Actors Michael Ian Black and Ethan Embry drew backlash on Sunday for publicly mocking the death of U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham just hours after news of his passing broke, as reported [1] by Breitbart.
Both actors took to the social media platform BlueSky to share highly critical remarks targeting the late South Carolina lawmaker.
BREAKING: U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham has died at 71 years old.
The Republican from South Carolina passed away following a “brief and sudden illness,” his office said. | @foxandfriends [2] pic.twitter.com/V2yFEkvQwq [3]
— Fox News (@FoxNews) July 12, 2026 [4]
Michael Ian Black, known for his role in James Gunn’s Superman in 2025 and as the host of CNN’s Have I Got News for You, referred to Graham as a “parasite” in a post shared early Sunday morning.
“More than anything, his legacy will be that of parasitic fealty. That his relationship with McCain seems, in retrospect, to be rooted in nothing more than opportunism, his relationship with Trump will be remembered as that of enabler-in-chief,” Black wrote in his post.
“More than anything, his legacy will be that of parasitic fealty. That his relationship with McCain seems, in retrospect, to be rooted in nothing more than opportunism, his relationship with Trump will be remembered as that of enabler-in-chief.” michaelianblack.substack.com/p/a-memory-o…
[image or embed] [5]
— Michael Ian Black (@michaelianblack.bsky.social [6]) July 12, 2026 at 9:53 AM [5]
His comments linked to a Substack essay in which he accused Graham of abandoning his earlier principles from the days he worked closely with the late Senator John McCain to align himself with President Donald Trump.
In the same post, Black also claimed he believed Graham was gay, further fueling reactions online.
Minutes later, actor Ethan Embry, best known for his performances in Sweet Home Alabama and Scream 7, made an even more incendiary comment on BlueSky.
“I don’t see what the celebration is all about; there’s still 51 of em walking around,” Embry wrote, referring to the number of Republican senators serving in Congress.
I don’t see what the celebration is all about, there’s still 51 of em walking around.
— Ethan Embry (@ethanembry.bsky.social [7]) July 12, 2026 at 10:00 AM [8]
The message was immediately interpreted as wishing for the deaths of other Republican officials, drawing strong responses from users across social media.
Embry has frequently used his BlueSky account to share his political opinions, many of them harshly critical of conservatives and President Trump.
Last month, he lashed out at Trump voters after the administration’s military actions against Iran, writing, “78 million fucking idiots in America brought us here.”
Earlier in the year, Embry also posted criticism of Senate Democrat minority leader Chuck Schumer, claiming that Schumer was not progressive enough and should step down.
Both Embry and Black’s remarks on Graham’s death were in sharp contrast to tributes pouring in from leaders around the world, including expressions of sorrow from international figures such as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
The attacks stood out for their timing and tone, launched just hours after official statements confirmed Graham’s death at age seventy-one from a sudden illness.
While some online users supported the actors’ candor, many others condemned their words as disrespectful and insensitive, arguing that public figures should refrain from mocking the dead.
Black did not issue any follow-up comments after his post drew attention, and Embry likewise offered no clarification for his statement.
Their remarks added to a wave of polarized social media reactions surrounding the senator’s death, illustrating the deep partisan divide in how prominent figures in Hollywood and politics respond to moments of national loss.