Letters threaten actors(Taye Diggs & wife Idina Menzel recieve death threats)

newsday.com ^ | 12 5 04 | ROCCO PARASCANDOLA AND DEBORAH S. MORRIS

[freepatriot32]

Threatening letters critical of the interracial marriage between a Tony Award-winning white actress in the Broadway smash "Wicked" and Taye Diggs, a popular black film and TV actor, have sparked a NYPD probe and an increase in security at the famed Gershwin Theatre, sources said.

One of the letters "threatens bodily harm to Taye Diggs," according to a police source. That letter was received Wednesday by Jed Bernstein, president of the League of American Theaters and Producers, the industry's major trade group, with offices on West 47th Street.

Sources said that before Wednesday, two other handwritten letters were sent to the Gershwin Theatre, on West 51st Street, addressed to Diggs' wife, Idina Menzel, who stars there in "Wicked," a revisionist look at the "Wizard of Oz."

"The letters go on and on about their marriage," a second source says. "They say they're each a sellout to their race."

[freepatriot32]

2 to 1 odds that the letter writer ends up being a kerry voter

[Darkwolf377]

I wish I had the kind of time these jerks have--you must have nothing to do all day if you can be worrying about what color people are.

[freepatriot32]

one for your XER ping list ?

[Nick Danger]

This has the smell of a self-inflicted hate crime, like that woman in California who spray-painted slogans on her own car.

[marty60]

This is so 50's. Maybe one of Calypso Louie's followers.

[freepatriot32]

the letter from new york maybe but there were two others mailed from ohio and pennsalvania it looks like an organised letter writing campaign to me

[mhking]

Ten to one the writer is black.

Oh, right. Only black people are stupid enough to send hate mail, right?

[rolling eyes]

[mhking]

Black conservative ping

If you want on (or off) of my black conservative ping list, please let me know via FREEPmail. (And no, you don't have to be black to be on the list!)

Extra warning: this is a high-volume ping list.

[mass55th]

Bet nobody sent Whoopi and Ted Danson or Whoopi and Frank Langella death threats when they were together. Sounds like a disenchanted male or female fan who fantasized about one or the other of these actors.

[Lil'freeper]

Never heard of 'em.

[varon]

Ten to one the writer is black..........woman!!!

[cyborg]

How strange. At least they only got three! Whether a black person or white person sent it, I don't know. However, when Essence writes one of their manhater articles they get more letters with this same tone than they can print. I didn't even know Taye Diggs was married!

[SilentServiceCPOWife]

I've never understood the "reasoning" behind disapproval of interracial relationships. I've heard the cats and dogs analogy too many times. But we're all human beings. If black and white people weren't supposed to be romantically involved, we wouldn't be able to produce children.

[gracex7]

Sounds about right. Maybe some stalker, male or female.

If the other letters are from Ohio and Penn. that's no biggie...someone coming to NYC from Ohio could mail letters in all 3 places on the same day. (There are also other ways of the same person could have done it).

[Pippin]

This is so 1960's!

[Dan from Michigan]

Probably one of those 'tolerant' democrats.

[monday]

"Ten to one the writer is black."

hmmmm... to judge by your attitude, the writer could be you.

[olde north church]

Actually, there is a higher probability of the writer being black than white. The nation of islam is very much against race mixing as is the new black panther party.
There is also a greater likelihood of the writer of the letter being a woman. Many black atheletes, actors, professionals view a white wife as a trophy or a sign of their personal success.
To disagree with those to points would be a denial of reality.

[monday]

The reality is ...to quote from the article.."One of the letters "threatens bodily harm to Taye Diggs,"

If the letter writer was a black woman the obvious person to threaten would be Idina Menzel not Taye Diggs, and the KKK is also very much against race mixing. This could lead one to the conclusion that the letter writer was a white man.

The truth is you have no idea who the letter writer is. There is not enough information for anyone to know for sure. The fact that you would use your preconceptions to even hazard a guess says much more about you than it does about the letter writer.

[Sprite518]

Hey I am in an interracial relationship. I live in the South too. Never had any issues. Perhaps an extra look, but that's about as far as it goes.

[olde north church]

The reality is ...to quote from the article.."One of the letters "threatens bodily harm to Taye Diggs,"
If the letter writer was a black woman the obvious person to threaten would be Idina Menzel not Taye Diggs, and the KKK is also very much against race mixing. This could lead one to the conclusion that the letter writer was a white man.
The truth is you have no idea who the letter writer is. There is not enough information for anyone to know for sure. The fact that you would use your preconceptions to even hazard a guess says much more about you than it does about the letter writer.
And what pray tell does it say about me?
My OBSERVATIONS were based upon the actual experiences of personal friends. Perhaps, I should defer to your subordination to political correctiness.

[monday]

"And what pray tell does it say about me?"

That you are probably a white male. It is natural for people to want to believe that the trouble makers of the world are of a different race, or gender, or religion. A realist would understand that this isn't necessarily so. There are obnoxious idiots of every race and gender and religion.

You could be right in your assessment of the race and gender of the letter writer. My only point was that it was only a guess on your part. One that isn't necessarily correct.

PS. I am a white male, and about as un PC as you can get. I don't disagree with your characterization of Black Panthers or trophy wives, etc.... just your analysis that that these could be the only explanations for the motives, and therefore the race and gender, of the letter writer when that is clearly not the case.

[bad company]

I didn't even know Taye Diggs was married!

