Laura Osnes Didn’t Get the Covid Shot. It Ended Her Broadway Career- Page 2

[Auggie27]

Posted: 11/18/25 at 9:33pm

There's no such "science" that determined that a younger demographic is invulnerable, sans vaccine. The vaccine saved lives. We all have anecdotal evidence in our own lives of the vaccine's success. And the tragic loss of life when it was avoided. People begged for the shots in ERs across the nation when it was too late. Let us not now rewrite history and pretend that COVID was a cold and that younger, "stronger" people who took vitamins or worm medication earn a new appraisal. 

Osnes made a series of calculated decisions. She could've stayed in Manhattan, weathered the blowback, and likely found a foot hole in the industry again - a tour, a replacement without fanfare. For all the sturm and drang (see LuPone, see Chenoweth see Scherzinger), it's a pretty forgiving industry.. But Osnes moved to a red state, left book shows entirely, performed solely in quasi-religious concerts and venues that support her ideological POV, made recordings, opting to reinvent herself outside of the center of the theater. And then blamed NYC and its ideological rigidity for oppressing and canceling her. We live in a culture that makes room for talent when said talent aims to make adjustments and accommodations. Osnes made the vaccine the hill her career would die on, and then stuck to her guns. She brought it on herself. 

Updated On: 11/18/25 at 09:33 PM

[Diana Greenhouse]

Posted: 11/18/25 at 9:41pm

So then why are scientists saying that young healthy people don’t need the vaccine?  It’s not right wing cuckoos saying that, it’s scientists across the board who are looking at the data.  You cannot conflate some older person who has preexisting conditions, with some young healthy person. That is not how medicine works. 

[Scarlet Leigh]

Posted: 11/18/25 at 9:55pm

ALL Laura had to do was bow out gracefully when the production required vaccines and things never would have gone this south for her. Let's be real... was/is she the only anti-vacs person in the business? Highly doubt it. But she was the one stupid enough to make a big deal about it. 

Would people have still judged her for not getting vaccinated? Yeah sure more than likely, but if she has just said, "I understand the requirement and I'm not ready to take that step so I have stepped down respectfully" instead of trying to talk them into making exceptions for her.... really it was trying to make herself the exception to the rules that soured the community's opinion of her. Then doubling down on the "woe is me" martyr that was being punished for her beliefs, be so for real girl. Then making it into her whole personality since. 

All she had to do was pull out of the show quietly, sit down, shut up, and wait it out and she could have just slipped right back in after the vaccine was not longer a requirement of productions... like I'm sure all the other anti-vaccine people in the industry did but again I am SURE that she's not alone. She's just too loud about it for her own good. 

[Diana Greenhouse]

Posted: 11/18/25 at 10:04pm

I think she offered to get tested or something?  I don’t remember exactly what it was, but wasn’t Stroman trying to make it work with her?  I think it was handled respectfully, but the press, New York post, Twitter, blew it up. 

Updated On: 11/18/25 at 10:04 PM

[CJRochester]

Posted: 11/18/25 at 10:05pm

MysteriousLady said: "I wonder which one of our resident reactionary idiots "Diana Greenhouse " (joined today) is."

The latest BroadwayFlash incarnation. They seem to be creating a new profile every other day lately. 

[jvoom]

Posted: 11/18/25 at 10:05pm

"...but if she has just said, "I understand the requirement and I'm not ready to take that step so I have stepped down respectfully" ..."

If you read the article, that is exactly what happened. 

[EmceeHammer]

Posted: 11/18/25 at 10:19pm

I propose a “Weisslers Stunt Cast Osnes in Chicago” challenge. 

If she sells more tickets than Mira Sorvino she can have her Broadway career back. 

[quizking101]

Posted: 11/18/25 at 10:29pm

Diana Greenhouse said: "So then why are scientists saying that young healthy people don’t need the vaccine? It’s not right wing cuckoos saying that, it’sscientists across the board who are looking at the data. You cannot conflate some older person who has preexisting conditions, with some young healthy person. That is not how medicine works."

