Tituss Burgess stands by ‘Kimmy Schmidt’ pal Ellie Kemper amid uproar
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That’s what friends are for.
Tituss Burgess is sticking by his “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt” pal Ellie Kemper after she came under fire for being named the queen of a ball with alleged ties to white supremacy when she was a teen.
The Broadway performer, 42, told Page Six that he has spoken to Kemper on the phone and that she’s doing well.
“We’re going to leave it at that,” he said before adding, “My Ellie is doing wonderful. Ellie’s great.”
On Monday, Kemper, now 41, offered a lengthy apology on Instagram after photos surfaced of her being crowned the queen of St. Louis’ Veiled Prophet Ball back in 1999.
The “Office” alum said that she didn’t know the history of the debutante ball when she decided to participate but acknowledged that “ignorance is no excuse.”
“I was old enough to have educated myself before getting involved,” she said.
Burgess reposted Kemper’s apology on his Instagram account, writing alongside it: “I love my Ellie ❤️, Oh, & P.S. Next time, just ask me, I’ll tell ya what to do 🥰.”
The Veiled Prophet Ball was originally formed in 1878 by elites to honor the ritual of Mardi Gras, and is allegedly associated with white supremacy.
A noticeably slimmer Burgess, who revealed that during lockdown he “hired a trainer and I also hired a plastic surgeon,” performed on Monday night at the Roundabout Theater Company’s 2021 gala at the Rumsey Playfield in Central Park.
Fellow “Kimmy Schmidt” star Jane Krakowski headlined the show but Burgess wowed the well-heeled crowd, which included Alec Baldwin and Vanessa Williams, with his spine-tingling performance of the Barbra Streisand classic “People.”
“Holy s–tballs, that was amazing,” Krakowski exclaimed after the rendition.
Burgess can’t wait for New York theater to return. He’s been working on adapting the Whitney Houston film “The Preacher’s Wife” and is hoping that will come to a Broadway stage soon.
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