Cole Escola gets candid (and cheeky) after Nicole Scherzinger’s Tony win

Fresh off their first Tony Award win, Oh, Mary! star Cole Escola brought their trademark wit to the post-show press room — and couldn’t resist a sly dig at fellow winner Nicole Scherzinger. With a quip referencing recent controversy and an eyebrow-raising hat, Escola’s comments playfully reignited discourse around Scherzinger’s political image, just moments after both stars were crowned Broadway royalty.

A Tony win and a timely zinger

Cole Escola, the breakout creator and star of Oh, Mary!, took home the Tony Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play — a watershed moment for the gender-bending comedian and writer whose irreverent take on Mary Todd Lincoln has made waves both on and off Broadway. But it wasn’t just the win that had people talking.

As Escola spoke to reporters in the press room at New York’s Radio City Music Hall, they caught wind of Nicole Scherzinger’s win for Best Actress in a Musical for her role in Sunset Blvd. — and delivered a barbed-yet-breezy response.

“Who is it? Nicole?” Escola asked, half-joking as the announcement reached backstage. Then came the kicker: “Wow. The speculation is over. Four years. Four more years!” The jab, delivered with signature deadpan, alluded to the notion of Broadway wins functioning like political office terms — but for many, it also carried the weight of recent controversy tied to Scherzinger’s perceived political leanings.

When Broadway meets backlash

The context behind Escola’s remark lies in an Instagram comment that launched a thousand think pieces. In late 2023, Scherzinger drew widespread criticism after commenting under a photo of Russell Brand wearing a red “Make Jesus First Again” hat — a parody of Donald Trump’s MAGA slogan — with the now-infamous phrase: “Where do I get this hat!!!?”

The response was swift and unforgiving. As screenshots circulated online, fans and critics alike questioned Scherzinger’s political alignment. Fueling the fire, Scherzinger had also liked a post by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a controversial figure running in the 2024 presidential race. Though she later deleted the interaction, the internet didn’t forget.

In a follow-up statement posted to Instagram, Scherzinger apologized:“I deeply apologize for the hurt caused by my recent engagement with some social media posts… Many presumptions are being drawn, which do not reflect who I am, what I stand for, or who I voted for.”

She emphasized that her comment was not an endorsement, but a misunderstanding. “When I commented on these posts, I made the mistake of not realizing that they could be easily interpreted as being politically related,” she said.Still, the damage was done — and it remained in public memory even as she stood in triumph on Broadway’s biggest night.

Escola clarifies — and critiques the narrative

After Escola’s “four more years” quip caught traction online, the performer returned to Instagram to clarify their intentions. “When I made that joke… I meant it like, well, she won, she’s who we’ve got for the next four years — as if I think winning Best Actress in a Musical is the same as winning a presidential election.”

They added, “People just want to pit us Broadway gals against each other. And I think it’s sad.” Escola’s comment straddled the line between satire and sincerity — something they’ve built a career on. But it also highlights the tension between celebrity wins and cultural accountability. When public figures make political missteps, even unintentionally, those actions can follow them long after the news cycle ends.

Politics, performance, and the Broadway spotlight

Scherzinger’s moment at the Tonys was a career high — her turn as Norma Desmond in Sunset Blvd. has been widely praised as both vocally stunning and emotionally layered. But the political undertones surrounding her victory complicate an otherwise celebratory narrative.

These aren’t new dynamics for Scherzinger. In 2016, she came under fire for revealing in an interview with the Daily Mail that she almost passed on a role in Dirty Dancing due to her character’s abortion. “My Papa’s a bishop and my family’s really hardcore against abortion,” she said at the time, a statement that resurfaced alongside the more recent controversies.

While Scherzinger’s apology and statements have tried to distance her from hardline political affiliations, the shadow of past remarks and associations lingers. In the age of social media receipts and rapid-fire judgment, that shadow often stretches far beyond the screen or stage.

Two Tonys, two different narratives

Despite the headlines, it’s important to note that both Escola and Scherzinger delivered award-worthy performances that earned them the recognition of their peers and critics alike. Oh, Mary! is a daring, eccentric play that reimagines historical tragedy through queer absurdism — and Escola’s portrayal of a spiraling Mary Todd Lincoln is nothing short of a theatrical tour de force.

Scherzinger’s take on Norma Desmond brought a pop sensibility to a storied role, infusing Andrew Lloyd Webber’s aging diva with haunting pathos and impressive vocal power. Both performances broke expectations — albeit in very different ways. But as Escola’s joke makes clear, awards night isn’t just about the art anymore. It’s about optics, identity, and the complicated ways fame and politics intersect on the biggest stages.

In the end, a Broadway moment to remember

Cole Escola’s “four more years” may have been a fleeting line — half satire, half commentary — but it captured something very real about our cultural moment. In an industry where political gaffes can go viral, and every move is scrutinized through ideological lenses, even a Tony acceptance speech can become a flashpoint.

Still, both Escola and Scherzinger now belong to an elite club of Tony Award winners — a status that, controversy aside, reflects undeniable talent. And while the road to the Radio City Music Hall stage may have included Instagram missteps and pointed punchlines, it’s clear that both stars are now firmly part of Broadway history. The curtain may have closed on the 78th Tony Awards, but the conversation — sharp, complex, and very Broadway — goes on.