Many people believe that celebrities and politics shouldn’t mix. That idea went out the window when Donald Trump became president (actually, it was long before that, but I digress). However, it can be problematic when people in Hollywood attempt to comment on a political issue, because, while their intentions may be good, they have a lot of clout, and their message may not be interpreted as they hoped.
This has certainly been the cast for actress and activist Alyssa Milano — in fact, she’s caused a lot of commotion, especially on social media, more than once. Here’s a look at her latest comments as well as how she became famous and her estimated net worth.
Who is Alyssa Milano?
If you recognize her face but not her name, you’re probably not alone. Milano began her career as a child star, first breaking out as Samantha (daughter to Tony Danza’s character) on Who’s the Boss?, even garnering her own (short-lived) spin-off, Living Dolls.
Milano appeared in numerous TV films and B-movies before landing a major role on the WB drama Melrose Place. This helped her earn her place as a lead on the network’s new series, Charmed, which ran from 1998-2006. Though her film career never really took off, Milano has continued to act on TV since, acting on series such as My Name Is Earl, Mistresses, and Insatiable.
Her social media presence
Milano has long been an activist, working with various charities and supporting Democratic candidates such as Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton. However, her biggest move to date was when she helped to popularize the hashtag #MeToo, launching the movement to its current heights in Hollywood and beyond.
However, not everything she has had to say has gone over well. In March 2019, she tweeted about celebrating transgender women on National Women’s Day, which she followed up with a tweet in which she attempted to show her empathy by saying she is a member of various disenfranchised communities. Understandably, this wasn’t very well-received.
Milano’s latest comments
In the wake of Georgia’s “Heartbeat Bill,” which, among other things, seeks to make abortion illegal after a six-week gestational period, Milano posted something that many took issue with. The actress called for a “sex strike,” saying that women should refrain from having sex “until we get bodily autonomy back.”
While her position on the bill was clear, many failed to understand what a sex strike would do to change the minds of lawmakers in Georgia (and elsewhere). One part many took issue with is that this seems to promote the idea that women are the “gatekeepers” to sex, as though it’s something they “give” men and can then take away. Still, Milano fought back, saying that this has historically been an “effective” tactic.”
Her net worth
There is some discrepancy across the internet as to Milano’s net worth. Celebrity Net Worth lists it around $10 million, while TheRichest gives a more generous estimate with $45 million. What the latter may not be factoring in is that, in 2017, Milano sued her former business manager, who supposedly left Milano and her husband “with millions of dollars in debut and their credit in ruins,” according to Variety, after a renovation project was handled poorly.
