EXCLUSIVE: Patti LuPone's Outrage — Fiery Star Boils Over After Turkey Turns Away Her LGBTQ Cruise Ship
Patti LuPone fumes after Turkey turns away an LGBTQ cruise ship, sparking outrage over the ban.
July 23 2026, Published 7:00 a.m. ET
Broadway belter Patti LuPone did not have a good old time aboard a Virgin Voyages cruise ship where she performed – Turkey turned the vessel away because most of the 2,000 passengers on board are part of the LGBTQ community, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
The 77-year-old Tony Award winner shared her shock and outrage on Instagram, saying Turkey's Islamic government banned Virgin Voyages' Scarlet Lady because of the LGBTQ-themed entertainment.
Turkey Sparks Outrage Over Ban
Patti LuPone said she was 'furious' after Turkey denied the Virgin Voyages cruise entry over its LGBTQ-themed entertainment.
"A ship – a magnificent ship – full of g-y men. And me. Denied entry to Turkey simply because of who is on board," said the Evita star online. "I am furious, but I am sailing, as the ship will make other ports of call. I am ready to perform for all the wonderful men on this Atlantis cruise, who deserve so much better than this."
Rich Campbell, president and CEO of Atlantis Events, said Turkey's decision is "pretty stunning, to be honest... It's very concerning to me when a country decides they can pick and choose which tourists are allowed in and which are not."
The cruise had been billed as "an epic all-gay voyage from Athens to Venice to the Mediterranean's most iconic destinations."
It also promised to "dazzle" with high-class entertainment, luxe parties and "awesome experiences."
Turkey Cites 'Moral Values' Concerns
Rich Campbell criticized Turkey's decision to deny entry to the Atlantis Events cruise carrying about 2,000 passengers.
Local authorities in the West Asian country scoffed that the gay cruise doesn't "align with the structure of our society and our moral values."
Although consensual same-s-x relations are technically legal, the socially conservative government is hands-off when it comes to protecting against discrimination, and they have nixed gay pride parades for over a decade.
The Scarlet Lady was scheduled to dock in the Turkish port town of Kusadasi on July 7 before heading off to Istanbul, but local authorities quickly shut that down. The ship was rerouted to Cairo and Crete.
Cruise CEO Rejects Political Claims
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Turkish authorities said the all-gay Atlantis Events cruise did not align with the country's 'moral values.'
"When we pull into port, the ship looks like any other ship," said Campbell. "It's not like we're not a g-y pride rally, we're not a march, we're not an organization, we're not a political statement in any way. The cruise was advertised a year ago, it's not new."
LuPone, a longtime gay icon, had just emerged from another controversy.
After a barrage of negative press from the theater community, she had to apologize for making snippy comments in May 2025 about fellow performers Kecia Lewis and Audra McDonald.
