Monica Lewinsky defends Lindsey Graham as celebrities mock late senator online

PROVO, UTAH: American activist Monica Lewinsky defended the late Senator Lindsey Graham after several Hollywood figures and online commentators mocked the longtime Republican lawmaker following his sudden death, recalling that he stood by her during the Clinton impeachment despite their political differences.

Graham, who died Saturday at age 71 after what his office described as a "brief and sudden illness," was remembered by political leaders across the US and abroad. But his death also sparked a wave of divisive reactions online, with celebrities and political commentators celebrating or ridiculing the senator while others condemned the backlash.

Monica Lewinsky recalls Graham's support during Clinton impeachment

Lewinsky, whose affair with then-President Bill Clinton led to his 1998 impeachment, said Graham had supported her at a time when she was being targeted by the White House.

"I've disagreed with many (many) of Lindsey Graham's choices and beliefs, but he was also—as one of the House managers on the '98 impeachment—the one who worked tirelessly to prove there was a smear campaign against me from inside the WH. RIP," Lewinsky wrote on X.

Her tribute drew attention because of her long-standing political differences with Graham. During Clinton's impeachment proceedings, Graham was among the Republican House managers and argued that White House officials had attempted to discredit Lewinsky after news of the affair became public.

She then replied to one of the trolls, "i know he didn’t do it for me. i didn’t whitewash his history. but those actions were healing for me (and my family)… thanks for sharing your opinion."

The post stood in sharp contrast to many of the reactions circulating on social media following Graham's death.

Hollywood figures, commentators spark backlash over posts

Actor Michael Ian Black criticized Graham in a Bluesky post, describing his legacy as one of "parasitic fealty" and accusing the South Carolina senator of abandoning the principles he once championed as a close ally of the late Sen. John McCain to become an "enabler-in-chief" for President Donald Trump.

Actor Ethan Embry also drew backlash after posting on Bluesky, "I don't see what the celebration is all about, there's still 51 of em walking around," a remark widely interpreted as referring to Republican senators.

‘Game of Thrones’ actor Liam Cunningham wrote on X, "Lindsey Graham is dead. Have a great Sunday!" while author Seth Harp joked that he would not visit Graham's grave because he had "vowed that I would never wait in line for anything ever again."

Progressive political commentator Ana Kasparian posted "Good riddance," while white supremacist Nick Fuentes shared the same phrase in a separate post. Other users also made jokes about Graham's personal life and repeated long-running speculation about his sexuality.

Piers Morgan criticizes trolls

British broadcaster Piers Morgan condemned what he called the "despicably cruel, heartless and abusive" responses to the deaths of conservative politicians, writing that they exposed hypocrisy among people who often advocate kindness online.

Despite the online backlash, Graham received tributes from leaders across the political spectrum. President Donald Trump called him "a true American patriot" and "like family," while

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky praised the senator's steadfast support for Ukraine, noting that Graham had visited the country 10 times since Russia's full-scale invasion and remained committed to strengthening sanctions against Moscow until his final days.

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.