Inside The Drama Between Debra Messing & Megan Mullally

Television icons Megan Mullally and Debra Messing, who were both integral cast members of "Will & Grace," seem to have had a bitter feud between them since the filming of the eleventh and final season of the sitcom. There doesn't seem to be much of a chance of the two actors making up anytime soon, especially since their feud has continued on social media throughout the years. 

In "Will and Grace," which first aired on NBC in September 1998, Messing and Mullally play two of the lead roles. Messing iconically portrays one of the title characters, Grace, an interior designer who lives with her gay best friend Will (Eric McCormack). Meanwhile, Mullally perfectly embodies the character of Karen, the wealthy alcoholic friend of both the title characters of the series. The catalyst for the feud between Messing and Mullally isn't clear, but it began in 2019, the year Mullally allegedly unfollowed Messing and Jack actor Sean Hayes on social media.

Mullally left the production of "Will & Grace's" eleventh season temporarily, resulting in her character being absent from two of the episodes. Mullally cited conflicts on set as her reason for leaving, and it's been speculated that Messing was involved. "Will & Grace" co-creator Max Mutchnick spoke to Entertainment Weekly in 2020, where he subtly discussed the on-set drama. "It was not an easy year," he stated. "But the permanent legacy of the show is much more important to us than any temporary squabble that would take place on the stage."

While not much more drama occurred between Debra Messing and Megan Mullally after 2019, Messing seemingly dredged up bad blood in 2023. For background, Messing has expressed support for Israel during the Gaza war and even took part in the "March for Israel" in November 2023. In December 2023, Messing posted a screenshot to her Instagram story that quoted a social media user's judgment of Mullally's association with Susan Sarandon, someone who Messing has had a heated feud with in the past. Sarandon, who is known for her roles in classic films like "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" and "Thelma and Louise," was dropped by United Talent Agency after she went to a rally in support of Palestine and said, "[Jews] are getting a taste of what it feels like to be a Muslim in this country, so often subjected to violence." 

The said post on Messing's story detailed a time when Mullally went to see a play with Sarandon. "For the eight remaining people still emotionally invested in the Debra Messing/Megan Mullally feud, Eric McCormack said on his podcast that Megan recently went to see Sean Hayes' play... with Susan Sarandon," the post stated. This seems to further show that Mullally and Sarandon are still not on good terms, but only time will tell if the pair will ever put their differences aside and settle their bad blood.