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Coverage dated June 11, 2023

Denée Benton Compares Ron DeSantis to KKK 'Grand Wizard' at Tony Awards

Headline from Rolling Stone

The actress took aim at the Florida governor’s anti-Black legislation during the same ceremony that saw two Black actors become the first non-binary people to win Tony Awards

Rolling Stone's own description from its feed. We collect headlines and these descriptions, not full articles; read the original reporting below.

Read the reports

Reports & sources

10 articles, oldest first.

  1. Fox News

    Broadway actress calls Ron DeSantis 'Grand Wizard' during Tony Awards presentation (opens Fox News)

    Published

    Fox News's feed description

    Broadway actress slams Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis with a KKK slur while presenting a prize during the Tony Awards Sunday night.

  2. Rolling Stone

    Denée Benton Compares Ron DeSantis to KKK 'Grand Wizard' at Tony Awards (opens Rolling Stone)

    Published

    Rolling Stone's feed description

    The actress took aim at the Florida governor’s anti-Black legislation during the same ceremony that saw two Black actors become the first non-binary people to win Tony Awards

  3. Variety

    Actor Refers to Ron DeSantis as 'Grand Wizard' on Tony Awards (opens Variety)

    Published

    Variety's feed description

    Actor Denee Benton referred to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis as a 'Grand Wizard,' invoking the Ku Klux Klan during CBS' live Tony Awards telecast.

  4. The Daily Caller

    Actress Compares Ron DeSantis To KKK ‘Grand Wizard’ During Award Show Speech (opens The Daily Caller)

    Published

    The Daily Caller's feed description

    Actress Denée Benton directly compared Republican Florida Governor and 2024 presidential candidate Ron DeSantis to the "Grand Wizard" of the Ku Klux Klan (KKK)...

  5. The Hollywood Reporter

    Actress Denée Benton Calls Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis a “Grand Wizard” Onstage at the Tony Awards (opens The Hollywood Reporter)

    Published

    The Hollywood Reporter's feed description

    The Broadway star compared the controversial political figure to a term previously used by the Ku Klux Klan to refer to its leader.

  6. Hot Air

    Actress refers to DeSantis as "Grand Wizard" during Tony Award presentation (opens Hot Air)

    Published

    Hot Air's feed description

    Hideous

  7. Townhall

    Actress Calls Ron DeSantis a 'Grand Wizard' at Tony Awards (opens Townhall)

    Published

  8. The Guardian

    Top Broadway star likens Ron DeSantis to Klan grand wizard (opens The Guardian)

    Published

    The Guardian's feed description

    Applause and approval as Hamilton actor Denée Benton makes comparison at Tony awards in New York on Sunday night

  9. The New Republic

    Broadway Actress Compares Ron DeSantis to KKK “Grand Wizard” at Tony Awards (opens The New Republic)

    Published

    The New Republic's feed description

    Denée Benton called out the governor of her home state while presenting an award at the Tonys.

Identical headlines usually mean shared wire copy. They are counted as separate articles but are not independent confirmation.

Denée Benton Compares Ron DeSantis to KKK 'Grand Wizard' at Tony Awards | Since Then