Debra Messing Recalls SCARY Incident With A Male Stalker Who Tried To Get Into Her Home

Debra Messing recently shared an unsettling encounter during a podcast interview. She revealed a male stalker attempted to enter her NYC home to spend time with her and her child.

Messing's anxiety struggles were also discussed, including a recent panic attack in Times Square. 

Keep on reading to learn more.

On a recent episode of Trinny Woodall's podcast "Fearless," Debra Messing revealed a chilling encounter with a male stalker who tried to enter her New York home, claiming an invitation to spend time with her and her child.

When Woodall asked the "Will & Grace" actress about her most frightening moment, she recounted the unsettling experience when the stalker referenced her son and tried to gain entry into her building.

"I think it was when I found out I had a stalker in New York and the police came because this man showed up at my doorman building and he said that I invited him and that he was spending the day with me and Roman... he referenced my son," she shared, per Daily Mail.

Messing expressed how the situation scared her in a "completely different way because there was no one-on-one interaction with this person." While she didn't disclose the exact date or her son's age during the incident, her son is now 19 and has recently started college.

During the chat, Messing also delved into her struggles with "severe anxiety" and recounted a panic attack she experienced in Times Square, Manhattan.

The 54-year-old shared her intense feelings of fear while navigating through crowded spaces and "having to walk through Times Square with people pushed up" against her body.

She explained how memories of being touched in crowds triggered her panic, even when there was no real threat, adding, "It was just a conglomeration of all of the memories I've had of being in crowds when I have been touched or someone's jumped on me to hug me from behind, and they've pulled my backpack back and when things like that happened."

The "Wedding Date" alum then described a recent moment when she walked through Times Square alone, a challenge she successfully overcame. "Just two weeks ago I walked through Times Square by myself and I had that moment in my head where I'm like, 'Good girl, good girl Debra, you did it,'" she recalled.

She admitted that recognizing a fan approaching still triggered her anxiety, causing her to walk faster, but she considered it a personal win.

Messing opened up about her long-standing battle with anxiety that emerged from her childhood. She noted that her anxiety led to physical symptoms and fatigue, which she once attributed to a delicate immune system. However, through the work she has undertaken, she has become better equipped to manage her anxiety, giving her increased resilience and endurance.

Messing discussed a pivotal moment in her career during the filming of the 2007 movie "Lucky You," which starred Drew Barrymore and Eric Bana. She revealed that this experience marked a "turning point" for her as she began standing up for herself and stopped worrying about others' opinions.

Messing reflected on her transformation, explaining that during the making of the film, she managed to subdue her people-pleasing tendencies and prioritize her own well-being. "My people pleasing at that point - for the first time, I was able to sublimate it and say, 'You know what, I don't care. This is wrong. I'm leaving,'" she revealed, per Daily Mail.

As time passed, Messing shared that she felt "validated" by the industry and accepted, which empowered her to assert herself in ways she hadn't for a decade prior.

Now in her 50s, the "Smash" actress highlighted the shift in her attitude, stating that age has played a role in her newfound self-assuredness. "Now in my 50s, I really don't care, and sadly I have to say, part of it comes with age," she insightfully shared. "I don't think at 25 there would be any way for me to get to a place where I didn't care what people were thinking of me because, in your twenties, you're still discovering who you are and what your purpose is in life."

Earlier in June, Messing reflected on the challenges of filming "Will & Grace," pointing to a particularly memorable scene from Season Five when her character Grace engaged in a heated argument with Eric McCormack's Will.

In an interview with People magazine, the Emmy winner revealed that despite the show spanning 11 seasons, that particular scene stood out as the most difficult to shoot.

Recounting the experience, Messing noted that the intense scene surprised both the cast and the audience, leading to a rare moment of silence during filming. "I think that was surprisingly painful to shoot and I think that it really surprised the audience," she shared.

"And they were dead quiet, which we had never experienced in all the years and so we knew that something important was happening, So, that's a very clear memory for me," she added.