Tony Award-winning actress Laura Benanti has revealed that her satirical performances as first lady Melania Trump on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” led to threats severe enough that her family was forced to relocate. During a July 16, 2026, interview on comedian Gianmarco Soresi’s podcast “The Downside with Gianmarco Soresi,” Benanti disclosed how Trump supporters published her home address online and photographed her walking with her young daughter.
The disclosure came after years of Benanti portraying the first lady on the late-night program, a role she began in July 2016. Her impression featured a pronounced accent and distinctive facial expressions, appearing more than a dozen times throughout the show’s run.
The Financial Toll of Safety Concerns
The threats forced Benanti’s family to leave their owned apartment for a rental property, creating a dual financial burden. When the coronavirus pandemic arrived, they moved once more — to New Jersey. The actress described the strain of covering both rent and a mortgage simultaneously during this period.
Someone photographed Benanti accompanying her daughter, who was approximately two years old at the time, to school. The incident occurred before the pandemic prompted their second relocation. Benanti characterized the experience as “so scary.”
An Unlikely Warning From a Trump-Supporting Driver
A right-wing activist distributed a mass email containing Benanti’s impression clips, political statements, and affiliations, urging recipients to “let her know” their opinions — then included her address.
Benanti discovered the threatening message through her driver, who handled security duties for her while also supporting Trump. He received the newsletter himself and sent her a text asking what action to take.
“He was so upset that they would do this, and I was like, ‘This is what I’m talking about!'” Benanti recalled. She left the decision to him, observing that these were, after all, his people.
Continuing Despite Second Thoughts
When asked whether advance knowledge of these consequences would have changed her decision, Benanti acknowledged she might not have taken the role. She said she didn’t think she would have done it.
Yet she persisted with the impression. Benanti and her advisors discussed pausing the character, but backing down felt cowardly. She emphasized satire’s value and mentioned that numerous people had expressed gratitude for her work.
Her appearances as the first lady continued through “The Late Show’s” final season. After departing when Trump’s first term concluded, she returned in 2023 and maintained the recurring bit. She performed the role three times in 2025 and twice in 2026, including a February 2026 segment mocking the first lady’s million-dollar vanity documentary. Her last appearance came in April 2026 with a cold open sketch titled “A Message From First Lady Melania Trump,” arriving shortly before the program’s final episode in May 2026.
Beyond late-night comedy, Benanti has built an extensive career in television and theater. Her screen credits include “Mayor of Kingstown,” “Life & Beth,” “Nashville,” “Supergirl,” “The Detour,” “Gossip Girl” and “The Gilded Age.” On Broadway, she has starred in productions such as “The Sound of Music,” “Gypsy,” “Into the Woods,” and “She Loves Me.”
Currently, Benanti is touring with her comedy-music show “Laura Benanti: Nobody Cares.” The production launched in London and will make stops in the Windy City, New Jersey, Maryland, Southern California and Massachusetts before concluding with a run in Arlington, Virginia, in spring 2027.
For Benanti, continuing her satirical work despite the doxxing and fear reflects a belief that humor holds importance, particularly in tense times. It’s a principle she embraced through difficult experience, one threatening email at a time.