In November, the producers of the Broadway musical Shuffle Along, or the Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed sued their insurer, Lloyd鈥檚 of London, for refusing to cover losses tied to the pregnancy and subsequent early departure of its star actor Audra McDonald.
According to , 鈥淭he Broadway show had taken out two insurance policies, totaling $14 million, to mitigate the risk that an illness or accident would prevent her from performing, or force the entire production to be abandoned.鈥� However, a ruling has yet to be made on whether her pregnancy qualifies as an accident or illness.
A New York Court declared decades ago that a pregnancy does not qualify. However, the producers dispute this. Now, a has been reported. While the producers continue to insist that McDonald鈥檚 pregnancy was an accident covered under the policy, Lloyd鈥檚 insists it was not an accident and that McDonald failed to disclose she was pregnant before the coverage began, therefore rendering the insurance contract null and void.
When filing paper work for the insurance in March 2016, McDonald confirmed that she was not 鈥渟uffering from physical, psychological, or any other condition.鈥� Lloyd鈥檚 of London claims that McDonald knew of her pregnancy in February, and that it is a condition that falls under this clause. The insurer is has asked the court to treat the contract as invalid.
Lloyd鈥檚 of London also argues that the production did not need to be shut down with McDonald鈥檚 exit. The producers counter that the insurance policy was in place specifically in the event that McDonald could not appear.
