On Sunday, Sutton Foster finally weighed in on the allegations surrounding Scott Rudin and his announcement that he will be "stepping back" from his Broadway productions during an Instagram live conversation with Beth Nicely. Many in the industry, both performers and fans, were disappointed by the lack of comments regarding the Rudin allegations by Foster and Hugh Jackman, both who are currently slated to helm the upcoming Rudin produced revival of The Music Man. During the Instagram Live conversation, Foster called Rudin's exit "the only positive outcome is the one that is happening". Last week, The Hollywood Reporter citied that Foster had threatened to leave the upcoming revival if Rudin didn't choose to step away.
During the online conversation, Foster went on to say, "I apologize if it seems like I wasn't actively trumpeting my feelings, but I felt like the noise of - I couldn't get a clear mind, and I really needed to step away. I never had to deal with anything like this before, and I think 46 years on this Earth deserves that. I'm mature enough to be able to take the time, and I think people should allow it. I really am excited about return to Broadway, and may we just continue the change and that's all I'm going to say. I just feel, really, it's an unbelievably unfortunate situation, but the only positive outcome is the one that is happening...and I know that Hugh feels exactly the same way. I know we've both committed to creating an amazing environment for everybody involved."
On Saturday, Rudin announced in an email to The New York Times that he will be stepping away from his Broadway productions that include To Kill A Mockingbird, Westside Story, The Book of Mormon, Our Town, The Music Man and the current NY PopsUp program. In the statement Rudin said "Much has been written about my history of troubling interactions with colleagues, and I am profoundly sorry for the pain my behavior caused to individuals, directly and indirectly."