Kanye West apologizes after being called out for using phone during Broadway musical

Kanye West issued a mea culpa to Broadway star Jarrod Spector, who plays Sonny Bono in the new musical The Cher Show, after the actor called out the rapper on Twitter for staring at his phone instead of paying attention to the performance.

About an hour into Monday’s premiere at New York City’s Neil Simon Theatre — where West was in attendance with his wife, Kim Kardashian — Spector tweeted that he should “look up from your cell phone” and enjoy the show.

While some users commented on the irony of the actor tweeting the admonishment on his own phone during the show, others congratulated him for having the nerve to speak his mind. One person called it “a sweet roast,” while others suggested anyone using devices after the theater goes dark should be escorted out. Then a few hours later, West himself weighed in — but with a surprisingly humble response.

He told the actor that he and Kardashian — a known Cher superfan who’s channeled and even outright dressed up as the icon on several occasions — were so moved by the cast’s performance of the Sonny and Cher hit “I Got You, Babe” that they grabbed each other’s hands. He then expressed his “appreciation” for the show and called it a masterpiece.

The famous pair had planned to leave the show during intermission, according to TMZ, but instead they pushed their flight back so they could stay until the end. West was reportedly so enamored of the performance that he was actually taking notes on his phone — not getting distracted.

Plenty of the rapper’s fans jumped to his defense. If he bought his ticket, he should be allowed to do whatever he wants during the show, some people tweeted — though others agreed he was violating theater etiquette and “not respecting the performance.”

Spector has yet to publicly acknowledge West’s apology, but some cynics on Twitter feel the actor got what he wanted out of the tweet: publicity for the new show. One person who hasn’t chimed in on the confrontation is Cher herself — though the outspoken legend, who was also in attendance for opening night, has publicly commented on her devout admirer, Kardashian, in the past.

When the KKW Beauty founder dressed in an elaborate Cher costume for Halloween in 2017 alongside best friend Jonathan Cheban as Sonny, the diva tweeted her appreciation, writing, “You look BEAUTIFUL little Armenian sister.” That same year, Cher told People she thought the chainmail look Kardashian wore to Balmain’s July 2017 Los Angeles boutique opening — an outfit reminiscent of the risqué Bob Mackie designs Cher became famous for wearing in her heyday — was “unbelievable,” saying, “I just thought it was perfect and things are almost never perfect but that was perfect. I loved it.”

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