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Gay actor Javier Muñoz, who found fame on Broadway with his portrayal of Alexander Hamilton in Hamilton, and was also in the recent In The Heights, is among those to respond to fellow Broadway star Laura Osnes’s refusal to get the Covid vaccine.
Osnes shot to fame on the 2008 talent search, Grease: You’re the One That I Want!. She has since enjoyed a hugely successful Broadway career.
Her vaccine views became public after it emerged she would not be appearing in a one-off performance. Five days ago, Page Six alleged she had been fired from a one-night production of Crazy For You at the Guild Hall in East Hampton on Aug. 29.
This week Osnes said this was not true, and she had chosen not to participate when it became clear the production wanted all performers to be vaccinated. Osnes wrote a letter, which she posted to Instagram, explaining her decision.
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She said that upon learning she would have to provide proof of vaccine, she was “disappointed” and “responded that I would have to withdraw.” She said no other cast members “pressed her” on the matter, and said she was not offered the option of providing a negative Covid test.
“It is a legal right of all Americans to have their medical privacy protected. Mine has now been broadcast with an attitude of shame and demonization,” she said.
“I believe individuals have the right to do the research, consult a doctor, and come to their own conclusions before deciding whether or not to get any injections.”
“My case is personal. I stand by the decision my husband [photographer Nathan Johnson] and I, with input from our physician, have made for ourselves, our family planning, and our future.
“Someday, perhaps we will feel more confident in the research to consider a different position.”
Related: DJ Ty Sunderland on clubbing, chosen family, and why everyone needs to get vaccinated
Muñoz, who lives with HIV, responded on his own Instagram yesterday.
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“Laura, I took a little time to gather my thoughts before acknowledging your now very public choices regarding the Covid vaccine,” he began. “I’m not going to shame you here; shame never helps, as I’ve witnessed in my work regarding HIV/AIDS. I’m not writing this in anger as everyone has already, justifiably, shared their anger. I’m just going to share this…
“I have spent lockdown with my roommate. We decided that together was better for our mental and emotional health than alone. Both my roommate and I are fully vaccinated; (As you may know, I am doubly immunocompromised).
“Last month my roommate contracted a breakthrough infection and tested positive for Covid. We took all necessary precautions, we both quarantined (as I did not want to chance infecting anyone else due to my exposure), and not only did I NOT test positive for Covid throughout that entire experience, my roommate only had symptoms for a few days and recovered quickly and fully. Pretty amazing, in my opinion, and definitely thanks to the vaccine. The vaccines work Laura. They work. They save lives.
“Now, I won’t try to tell you what to do. This is absolutely your choice. What I will do is stand by our industry mandating vaccinations for all cast members and crew. I will stand by our industry requiring vaccinations for all audience members. (thank you Broadway League).
“Personally I’ve lost six loved ones to Covid. I’ve spent the majority of this year at memorials, finally getting to hug others and mourn together. So I am deeply grateful to our industry for taking this stand.
“I thank you for your open letter to us all, I ‘liked’ it and appreciated your honesty. I offer more conversation to you. I’m not here to shame you. As I mentioned earlier, I have never seen shame be effective. Ever. And after all my losses, my heart is too heavy right now for that particular kind of negativity.
“But I can offer my personal testimony and I am willing to listen. But ultimately I hope you reconsider. I truly do.”
This week, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio’s “Key to NYC” plan took effect. It requires proof of at least partial vaccination at indoor dining, entertainment, and fitness facilities across the five boroughs, and basically prohibits the unvaccinated from participating in many activities.
Related: 5 reasons gay men should get the Covid-19 vaccine
It was recently announced that more than 99.99% of people who are fully vaccinated against Covid-19 have not had a breakthrough case resulting in hospitalization or death.
According to a CNN analysis of CDC data, as of August 2, “more than 164 million people in the United States were fully vaccinated against Covid-19 … Fewer than 0.001% of those individuals — 1,507 people — died and fewer than 0.005% — 7,101 people — were hospitalized with Covid-19.”
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Prax07
Anyone choosing to not be vaccinated SHOULD be demonized. It’s just plain stupidity (Yes, You are a j@ck@ss) if you are able to get it and choose not to.
Harley
And let me add, if you choose not to get vaccinated and you get sick with Covid then stay the hell away from the hospital. Stay home and inject bleach, stick a UV light bulb up your ass, take a horse dewormer, or swallow hydroxychloroqine. Anything but take up space in a hospital so legitimately sick people can get health care.
ScottOnEarth
I completely agree, Prax07. They deserve to be shamed because their ignorant, reckless actions are shameful.
Cam
“”“It is a legal right of all Americans to have their medical privacy protected. Mine has now been broadcast with an attitude of shame and demonization,” she said.””
Except SHE is the one who broadcast it. The company didn’t provide any reason for her not appearing n the show, she is the one that said it had to do with the vaccine.
You have to love people that scream and scream and then act upset that somebody heard them screaming.
And Munoz’s response to her was too tentative, we are in this stupid situation because for years people treated someone like Jenny MacCarthy the same as they treated an immunologist with 20 years of experience. And what did that do? Hundreds of millions of dollars that could have been spent to find better treatments for people with Autism was instead redirected to prove over and over and over that vaccines didn’t cause it.
Time to shame these fools.
Mister P
No one wants to go to a show with a performer singing and spreading Covid.
jcool
discussed it with your physician…………
is his name dr. bombay?
Fahd
I think for her to draw attention to her own vaccine refusal is wrong, as it just gives support to other freeloaders. (“Look celebrity x isn’t getting vaccinated, so why should I?”) No vaccine, no part in the play seems to me very reasonable. Trying to act all hurt and victimized about it as she does is “karenish”. Btw, I think the courts have found that employers may require that their employees be vaccinated. They should.
whateverokok
No one should be forced to take the vaccine. I agree the vaccine helps and I think people should get it. I am not, however, forcing people to get it. It’s everyone’s choice what they do. And that should be a choice. Even if it is stupid.
EddieB
She is not being forced to take the vaccine. A private organization, presumably with the tacit approval of the other performers and employees, is telling her if she is not vaccinated she cannot work for them.
She can now complain to her photographer husband and her
GP, both of whom seem to be epidemiology experts.
Cam
What a shock, one of the right wing troll’s screenames supports unvaccinated people infecting everybody. Toeing the party line.
Oh, and I love the B.S. you anti-vaxxers are trying now, the lie of “well gee I’m not against the vaccine personally, but I just think that…..”
Nice try Troll.
LeBlevsez
EddieB and Cam: Grand and Slam!
Jimmyhowcome
In 1777, during the American Revolutionary War, 90% of casualties were due to disease, the majority smallpox. George Washington ordered the troops to be inoculated as we could have lost the war. The inoculation was accomplished by cutting a person’s skin and rubbing it with a thread or cloth which had been dipped in the pus from a person who had a less virulent form of the disease. As it was a live virus, some actually died, but smallpox was wiped out. As you may be aware, we won the war. We became a free country. So, the people who say they should have the freedom to refuse to protect the rest of us should remember this lesson.
Godabed
That was a really good response to her nonsense. I have little patience for people who care so little about how they affect everyone else.
lambchopp59
There are damn few individuals have any legitimate “excuse” for remaining unvaccinated, especially as much as we collectively know about this now. Had there been a vaccine developed in as rapid fashion for HIV, only the most twisted suicidal would have refused.
Media outlets that have twisted up the facts for political points should be sued out of existence.
Tucker Carlson deserves to be sleeping under a filthy freeway bridge somewhere, discover what some of us have endured without tremendous privilege, and STFU.