Background

Debra Messing was born on August 15, 1968 in Brooklyn, New York. Her father was an executive in the jewelry manufacturing industry while her mother worked variously as a professional singer, travel agent, real estate agent, and banker. At the age of 3, Messing moved with her family to East Greenwich, Rhode Island. She was heavily involved in theater as a high-school student and was named as her state’s “Junior Miss” in 1986. After graduating from Brandeis University in 1990 with a B.A. in Theater Arts, Messing went on to receive an M.F.A. degree from the prestigious Tisch School of the Arts at New York University. In the 1990s, she made appearances in various films and television programs, including Seinfeld and NYPD Blue.

Will & Grace, and the Changing of American Attitudes Toward Gay Marriage

Messing gained considerable fame from her portrayal of Grace Adler in the NBC sitcom, Will & Grace, which aired from 1998 to 2006. For her work on that program, she received seven Golden Globe nominations and five Primetime Emmy Awards. The show was among the earliest to feature a gay main character (Will) and has been cited by many for helping to change Americans’ attitudes about same-sex marriage and homosexuality.

In May 2012, for instance, then-Vice President Joe Biden told Meet the Press that he was now completely comfortable with gay marriage – and that “I think Will & Grace probably did more to educate the American public than almost anything anybody’s ever done so far.” Regarding Biden’s remarks, Messing subsequently told New York magazine: “I think it was one of the proudest moments of my entire life, besides the birth of my son. It’s in the top five moments of my lifetime. You know, we knew when we were doing Will & Grace that we were doing something important that was having social effect and political effect, but to have the vice-president of the United States come out in support of equal rights and marriage rights for gay and lesbian people, and to say that our show did more than anything else is an incredibly humbling thing to hear and just makes me feel grateful over and over again that I was lucky enough to have been at the right place at the right time with the right people.”

In 2012 as well, Messing applauded Barack Obama for becoming the first U.S. president to openly endorse same-sex marriage. “The president of the United States has come out clearly in support of equal rights and I think it’s a day to celebrate,” she stated.

Supporter of the Democratic Party

A self-described “social justice advocate,” Messing is a strong supporter of the Democratic Party.

In July 2016, Messing joined numerous celebrities and entertainers in supporting Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign at the Democratic National Convention.

In June 2017, Messing — a New York resident — petitioned Georgia voters to send Democrat candidate Jon Ossoff to the House of Representatives in an upcoming special election for the state’s 6th Congressional District seat. Similarly, Messing implored Alabama voters to send Democrat Doug Jones to the U.S. Senate later that year.

Messing endorsed Democrat Andrew Gillum against Republican Ron DeSantis in the 2018 Florida gubernatorial race.

On March 23, 2019, Messing took to Instagram to express how excited she had been to recently meet former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder at a theatrical showing of Ain’t Too Proud, a musical about the famous Motown music group The Temptations. “At the Opening of #AintTooProud there were many luminaries,” wrote Messing. “But I lost my shit when I met former Attorney General Eric Holder.”

In early December 2020, Messing, proclaiming that the “soul of our democracy is at stake,” endorsed Democrat candidate Raphael Warnock in the upcoming Georgia runoff election of January 5, 2021 which would determine which party would next control the U.S, Senate.

In September 2021, Messing opposed the recall effort to remove California Governor Gavin Newsom from office, due to widespread voter dissatisfaction with the governor’s handling of a variety of issues, such as homelessness, COVID-19 restrictions, and the state’s high cost of living. The actress labeled Newsom’s Republican challenger, Larry Elder, as “anti-vax” and even encouraged Californians to “vote by cell phone.”

International AIDS Conference

In the summer of 2012, Messing traveled to Africa and attended the International AIDS Conference, whose purpose was to bring awareness to the issue of HIV/AIDS prevention. In recognition of Messing’s activism, Rep. Nancy Pelosi had a friendly photo-op with the actress in Washington, D.C.

Contempt for Donald Trump & His Supporters

In July 2016, Messing tweeted a message encouraging singer Gwen Stefani to dissuade her boyfriend, Blake Shelton, from voting for Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, who, Messing warned, would “STRIP you of your rights.”

