Pauletta Washington, actress and wife of Denzel Washington, spoke out in defense of her husband's current Broadway play, Othello.
Although Othello is wildly acclaimed, making history as the highest-grossing Broadway production, it was noticeably absent from the 2025 Tony Awards nominations.
The Reasonable Doubt star spoke about it all in a new interview with People, saying that she was "surprised" that Othello was overlooked. In the play, Washington stars as the titular character alongside Jake Gyllenhaal as Iago.
"In my family, we've been through this a lot of times. A lot of times. And I think I can speak honestly and truthfully and artistically that it was denied, you know, so you wonder why," Pauletta said. "But we don't have to wonder why: It's narrow-minded people that are in charge of making decisions and judgments."
Washington has been nominated for a Tony Award twice, including a win for Best Leading Actor in a Play in 2010 for his portrayal of Troy Maxson in Fences. The actor's son, John David Washington, has also previously been nominated. In 2022, he received a nod for Best Actor in a Play for his portrayal of Boy Willie in The Piano Lesson.
After Tony nominations were announced, Othello producer, Kandi Buruss, voiced her frustration about the play not being nominated.
"Well y’all… Othello didn’t get the Tony nomination. Of course I’m disappointed, but I’m still beyond proud to be part of this phenomenal production. Every time I watch our cast, I’m blown away and inspired," she wrote on Instagram.
"#DenzelWashington @jakegyllenhaal — you both are delivering a masterclass in acting every single night. Truly unforgettable performances. Congratulations to all the nominees this year!"
She then gave fans some insight into what she's working on next: "As for me, I’m already focused on what’s next. I’m not giving up on the dream. 'Tell Me No' by Whitney Houston (co-written by yours truly) is on repeat right now… and it hits different today."