and lead actor Cole Escole, who was doing a press interview, gave a bold reaction that didn’t go unnoticed. Cole was accompanied by director Sam Pinkleton, who also appeared surprised by the announcement.
In a video going viral, someone in the background could be heard asking, “Who is it?” when Sam dramatically said, “Noooooo” after hearing Nicole’s name. “Wow. The speculating is over,” Sam further added. Cole, who had also won the Best Actor award for their performance in Oh, Mary!, went on to repeat the statement before remarking, “Four more years.”
The comment instantly prompted laughter in the room, with many seemingly alluding to how much more time President Donald Trump has in the White House. It is worth mentioning that Nicole has been in the headlines over her positive sentiment toward Donald Trump’s Make America Great Again slogan.
Cole Escola has been rude to Nicole Scherzinger since the ‘Full Tonys Roundtable.’ Meanwhile, Nicole’s out there tearing up in her speech about how welcomed she felt by the theater community… guess some folks missed the memo on what community spirit actually means https://t.co/JGx4RwqlnF— unspassos (@Thiago_Passos) June 9, 2025
With Cole Escola’s recent commentary on their fellow Broadway star sparking a debate among fans, the actor issued a clarification, refuting any intention to mock Nicole. “When I made that joke, when I said ‘four more years,’ I meant it like, well, she won. She’s who we got for the next four years, as if I think winning the best lead actress in a musical is the same as winning a presidential election,” Escola explained.
Cole Escola explains their alleged joke about Nicole Scherzinger winning Best Leading Actress in a Musical at the Tony Awards pic.twitter.com/blBtUxszxe— Portal Nicole Scherzinger (@PortalNicole) June 10, 2025
They further went on to slam people on the internet for pitting Broadway stars against each other. “I think it’s sad. My only sort of beef right now is with Michael Arden, but I don’t want to get into it,” they added.
Earlier in 2024, the former Pussycat Dolls entertainer faced criticism for enquiring about Russell Brand’s MAGA-inspired “Make Jesus First Again” hat, only to apologise later. Many other screenshots also circulated online where Nicole appeared to have liked an Instagram post by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., where the politician showed support for Trump.
Yatamanyu Narain is a Sub-Editor at News18.com with a passion for all things entertainment. Whether he’s breaking the latest Bollywood news or chatting with rising stars in the OTT world, he’s always on the hun…Read More
Yatamanyu Narain is a Sub-Editor at News18.com with a passion for all things entertainment. Whether he’s breaking the latest Bollywood news or chatting with rising stars in the OTT world, he’s always on the hun… Read More
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