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Kim Kardashian hosted Saturday Night Live on Oct. 9, 2021. Kardashian’s preparation is documented in new episodes of Hulu’s The Kardashians. And many fans are curious about Debra Messing’s comments regarding Kardashian hosting. Here’s what Messing said initially on Twitter — plus her apology to Kardashian after the fact. 

[SPOILER ALERT: Spoilers ahead for The Kardashians Episode 1.]

Left image: Kim Kardashian in a digital short from 'Saturday Night Live'; right image: Debra Messing on the red carpet at an event for The Roundabout Theater Company
Kim Kardashian | Kyle Dubiel/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images / Debra Messing | Bruce Glikas/Getty Images

Kim Kardashian’s ‘Saturday Night Live’ appearance

During the premiere episode of Hulu’s The Kardashians, Kardashian opens up about her upcoming appearance on SNL. “I want this to be a moment where people are like, ‘Oh wow. She was funny!'” Kardashian tells cameras. “I really do wanna surprise people, and I hope that I can bring it.” 

Throughout the episode, Kardashian receives a lot of support from her family and famous friends, including Chrissy Teigen. She also addresses the criticism she felt from celebrities like Messing. 

Debra Messing thought she was ‘missing something’ when ‘SNL’ picked Kim Kardashian to host 

“Why Kim Kardashian?” the Will & Grace star tweeted on Sept. 22, 2021. “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?”

In The Kardashians premiere, Kardashian talks about being “the underdog” hosting Saturday Night Live. “Everyone thinks I’m a ditz,” Kardashian says, adding:

“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, like cool. Tune in.” 

Debra Messing never meant to diss Kim Kardashian 

During an October 2021 appearance on the Tamron Hall Show, Messing addressed the viral tweet. “I was not intending to troll her,” Messing said. “If anybody took it that way, I apologize. That was never my intention.” 

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She continued: “She is a phenomenon. She’s a cultural icon. I am someone who grew up with SNL. [For decades, they have had this] formula, and I noticed that they changed the formula [having Kardashian host].” 

Previously, Messing was used to hosts who had something to promote. So Messing was confused because at the time Kardashian was hosting, Keeping Up With the Kardashians had just wrapped. Messing, claiming she lives under a rock, thought she missed something big that Kardashian had done. 

“I watched her, and I thought she was amazing, and I was rooting for her,” Messing added. “If you know me and follow me, you know I consistently [uplift] women. I support women. I hope people understand that was never my intention.”

Kim Kardashian says ‘Saturday Night Live’ was ‘one of the best experiences’ 

On Oct. 12, 2021, Kardashian opened up about her experience hosting in an Instagram post. “Hosting Saturday Night Live was probably one of the best experiences of my career!” she captioned a series of photos from her foray into comedy. She continued:

“The amount of work that the entire @nbcsnl team puts in to make a show like this even possible is unmatched! I’m forever grateful for this experience and to everyone that supported me and worked so hard to make this all possible!”  

See more from Kardashian in new episodes of The Kardashians on Hulu.

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