Tony Awards viewers baffled after director Michael Arden’s impassioned acceptance speech is censored

Arden won Best Direction of a Musical for his revivial of ‘Parade’

CBS rushed to censor one Tony award-winner’s particularly passionate acceptance speech.

The 2023 Tony Awards took place on Sunday night (12 June) at the United Palace in Manhattan’s Washington Heights neighbourhood.

Presented by returning host Ariana DeBose, the awards show was broadcast to US viewers at home on CBS and Paramount+.

Follow along with our live blog for all updates from the 2023 Tony Awards and see here for the full list of winners.

Michael Arden was among the winners of the evening, having triumphed in the category for Best Direction of a Musical.

Arden won for his direction of the Broadway revival of the 1998 musical Parade, which is about the lynching of Leo Frank by an antisemitic mob.

Arden, however, had a small snippet of his speech censored due to his use of a homophobic slur.

In his acceptance speech, Arden spoke to the queer community.

“And to our beautiful trans, non-binary, queer youth, know that your queerness is what makes you beautiful and powerful,” he said. “Everyone in this room sees you and needs you and will fight alongside you and we will win.”

“Growing up, I was called the F-word more times than I can remember,” said Arden. “And all I can say is that now I’m a f***** with a Tony.”

The latter part of his speech – in which Arden said the slur in full – was censored by the broadcaster, leaving viewers at home wondering what the director had said.

The words of his full speech were soon revealed on Twitter.

Tony nominee Ben Platt – who starred in Arden’s production of Parade – was one of many in the audience to cheer him on. The actor was out of his seat and applauding Arden’s words.

Earlier on in the awards show, DeBose fully explained why and how the ongoing Hollywood writers’ strikes have impacted this year’s Tony Awards.

(Getty)

“Our siblings at the WGA are currently on strike in pursuit of a fair deal – and how many of us know how that is?” DeBose told the audience who applauded in response.

“I’m sure some of you at home are thinking, ‘What does that have to do with the Tony awards?’” the actor continued.

“The awards shows are traditionally written by members of the WGA, so in order for the show to go on a whole host of people had to come together and find a compromise.”

DeBose went on to explain what that “compromise” entailed, divulging that neither she nor anyone taking the stage during the awards show would be reading from a script as a result of the deal that was reached.