In December 2016, several weeks after Trump had won the race for U.S. President, Messing appeared in a video with Martin Sheen and other Hollywood leftists in a last-ditch effort to urge Republican electors to “vote your conscience” and thereby not vote for Trump at the Electoral College vote-count on December 19.

In January 2017, Messing added her name to a New York Times ad — sponsored by the organization Refuse Fascism — in which celebrities and entertainers were calling for Americans to “Refuse to Accept a Fascist America,” and to join the “massive resistance” aimed at preventing the installation of the Trump administration. “Fill the streets of DC with millions, millions more demonstrate in every major city and small town all over US and the world, demanding that Trump-Pence be prevented from taking office before January 20,” the ad stated.

While accepting an Excellence in Media award from GLAAD on May 6, 2017, Messing called upon President Trump’s eldest daughter, Ivanka Trump, to help “change the lives of millions of women and children just by telling your dad stories about real [LGBT] people who are suffering.” “Please stop blindly defending your father and start defending what you say you believe in,” the actress added. And, announcing the scheduled return of Will & Grace, she shouted: “It is time to make America gay again!”

At the same GLAAD awards ceremony on May 6, 2017, Messing said: “Right now, there is a very bad and very orange man in our White House.”

In a March 2018 episode of Will & Grace — which had returned to NBC Television six months earlier after an 11-year hiatus — a local baker named Amy refused the character Karen’s request that she bake a cake bearing the letters “MAGA” — acronym for President Trump’s famous campaign slogan, “Make America Great Again.” The episode also featured jokes about Vice President Mike Pence’s sexuality, and Messing’s character, Grace, made a remark that portrayed some conservatives as “Nazis.”

In response to the Trump administration’s decision to reverse Obama-era guidelines that had barred hunting on some public lands in Alaska, Messing tweeted in May 2018 that Trump officials would all be “going to hell” as a result.

On August 31, 2019, Messing took to Twitter to say “THANK YOU” to a Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama for displaying signs that read: “A black vote for Trump is mental illness” and “A white vote for Trump is pure racism.” That same day, she called for The Hollywood Reporter to release a list of all the attendees at an upcoming Trump fundraiser in Beverly Hills. “The public has a right to know,” Messing declared.

In 2019 as well, Messing supported the so-called “Vote Blue No Matter Who” campaign to defeat President Trump in his 2020 bid for reelection.

In April 2020 – after The Daily Beast published a series of unclassified documents in which the U.S. Army had allegedly warned the Trump White House that as many as 150,000 people could die from coronavirus in a worst-case scenario — Messing wrote on Twitter: “HE. FUCKING. KNEW. 150,000 Americans DEAD. And he did NOTHING. #TrumpOwnsEveryDeath.”

Messing reacted angrily to President Trump’s actions of June 1, 2020, when — after delivering a speech from the White House Rose Garden condemning the nationwide George Floyd riots as “acts of domestic terror” and urging governors to use National Guard troops to stop the violence — he stood in front of the nearby St. John’s Episcopal Church, which had been vandalized and burned by rioters the night before, and posed for a photograph while holding up a bible in his right hand. Messing, in turn, took to Twitter to share an image showing the aforementioned Trump photo alongside an image of Adolf Hitler likewise holding a bible in his right hand while surrounded by Nazi officers and supporters. The actress captioned her tweet: “A dog whistle to white nationalists and Nazis.”

But Messing had been too impulsive in believing the authenticity of the Hitler picture. In reality, it was a photoshopped image into which a bible had been inserted for the purpose of making Hitler’s pose look very much like Trump’s pose. As BuzzFeed reporter Craig Silverman tweeted in a message to Messing directly: “Please check stuff before you spread it. The Hitler photo is fake. A lot of people are sharing an image that appears to show Trump and Hitler holding a bible in the same way. The Trump pic is from June 1, but the Hitler pic was photoshopped to add the bible.”

In a December 10, 2020 tweet, Messing expressed her hope that President Trump would soon be incarcerated and raped by his fellow inmates: “@realDonaldTrump you are a weak, scared, stupid, inept, negligent, vindictive, narcissistic, criminal. I hope you live a long life in prison where you become the most popular boyfriend to the all inmates.” Four days later, the actress doubled down on that position: “Let me be clear: I said nothing about LGBTQI/queer LOVE. Rape is an act of violence. Trump has perpetrated violence on hundreds of millions of people. My hope is (and this is the first time in my life) that the tables are turned and he is the victim of perpetrators.”

