Debra Messing called out E! for wage inequality during a live interview with the network at the 2018 Golden Globes in Beverly Hills, California on January 7, 2018. (Reuters)
Debra Messing wasted no time taking a swipe at E! for an alleged pay disparity during a live interview with the network from the red carpet for the 2018 Golden Globes.
The "Will & Grace" star was donning a black sequin gown and was asked by E!'s Giuliana Rancic why she chose the somber color.
Messing used the opportunity to slam the NBC-owned entertainment network for allegedly paying their female anchors less than their male counterparts during the live interview.
"I am wearing black to thank and honor all of the brave whistleblowers who came forward to share their stories of harassment and assault and discrimination," Messing explained.
"I was so shocked to hear that E! doesn't believe in paying their female co-hosts the same as their male co-hosts," she told Rancic adding that she misses former E! host Catt Sadler who quit the network in late December over a pay disparity.
"So we stand with [Sadler] and that's something that can change tomorrow. We want people to start having this conversation that women are just as valuable as men," Messing explained.
Rancic did her best to recover from the awkward interaction.
"That's really what this movement is all about," Rancic told Messing without directly answering the actress' comment about Sadler.
Turning the Globes dark on the fashion front was a call for massive reform following the downfall of movie mogul Harvey Weinstein and numerous others in Hollywood, media, fashion, tech, publishing and other industries. The Time's Up initiative, backed by more than 300 women in Hollywood, doled out pins intended for those who might already have locked in more colorful looks.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.