Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson shocked audiences with a one-night-only Broadway cameo in & Juliet, playing the role of “Queen Mab” in a modern, “gender-inclusive” retelling of Romeo and Juliet.
Her appearance, where she sang the Backstreet Boys’ Show Me the Meaning of Being Lonely and cheered “female empowerment,” has sparked mixed reactions. Supporters called the performance a “humanising” moment for the judiciary, with figures like former Congressman George Santos praising it as a fresh take on connecting with the public.
However, critics slammed the decision as “cringe,” “embarrassing,” and unbefitting for a Supreme Court Justice, accusing Jackson of promoting “radical ideology” in a “queer musical knockoff.”
The performance at New York’s Stephen Sondheim Theatre marked the first time a Supreme Court Justice appeared on a Broadway stage, fulfilling what producers called Jackson’s “lifelong fantasy.”
Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson starred in a Broadway Musical.
ABC reports it was her “lifelong goal” to be the first Black female Supreme Court Justice to perform in a Broadway show. pic.twitter.com/VKy6BHvKmt
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