In a January 18, 2021 tweet, Messing promoted a blacklisting campaign against current and former officials of the Trump White House – vowing, for instance, to boycott any company that advertised its products or services on any television show or network that gave a platform to outgoing White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany. “If I ever see [Kayleigh McEnany] on a panel on a news show or hired by a network, I am immediately ceasing to support every single advertiser on that network,” Messing tweeted alongside the hashtag, “Deplatform Hate.”

Supporter of Colin Kaepernick’s Campaign Against “Racism” & “Police Brutality”

In January 2018, Messing and her teenage son “protested” – at the son’s request — the pre-game national anthem by sitting during the playing of “The Star-Spangled Banner” prior to a New York Rangers’ game at Madison Square Garden. By so doing, they were following the spirit of protest that former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick had started started in 2016 – when he began kneeling during the anthem as a means of drawing attention to the allegedly widespread racism and police brutality targeting blacks in America. Messing later tweeted that her son’s civic-mindedness had caused her to cry tears of joy and pride.

Supporter of Increased Gun Control

A few weeks after a 19-year-old male named Nikolas Cruz had used a firearm to kill 17 people at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida on February 14, 2018 — Messing tweeted her support for the pro-gun control “March For Our Lives” demonstrations in March 2018: “I stand with the brave, indomitable kids who galvanized a nation, a world, &did not take inaction as an answer. You have put the “adults” in DC to shame. CS gun laws with finally be enacted, &you will be the Heroes of a generation. TODAY you lead us all. #MarchForOurLives”

Opponent of President Trump’s Immigration Policies

On April 9, 2019, Messing responded angrily to a news article titled, “The Army Just Awarded $976 Million in Contracts for Border Wall Construction.” “This is disgusting and irresponsible,” the actress wrote in a social media post.

Opponent of Trump Supreme Court Nominee Brett Kavanaugh

At 1 p.m. Eastern Time on September 24, 2018, Messing participated in a “national walkout and moment of solidarity” on behalf of Christine Blasey Ford, the woman who was accusing then-Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of having sexually assaulted her when he was a teenager 36 years earlier. During the demonstration, Messing displayed a sign that read:

“BELIEVE WOMEN
I Believe Dr. Ford
I Believe Deborah Ramirez [1]
I Believe”

Transgender-Rights Activist

In March 2019, Messing took to Instagram to post a photo of vagina-themed cupcakes – including some decorated with icing that resembled pubic hair — to celebrate International Women’s Day. She later apologized, however, for having failed to take into account those “women who don’t have a vagina.” In response to those who had criticized her for her omission, Messing wrote:

“I want to apologize to my trans sisters. This photo was supposed to be light, & sassy. The first thing I thought when I saw this photo was “wow how wonderful. Each one is unique in color and shape and size. The porn industry has perpetuated this myth of what a ‘beautiful’ vagina looks like and as a result there are women who feel shame or insecure about the shape of the vulva.

“I loved that this picture said ‘every single one is beautiful and unique and that’s powerful.’ I did not, however, think ‘but there are innumerable beautiful, unique and powerful women who don’t have a vagina.[’] And I SHOULD have. And for that I am so so sorry. Thank you for righting my wrong.”

Global Warming Alarmist

On February 6, 2019, Messing used her Instagram to declare that “God is crying” over global warming, which she attributed to the greenhouse gas emissions associated with human industrial activity. “We must do better. #savetheearth,” she added.

Abortion-Rights Extremist

In March 2019, Messing was a signatory to a letter written by actress-turned-activist Alyssa Milano which threatened to boycott then state of Georgia if it were to pass H.B. 481, the state’s so-called “heartbeat bill” which sought to effectively prohibit women from seeking an abortion after six weeks of pregnancy, the point at which a fetal heartbeat can generally be detected by ultrasound technology. Other notable signers included Ben Stiller, Amy Schumer, Rosie O’Donnell, Alec Baldwin, and Sarah Silverman.

Supporting Joe Biden & Kamala Harris for the White House in 2020

In March 2020, Messing officially endorsed Joe Biden for president.

