When Kim Kardashian was announced as a host for Saturday Night Live in September, Debra Messing had something to say about it. At the time, Kim kept quiet about the diss, but she clapped back in the premiere episode of The Kardashians, which was filmed as Kim prepared to her SNL debut. “Listen, I’m the underdog,” Kim admitted. “Everyone just thinks I’m a ditz. the girl from Will & Grace came out and said she has no idea why I would be chosen as a host. But it’s like…why do you care? I don’t comment to tear people down, especially another female. If that’s what you think, dude, then cool, but tune in…”
Kim’s response was in reference to Debra’s Sept. 2021 tweet about Kim hosting SNL. “Why Kim Kardashian?” she wondered. “I mean, I know she is a cultural icon, but SNL has hosts, generally, who are performers who are there to promote a film, TV show or album launch. Am I missing something?” Naturally, Kim’s fans jumped to her defense at the time, and the following month, Debra addressed the situation on The Tamron Hall Show.
Debra insisted she wasn’t “intending to troll” Kim, and she apologized for the tweet after finding out that it had been taken that way. She also further explained what she actually meant by her tweet. “I love comedy and they have had, for decades, this sort of formula,” Debra said. “And I noticed that they changed the formula. So I was like, ‘Oh, does she have a new TV show coming out? Does she have a book coming out? Is she in a movie?’ And she didn’t have anything coming out. Actually, her TV show had just wrapped. So I was just confused.”
The interview was filmed after Kim hosted the popular show, and Debra said she watched the episode. “I thought she was amazing and I was rooting her,” the actress gushed. “If you know me and you follow me, then you know that I consistently lift up women. I support women. So you know, I hope people understand that was never my intention.”
Clearly, Kim’s name spoke for itself, and she didn’t need anything to promote in order to land a hosting spot on SNL! Now, though, the reality star does have a new show to promote — her family’s series, The Kardashians, premieres on April 14 on Hulu.