Thursday 12 May 2022 06:02 PM Broadway theater hosting Jesse Williams' show Take Me Out installs infrared ... trends now

A theater hosting Grey's Anatomy star Jesse Williams' Broadway show has installed infrared camera systems in order to step up their security after an audience member broke the show's no-phone policy and leaked nude footage of the actor.

Williams, 40, became the victim of a nude photo leak after somebody recorded a shower scene in his play Take Me Out, in which Williams appears fully naked. 

The footage spread like wildfire throughout social media, with many female fans applauding it, but the theater, fellow actors and a Broadway union gave it negative reviews.

Second Stage Theater decried the leak and vowed to take legal action against the person who recorded the pirated video and deploy more staff to enforce the no-phone policy. On Thursday, the theater company announced it had installed infrared cameras as an extra measure in an attempt to deter fearless rule breakers, Deadline reported. 

The cameras will face the audience and detect whether they're using their phones to record video. The system will be monitored in real time by a security team. 

Before the leak, Second Stage already required audience members to lock their phones in Yondr pouches, which could only be opened by staff upon exiting the theater. It is unclear how the person who recorded Williams naked managed to do so. 

Speaking on Bravo's Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen Monday, Williams said his naked body is 'not that big of a deal,' when asked about the taboo of going nude on Broadway. 

Williams told Cohen during the After Show portion of the program: 'It's a body, once you see it, you realize it's whatever, it's a body! I just have to make it not that big of a deal.' 

The screen star still has to directly address the leaking. 

The 40-year-old star was seen for the first time on Wednesday since the nude video of him surreptitiously filmed during a performance was posted online earlier this week.

Williams made his way to the Hayes Theater on Broadway ahead of that evening's performance of his play Take Me Out in Manhattan.

The actor looked downcast while walking in a yellow raincoat following statements from the theater company staging the show that it would be cracking down on the person who leaked the video. 

Jesse was seen walking to the theater on the overcast day in a Tommy Hilfiger coat, which he buttoned up and wore over a black hoodie.

He kept the hood up and paired the coat with low-key charcoal shorts and white trainers, while wearing an Under Armour backpack slung over his shoulders.

The stage and screen star stopped before heading into the theater to call out to a fan waiting outside.

Williams was looked reserved following news that the theater is taking extra steps to prevent audience members from filming the production, which features full-frontal nudity from him and most of the principal cast members.