In August 2020, Messing moderated a three-hour-long “Virtual Conversation on the Value of Women Voters and Leaders” to benefit Joe Biden’s presidential campaign. Days later, Messing condemned what she called the “sexist and racist political attacks” that critics had been aiming at Biden’s selection of Kamala Harris as his vice presidential running mate.

In January 2021, Messing hosted a pre-inauguration virtual concert and fundraiser in honor of the recent election of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. The event featured performances by such celebrities as Carole King, Will.I.AM, James Taylor, Fall Out Boy, Michael Bivins, Ben Harper, and AJR. “Time to celebrate decency & hope,” Messing said in a tweet promoting the concert.

In January 2021, Messing hosted a pre-inauguration virtual concert and fundraiser in honor of the recent election of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. The event featured performances by such celebrities as Carole King, Will.I.AM, James Taylor, Fall Out Boy, Michael Bivins, Ben Harper, and AJR. “Time to celebrate decency & hope,” Messing said in a tweet promoting the concert.

Supporter of Black Lives Matter

After the infamous death of George Floyd in May 2020, Messing was one of 46 “influential white women” who decided to temporarily allow an equal number of black women and Black Lives Matter activists to temporarily take control of the white women’s social media accounts in order to advance BLM’s messaging. Among the other white female participants were Julia Roberts and Gwyneth Paltrow.

Taking “Responsibility” for White Racism

In June 2020 – not long after the death of George Floyd — Messing appeared in an NAACP public service announcement that featured numerous white celebrities declaring they would “take responsibility” for not having done more to combat the white racism that allegedly pervaded American society. Said the announcement:

“I take responsibility. I take responsibility. I take responsibility. I take responsibility for every unchecked moment, for every time it was easier to ignore than to call it out for what it was. Every not so funny joke. Every unfair stereotype. Every blatant injustice, no matter how big or small. Every time I remained silent. Every time I explained away police brutality or turned a blind eye. I take responsibility. Black people are being slaughtered in the streets, killed in their own homes. These are our brothers and sisters our, friends, our family. We are done watching them die. We are no longer bystanders. We will not be idle. Enough is enough. I will no longer allow an unchecked moment. I will no longer allow racist, hurtful, words, jokes, stereotypes, no matter how big or small to be uttered in my presence. I will not turn a blind eye. Going for a job should not be a death sentence. Sleeping in your own home should not be a death sentence. Playing video games with your nephew should not be a death sentence. Shopping in a store should not be a death sentence. Business as usual should not be life threatening. I stand against hate. I stand against hate. I stand against hate. I stand against hate. I will stand against hate in love. I will make my presence known. Killer cops must be prosecuted. They are murderers. We can turn the tide. It is time to take responsibility. Call out hate. Step up and take action.”

Deriding Trump Supreme Court Appointee Amy Coney Barrett

On October 27, 2020, Messing articulated how sad she was that President Trump’s latest Supreme Court nominee, Justice Amy Coney Barrett, was being sworn in to the Court on Hillary Clinton’s birthday. “Im [sic] sorry that this tragic day in American history has landed on your birthday,” Messing said in a tweeted directed to Mrs. Clinton herself. “I, for one, am grateful for you, and all that you have given our country. Happy birthday. May this next year be one of enlightment [sic] and healing.”

Falsely Accusing Two Republican Senators of “White Supremacy” & a KKK Mentality

In January 2021,  Messing – parroting accusations she had seen from a Twitter account called “Blue Georgia” — alleged in a tweet that incumbent Republican Senator David Perdue, who was running against Democrat challenger Jon Ossoff, had flashed a “white power” hand sign – three fingers pointed upward to form the letter W — while posing for a photo during an October 2020 rally in Georgia. But this claim was false. The photo showed Senator Perdue posing with two teenage Republican interns, each holding up three fingers to signify the fact that the volunteers had successfully made 3,000 contacts in their campaign work. Moreover, the original photo had been posted by a black male named Jasper Preston.

In the same tweet, Messing falsely characterized Republican Senator Kelly Loeffler of Georgia – who was running against Raphael Warnock — as a racist who aligned herself with the Ku Klux Klan. Said the tweet:“Flashing the #WhitePower sign on the campaign trail in #Georgia. Is this what you want #Georgia? You voted AGAINST white supremacy in Nov & we need you to do it ONE MORE TIME to fire this guy and #KKKKelly.”

