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Laura Benanti Says Activist Doxxed Her, Forcing Move and Pause of Melania Impersonation

Her account shows partisan email newsletters can mobilize followers to make targeted threats that create real safety and career costs for performers.

Overview

  • Benanti disclosed this week that a right-wing activist circulated an email listing her home address and urging readers to contact her, a revelation she made on The Downside podcast.
  • The doxxing produced credible threats and stalking behavior, including someone photographing her with her young daughter, which prompted the family to leave an owned apartment and later relocate to New Jersey.
  • The harassment led Benanti and her team to temporarily pause her Melania Trump impersonation on The Late Show while they assessed safety, though she ultimately returned to performing political satire.
  • She learned about the email because her driver and security worker, who subscribed to the newsletter, notified her after receiving the blast, and no individual perpetrator or legal outcome has been publicly named.
  • The case highlights a broader pattern in which partisan newsletters and activist networks can spread private information and mobilize harassment, creating tangible safety and professional trade-offs for public performers.