On April 2, a Broadway star, Laura Benanti, posted a video from a flight, saying she was surrounded by a group of teenage theatre students who did not recognize her.
While the actress shared the moment as a joke, the clip quickly went viral across social media platforms and drew a wave of reactions from online users.
“I still don’t know who she is, and I especially don’t care to know now,” wrote one user.
Laura Benanti’s recent plane video sparked unexpected reactions from online users
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“I would say about 83 percent of the people on this airplane are teenagers in a theater group, and not a single one of them recognized me,” Benanti said in the video.
She added that she approached them and mentioned she “does theater,” but the response she got was simply, “Cool.”
She ended the story with a dry joke, saying, “RIP.”
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The video was later reposted on X, where it quickly reached a wider audience, and the tone of the reaction shifted.
“No clue who this lady is,” one person wrote. Another added, “I legit have no idea who she is. First time hearing her name.”
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Some comments mocked the situation. “Anyone know who the hell she is?” one user asked, while another wrote, “Ain’t no one know who you are, lady, you obviously delusional.”
Others focused on her expectations. “Her ego is hurt because teenagers couldn’t recognize her,” one comment read.
Meanwhile, another flock of users defended her while others doubled down on her video
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While many criticized her, others pointed out that Benanti is a well-known name in theatre.
“She is a literal legend, and the fact that people are this uncultured is terrifying,” one person wrote.
Still, the criticism continued across platforms.
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“I Googled her and still don’t know who she is. Was she in No Hard Feelings? Was she the mom?” one user wrote, referring to her role as Allison Becker in the Jennifer Lawrence-led film.
Other remarks were more personal. “Looks like another annoying Karen,” one comment read, while another added, “She looks like a lady I’d expect to be denied entry for drinking too much wine at the bar in the airport.”
Following severe criticism, Benanti posted a follow-up video from the flight addressing the situation
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As the backlash grew, Benanti addressed the situation in a follow-up video posted on April 3.
“That video is me making fun of myself — not making fun of those kids, not expecting them to know me,” she said.
She added that she is aware of her place in the industry and does not expect widespread recognition.
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“I know nobody cares about me. I literally have a comedy show called ‘Laura Benanti: Nobody Cares,’” she said.
In the caption, she reiterated her point, writing: “Dear Internet, I was making fun of MYSELF.”
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She also admitted she didn’t expect the video to reach beyond her usual audience.
“I thought this was going to be my niche theater community and somehow, it ended up on the bad side of the internet,” she said.
Despite the backlash, several fellow actors came in to support Benanti
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Pamela Adlon and Bianca Del Rio reacted to her post with laughing emojis, while actress Alexandra Billings praised her, writing, “Your idea was brilliant… thank you for your joy.”
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Broadway actress Rachel Potter also showed support, commenting, “Your people got it… more importantly, did the kid in the jacket reach out yet?”
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Benanti, who has had a long career on stage and screen, is best known for her Tony-winning role in Gypsy (2008) and performances in productions such as She Loves Me.
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She has also appeared on television in shows like Nashville, Younger, Supergirl, and The Gilded Age, and had a recurring role impersonating Melania Trump on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.
“Who she is and what she acted in ?” questioned one user
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