Advocate of Ending the Senate Filibuster Rule

In March 2021, Messing was one of numerous Hollywood celebrities who sought to help Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer end the filibuster rule, a move that would have instantly empowered Senate Democrats to ram through their entire legislative agenda with a mere 51-50 majority, rather than the 60 votes traditionally required to overcome a filibuster. Toward that end, Messing and her allies waged a shame campaign against the only two Democratic senators who were opposed to ending the filibuster — Joe Manchin (WV) and Kyrsten Sinema (AZ). In a March 17 tweet, Messing characterized the filibuster as “the old relic tool for obstruction.” A week later, she tweeted: “It’s past time to #EndTheFilibuster. Donate to hold Manchin and Sinema accountable.”

Opponent of Election-Integrity Measures

In April 2021, Messing joined many other celebrities in supporting former First Lady Michelle Obama’s aggressive campaign to promote the passage of the For The People Act. If signed into law, this legislation would, as the Heritage Foundation explained:

• “seize the authority of states to regulate voter registration and the voting process by forcing states to implement early voting, automatic voter registration, same-day registration, online voter registration, and no-fault absentee balloting.”
• “make it easier to commit fraud and promote chaos at the polls through same-day registration.”
• implement “15 days of mandated early voting,” so that “voters who vote early don’t have the same information as those who vote on Election Day [will miss] late-breaking developments that could affect their choices.”
• “degrade the accuracy of registration lists by requiring states to automatically register all individuals (as opposed to ‘citizens’) from state and federal databases.”
• “constitute a recipe for massive voter registration fraud by hackers and cyber criminals through online voter registration that is not tied to an existing state record, such as a driver’s license.”
• “require states to count ballots cast by voters outside of their assigned precincts, overriding the precinct system used by almost all states that allows election officials to monitor votes, staff polling places, provide enough ballots, and prevent election fraud.”
• “mandate no-fault absentee ballots, which are the tool of choice for vote thieves.”
• “ban witness signature or notarization requirements for absentee ballots”
• “require states to allow vote trafficking (vote harvesting) so that any third parties—including campaign staffers and political consultants—can pick up and deliver absentee ballots.”
• “prevent election officials from checking the eligibility and qualifications of voters and removing ineligible voters.”
• “ban state voter ID laws by forcing states to allow individuals to vote without an ID [by] merely signing a statement in which they claim they are who they say they are.”

Messing, for her part, described the For The People Act as a “historic bill” that “protects our democracy,” ensures “politicians can’t steal our elections,” and brings an end to “political corruption.”

In April 2021, Messing and actress Piper Perabo together threatened to lead a boycott of Southwest Airlines in light of the Dallas-based carrier’s refusal to condemn the election-integrity bill — mandating photo identification for those wishing to vote, and eliminating the use of ballot drop boxes — which the Texas state senate had recently passed. Tweeted Messing on April 5: “@SouthwestAir we are waiting for you to condemn the #Texas voter suppression bill #SB7. Consumers are holding #corporations accountable for their silent support of anti #democracy laws. Please, Speak out Now. If not, I will no longer use my consumer dollars at #Southwest.”

In April 2021 as well, Messing called for the arrest of Georgia Republicans who attempted to remove Delta Air Lines’ state tax break after the company’s CEO had publicly criticized the aforementioned election-integrity law. “THIS IS SO BRAZEN,” she tweeted on April 2. “It’s disgusting. The @gop in #Georgia need to be arrested.”

Canceling Her Twitter Account Because She Favors Censorship of Conservatives

When Elon Musk finalized his $44 billion purchase of Twitter in October 2022, Messing — in a gesture of protest against Musk’s pledge to stop the social media platform from censoring conservative viewpoints — promptly cancelled her Twitter account. In an Instagram post, she showed a screenshot of herself removing the Twitter app from her smartphone. “YUP. Goodbye Twitter. Instagram I’m all in,” her post stated.

Messing’s Immense Wealth

As of April 2023, Messing’s estimated net worth was $25 million.

Footnotes:

1. Ramirez claimed that during the 1983-84 school year, a drunken Kavanaugh had exposed his genitals at a dormitory party, thrust his penis in Ramirez’s face, and caused her to touch it without her consent.