He said what he said.
Gillian Anderson has defended refusing to let her fans sit in the front row of her West End show.
The actress sparked controversy on Saturday when she was caught on video telling a group of superfans they couldn’t sit in the front row, asking “Who’s afraid of Virginia Woolf?”
In the video captured outside London’s Sohoplace theatre, he told a group of people, who were not seen in the clip, “You guys can’t sit in the front row.”
Despite the group telling her they were “sorry” and that they knew, she reiterated her point, saying, “I don’t care. You can’t sit in the front row. It’s too distracting. You can’t come 20 times and sit in the front row, it would drive me crazy.”
The 58-year-old “Sex Education” actress spoke out about the situation on Sunday through x“Hello everyone, just wanted to say – in the video that is playing I am talking to women I have been with for over 20 years. Please do not say anything negative about me or about them.”
He added, “We’re thrilled to be doing this show, but for the people in the front row, please keep in mind that in such an intimate venue, we can all see you. Sometimes, it can be a little distracting! That’s it. It’s all good.”
The video initially received mixed reviews, with some social media users agreeing with Anderson and others defending her fans.
“How difficult it must have been for Gillian to act and stay in character when she’s so uncomfortable because of someone’s presence… It’s actively making it worse for the rest of the audience because everyone gets a worse show because of one person’s behavior,” a written through xProtecting the actress.
“The fact that they had to say this and they still don’t take her discomfort seriously is so weird 😵💫😵💫😵💫 Like why as a fan would they want to make their favorite uncomfortable like this,” another said. couple.
one third wrote”People need to realize that even longtime fans aren’t exempt from basic respect, and ruining the experience for others is selfish behavior. Set those boundaries! Can’t wait for showtime!”
However, another user argued”No, that’s strange on Gillian’s part. She’s allowed to see him in a play and sit wherever she wants.”
another one reiterated similar stance”I don’t really know who Gillian Anderson is, but I’m surprised that so many people are defending her for repeatedly attacking theater goers.”
Anderson stars alongside Billy Crudup in the West End production. The show started on 21 September and will run till 19 December.