Jesse Williams 'Take Me Out' Nude Scene Leak Is Act Of 'Sexual Harassment,' Actors' Equity Says

The Actors' Equity Association has slammed the illegal recording of actors in nude scenes after a video of Jesse Williams performing naked in the Broadway play "Take Me Out" leaked online.

As the "Grey's Anatomy" alum received a Tony Award nomination for his performance as center fielder Darren Lemming in "Take Me Out," footage of his full-frontal nude scene was shared online and went viral on Twitter.

The video was secretly filmed by an unidentified audience member while Williams was performing in the Broadway production at the Second Stage Theater in New York City, despite the theater requiring spectators to place phones and smart devices in sealed cases before the show, Deadline reported.

The Actors' Equity Association, the national labor union representing over 50,000 actors and stage managers involved in live theater, slammed the leak as an act of "sexual harassment and an appalling breach of consent."

"We condemn in the strongest possible terms the creation and distribution of photographs and videos of our members during a nude scene," said Kate Shindle, president of Actors' Equity Association, in a statement obtained by Deadline. "As actors, we regularly agree to be vulnerable onstage in order to tell difficult and challenging stories. This does not mean that we agree to have those vulnerable moments widely shared by anyone who feels like sneaking a recording device into the theater."

"Whoever did this knew not only that they were filming actors without their consent, but also that they were explicitly violating the theater's prohibition on recording and distribution," she continued.

Shindle added that there is a "mutual understanding" between the performers and the audience that they are sharing "an experience limited to this time and place" and that this trust allows the actors to take on their roles and expose themselves both emotionally and physically.

"Trampling on this agreement by capturing and distributing these photographs and videos is both sexual harassment and an appalling breach of consent," she stated. "It is a violation that impedes our collective ability to tell stories with boldness and bravery."

Meanwhile, the Second Stage Theater said it was "appalled" that an audience member broke its sealed-phone policy and posted the unauthorized footage on social media. The theater ripped the spectator, saying they disrespected the production and the cast members.

"Taking naked pictures of anyone without their consent is highly objectionable and can have severe legal consequences," the theater said in a statement shared on Instagram Tuesday. "Posting it on the internet is a gross and unacceptable violation of trust between the actor and audience forged in the theater community."

Second Stage said it is working on requests to take down the footage and has asked that no one else participate in its distribution. The theater also said it will add more staff to ensure the enforcement of the no-camera policy.

Williams spoke about being nude on stage in an episode of "Watch What Happens Live," which aired Monday and was recorded before the leak, according to Entertainment Weekly.

"Everybody makes such a big deal," Williams said of his nude scene when asked about it by host Andy Cohen. "It's a body. Once you see it, you realize it's whatever."