Tony Presenter Denée Benton Slams Gov. Ron DeSantis In Brutal Onstage Remarks
Denée Benton didn’t hold back as she labeled Gov. Ron DeSantis the “Grand Wizard” of Florida in a wicked onstage criticism Sunday at the Tony Awards.
Benton, a Florida native known for her roles in “Hamilton” and “Into the Woods,” drew applause and gasps from the Manhattan audience as she took aim at the 2024 Republican candidate for president by comparing him to a Ku Klux Klan leader.
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“And while I am certain that the current Grand Wizard, I’m sorry, excuse me, governor of my home state of Florida ... ,” said Benton, who was nominated for a Tony in 2017 for her role in “Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812.”
Denée Benton calls Governor Ron DeSantis the "current grand wizard" of Florida at the #TonyAwards pic.twitter.com/O2iEfbOvQO — The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) June 12, 2023
Benton’s remarks arrived as she acknowledged Jason Zembuch Young, a teacher at South Plantation High School in Plantation, Florida, and the 2023 winner of the ceremony’s Excellence in Theatre Education award.
Her criticism appeared to target the governor’s record on restricting lessons in public classrooms in the state, particularly his efforts to restrict conversations in school about race and LGBTQ+ people. She also alluded to the anachronistic name of the Florida city.
Source: HuffPost
