An insurance company dropped its coverage of Julie Andrews, claiming that the star of the musical “Victor/Victoria” lied about her medical history, The Wall Street Journal reported Friday.
Producers of the Broadway show purchased the policy in March 1995 from a group led by Lexington Insurance Co., a subsidiary of AIG. They believed that the $158,000 policy would pay them as much as $2 million for missed appearances by the actress, and $8.5 million if she was forced to abandon the show altogether, the newspaper said.
Although understudies go on when stars are ill, many shows offer refunds if principals can’t perform.
Since the show opened in October 1995, a gall bladder operation, a bad larynx and a sore throat have caused Andrews, 61, to miss more than 30 performances, causing losses of $1.6 million.
The insurers apparently think that Andrews did not provide information on existing respiratory and orthopedic problems, the newspaper said. Neither Andrews nor the insurance company would comment.