***screams in exhausted nurse***

[TheatreFan4]

Posted: 11/18/25 at 10:57pm

Diana Greenhouse said: "So then why are scientists saying that young healthy people don’t need the vaccine? It’s not right wing cuckoos saying that, it’sscientists across the board who are looking at the data. You cannot conflate some older person who has preexisting conditions, with some young healthy person. That is not how medicine works."

No, Scientists across the board continue to recommend the vaccine. Just like they continue to recommend a flu shot. Is the Flu going to kill or even significantly impact 95% of young people? Absolutely not, but it's an exercise in community health for the greater good and something that hurts you not at all while helping the most vulnerable to put up a stronger buffer from them and severe illness. That is the same as the COVID vaccine. This is what is known as Public Health.

[Mr. Wormwood]

Posted: 11/18/25 at 11:11pm

She certainly misplayed this for her career's sake because she could have just quietly dropped out as others have said and waited it out. But I also agree that she was probably starting to age out of ingénue roles and didn't have the chops for other roles.

But I will also say that I thought the character assassination went a little wild on her. She seemed to be mostly well-liked before this whole thing and I think the fact that she offered to constantly test, etc showed that while she was misguided, she was not a terrible human being. I think the reaction to this situation hardened her stances in the years since.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 11/18/25 at 11:18pm

I think she’s just one of a number of people who the Left “canceled” who then became even farther Right because those are the people who accepted them, when others didn’t.

[TotallyEffed]

Posted: 11/18/25 at 11:19pm

Jordan Catalano said: "I think she’s just one of a number of people who the Left“canceled” who then became even farther Right because those are the people who accepted them, when others didn’t."
 

Sure, but imagine how bored you’d be!

[Diana Greenhouse]

Posted: 11/18/25 at 11:26pm

She’s not exactly going around wearing a maga hat.  Even in Nashville, she has maintained a neutral political position.  Not sure what her personal beliefs are, I’m sure she’s more on the right, but there are definitely liberal people who refused to get vaccinated.  
 

And as far as the comment about no risk to young people getting the vaccine, that’s not true.  Have you heard of myocarditis?  It’s a side effect that has happened to young men from mRNA vaccines, they actually are required to put a warning on the label of the vaccine to healthcare providers. 

[EmceeHammer]

Posted: 11/19/25 at 12:00am

EmceeHammer said: "I propose a “Weisslers Stunt Cast Osnes in Chicago” challenge.

If she sells more tickets than Mira Sorvino she can have her Broadway career back."

—

FYI, this scenario is more likely to happen than young men getting myocarditis from mRNA vaccines.

 

[HogansHero]

Posted: 11/19/25 at 12:17am

Dear "Diana Greenhouse,"

You lost the room at #23. Time to move along. The poinsettia cultivars need your help stat.

[GirlFromOz68]

Posted: 11/19/25 at 1:13am

Diana Greenhouse said: "So then why are scientists saying that young healthy people don’t need the vaccine? It’s not right wing cuckoos saying that, it’sscientists across the board who are looking at the data. You cannot conflate some older person who has preexisting conditions, with some young healthy person. That is not how medicine works."

My mother, who did her nursing training at Sydney's leading infectious diseases Hospital in the late 1940s before there were vaccines, and saw many children and adults without pre existing conditions DIE of so many infectious diseases, and then saw the massive difference vaccines made when they were introduced,  would absolutely school you if she were here now.  Mum always said people forgot how dangerous these diseases were over the years because of how effective vaccines were.

[TheatreFan4]

Posted: 11/19/25 at 8:04am

Diana Greenhouse said: "And as far as the comment about no risk to young people getting the vaccine, that’s not true. Have you heard of myocarditis? It’s a side effect that has happened to young men from mRNA vaccines, they actually are required to put a warning on the label of the vaccine to healthcare providers."

