Gillian Anderson Responds to Backlash Over Telling Superfans to Stop Sitting in Front Row

Gillian Anderson is clarifying a viral video that shows the actress confronting a group of superfans who repeatedly sit in the front row of her West End production of Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

The video shows The X Files star having a conversation with a group of fans at the production’s stage door and asking them to stop repeatedly buying tickets for the show’s front row.

“You guys cannot sit in the front row,” Anderson said as she signed autographs outside @sohoplace, which sits about 600. “You cannot. I don’t care, you cannot sit in the front row. It’s so distracting.” She added with a laugh, “You can’t come 20 times and sit in the front row, it’ll drive me mad.”

The video sparked divided reactions online, with some saying they understood how Anderson seeing the same faces in the front row night after night would be rather odd. Others criticized Anderson for seemingly scolding fans and trying to tell them where to sit.

Anderson replied to the controversy with a post of her own, explaining, “The video doing the rounds is me talking with women I go back over 20 years with — so please don’t say anything negative to or about them. We’re thrilled to be doing this show but for people in the front row, please be aware that in such an intimate venue we can all see you and sometimes, it can be a tad distracting!”

“That’s all,” Anderson added. “All good. On with the show and love to everyone and thank you to all of those coming.”

Anderson stars with Billy Crudup in the West End revival of the Edward Albee play until Dec. 19.