Well we didn't suspect you,.......until now.

Thanks to everybodys parents here having experienced the sixties I had to read the article twice to figure out which one is the man and which one is the woman. That being said who the heck are these people. We're not exactly talking about Sammy Davis Jr. here. I don't know about Black Muslims but I don't think the klan is that into the theatre.

My guess would be that it's a stalker or someone trying to sell theatre tickets.

[infidel29]

We are in the same boat. Some of my fiancee's friends are against us and we do get the odd "dirty looks", mostly from blacks may I say, but nothing on the level of violence.

I'd say the writer of the letters to Taye Diggs and his wife were written by a white person though, at least the one threatening him directly. It is obvious. Racism and hate of interracial relationships are some of the basest forms of ignorance, to place any credence to rationality or forethought on the letters, i.e. making them out to be a conspiracy or "a black person threatening Taye to throw off the authorities" is without merit. It gives a measure of intelligent forethought to the threat when there can be none based on the ignorance of the threat.

[StoneColdGOP]

2 to 1 odds that the letter writer ends up being a kerry voter

Or a freeper. It's raised its head here from time to time. Not very subtlely either.

[Smogger]

Interesting article.

My parents were an interracial couple in the sixties. My dad got in a few altercations because of this, while going to College in Omaha, NE. I remember one story my mom told me, where a bunch of hicks pulled up while they were walking down the street, and started pulling out tire irons, etc, and hurling epithets. My dad broke told my mom to get run, and he broke two bottles on the curb.

My dad's black friends always wondered why he refused to own a gun. All of my dads black male friends own guns and thought he was crazy not to. Well I date white girls sometimes, and rest assured I own several.

Taye Diggs sounds like a good candidate for a concealed carry permit to me.

:)

[bert]

Who is Taye Diggs and is he an actor or an out of work actor?

[traviskicks]

I met a woman applying to medical school today who is black with a white husband.

Says it isn't really a big deal to her - but that in her church she has noticed she hasn't been welcomed by some.

[baseballfanjm]

That's sad. You'd think those in her church who don't welcome her marriage would notice their hypocrisy.

[olde north church]

"...PS. I am a white male, and about as un PC as you can get. I don't disagree with your characterization of Black Panthers or trophy wives, etc.... just your analysis that that these could be the only explanations for the motives, and therefore the race and gender, of the letter writer when that is clearly not the case. ...
I didn't mean those were only possibilities, I simply meant they were the most likely. It's like the adage, when you hear hoofbeats, think horses not zebras.
I am a white male but it had nothing to do with accusing people of other races first. If the article was talking about Nirvana fans, I would have accused young white males.

[Bella_Bru]

"They say they're each a sellout to their race."

This happened on FR to a few of us. Said poster was banned. Believe it or not, there are still white people with dumbass issues such as people marrying people of other races.

[cyborg]

He is an actor, and certainly not out of work by any stretch.

[cyborg]

That's a pretty sad attitude.

[cyborg]

Depends on the church. Some churches are very social, and some people while they can be Godly and very spiritual have a lot of issues with white people. They can have white work associates and acquaintances but fellow church members are a different story.

[cyncooper]

This has the smell of a self-inflicted hate crime

That was my first thought. Broadway actors being targeted? Not likely. But it does get their names in print!

[cyncooper]

And one more note on interracial couples; I was just out doing errands and had Sean Hannity on in my car and some college student called and claimed that some group had misused an email list and had sent out some message about what to do to upset Red America (I'm posting the gist, not quoting), and one thing he said was in it was "If you're black marry someone white, if you're white marry someone black".

I'm in my car thinking "Like Clarence Thomas?" What kooks.

[cyncooper]

Never heard of 'em.

Nobody has...until now.

[cyncooper]

I've never understood the "reasoning" behind disapproval of interracial relationships

It hasn't been an issue for about 40 years.

[cyborg]

The libs think they know everything! What a weird thing to say. It's just like two clients who came into where I work saying they'd kidnap me and dump me in a red state. I said please do then I'd probably get married to someone decent!

[cyborg]

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0004875/

[cyncooper]

It is very weird, especially since it was tied to the inauguration of President Bush!

Oh, I see you sent a link...thanks in advance!

[cyncooper]

Cute!

And one of the actors to break out of soaps, I see.

[cyncooper]

BTW, just to be clear: I don't HOPE this is a publicity stunt, I just suspect it right off the bat because I'd never heard of either and, well, now I have. However, my mind is open and if they are being targeted and threatened I hope those harrassers are found and stopped. Real threats and comments like that would be extremely upsetting, in addition to frightening since physical violence is threatened.

[cyborg]

Some people have issues. I have my ideas of who wrote these letters. Bet I can find some women who would agree. Look at that four eyed witch Julianne Malveaux!

[cyborg]

I hope it's not a publicity stunt either. You never know with hollyweird.

[Lijahsbubbe]

I'm in my car thinking "Like Clarence Thomas?" What kooks.

LOL!

[SilentServiceCPOWife]

It hasn't been an issue for about 40 years.

I'm not sure that I'm following you. I know that laws against interracial marriage were overturned about 40 years ago, but that doesn't mean that people aren't still criticized for it. This article, as well as the experiences of friends of mine, are proof of it.

[cyncooper]

I have personal experience with this, too, and while there will always be a fringe element of bigotry, it is not the stigma it used to be. Not even close.