At no higher rates than those who contract COVID. And say you don't know how Side Effect profiles are put together without saying it. Do you know how many medications list death as a potential side effect? WEIRD!

[SteveSanders]

Posted: 11/19/25 at 8:06am

^ This.

Watch a TV advert for any drug and the list of side effects noted is lengthy and potentially alarming.

[Diana Greenhouse]

Posted: 11/19/25 at 8:12am

It is alarming SteveSanders.  And why risk side effects when there’s such a low chance Covid is anything more than a cold for healthy folks? Follow the science! 

Updated On: 11/19/25 at 08:12 AM

[sinister teashop]

Posted: 11/19/25 at 8:31am

HogansHero said: "Dear "Diana Greenhouse,"

You lost the room at #23. Time to move along. The poinsettia cultivarsneed your help stat."

No, her/their/its objective has been achieved: to augment Bari Weiss’ propaganda.

Updated On: 11/19/25 at 08:31 AM

[TheatreFan4]

Posted: 11/19/25 at 9:09am

Diana Greenhouse said: "It is alarming SteveSanders. And why risk side effects when there’s such a low chance Covid is anything more than a cold for healthy folks? Follow the science!"

It's not actually. Rates of Myocarditis post Vaccine is 0.95 per 100,000 vaccinations, less than 1. Rate for Myocarditis after Infection is 0.2 per 1000 (~1 per 10,000 or 10 per 100,000) surviving cases. So if your concern is Myocarditis (it isn't) the better option is clear. Less than one case per 100k? Of which you can't even rule out prior non/low symptomatic COVID Infection cause for? Well...

[Auggie27]

Posted: 11/19/25 at 9:18am

Can't believe we're debating COVID protocols with an anti-science anti-vax hardliner at this site at this time. The issues with Osnes focus exclusively on the theater community in crisis after 18 months of shutdown, and the courageous rallying of artists to serve the artform, audiences, industry.  They saved it; she was not a participant, and rather than apologize and seek new access and resume her Broadway career, she became litigious, dug in her heels, packed up, moved to a red state, and became a very different performer in a very different community. Her choice. She's neither a victim nor a martyr: she chose her path, stuck to it. The business moved on, and so did she: on parallel tracks. That's the story. 

Updated On: 11/19/25 at 09:18 AM

[Diana Greenhouse]

Posted: 11/19/25 at 10:01am

Im not saying side effects are widespread.  I was just responding to the lie that there is no risk. 
 

Auggie, are you aware of how many young people actually got the COVID vaccine last year? Only 11% between the ages of 18-29.  Why are you so religious on this vaccine?  People can and should make their own decisions based on the way they feel. I got the vaccine the first time around and haven’t since.  Haven’t felt the need to. 
 

And like I said, the hep b vaccine used to be seen as a must, and now scientists are changing the guidance.  They say we shouldn’t be giving it to infants unless they were born to hep b positive mothers and yet the cdc hasn’t changed it yet despite the broadly agreed upon views of scientists

Updated On: 11/19/25 at 10:01 AM

[Kad]

Posted: 11/19/25 at 10:12am

Stop even humoring this disturbed person who compulsively cannot stop coming back here. Block. 

[mar6411]

Posted: 11/19/25 at 10:30am

Diana Greenhouse said: "Im not saying side effects are widespread. I was just responding to the lie that there is no risk.


Auggie, are you aware of how many young people actually got the COVID vaccine last year? Only 11% between the ages of 18-29. Why are you so religious on this vaccine? People can and should make their own decisions based on the way they feel. I got the vaccine the first time around and haven’t since. Haven’t felt the need to.

Your discussion is about right now. The Laura Osnes scenario took place in the midst of COVID.  Then it was critical to get everyone vaccinated.  Now it is more targeted.  Your argument does not apply to the situation in question.