Ruth Bader Ginsburg dies: Jennifer Lopez, Mindy Kaling, Kerry Washington and more pay tribute: 'Her rest is earned'
Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s death Friday of metastatic pancreatic cancer left her many celebrity fans devastated.
The 87-year-old, who had been appointed by President Bill Clinton in 1993, was beloved for her rulings in favor of gender equality and civil rights. She was only the second woman to sit on the high court, but that designation came after she had broken many other barriers, such as becoming one of just nine women in a class of more than 500 at Harvard Law School. There, she won a spot as the first female member of the Harvard Law Review. She later worked as director of the Women’s Rights Project for the American Civil Liberties Union, where she argued cases on gender equality before the U.S. Supreme Court, which she would one day join.
Ginsburg also was unmatched in her pop culture prevalence for a justice. Her story was famously told in the 2018 documentary RBG and in that year’s On the Basis of Sex. She was the subject of books and featured on merchandise and memes. Ginsburg was even impersonated regularly — and hilariously — by Kate McKinnon on Saturday Night Live.
Here’s how Mindy Kaling and Jennifer Lopez, Martin Luther King Jr.’s daughter Bernice King, President Trump’s daughter Tiffany Trump and others reacted to the loss:
Dolly Parton
She was small in stature but even the tallest looked up to her. Her voice was soft but her message rang loud and clear and will echo forever. Thank you, RBG. Rest In Peace. Respectfully, Dolly Parton pic.twitter.com/Sra7ge5K9b
— Dolly Parton (@DollyParton) September 19, 2020
Mindy Kaling
Ruth Bader Ginsburg was the kind of scholar and patriot you get excited about explaining to your kids. The kind of person who you say “who knows, one day you could be HER”. I hope you rest well, RBG, you must have been tired from changing the world.
— Mindy Kaling (@mindykaling) September 19, 2020
Jennifer Lopez
Kerry Washington
Her rest is earned. It is our turn to fight.
— kerry washington (@kerrywashington) September 19, 2020
George Takei
The way to honor her life and her legacy is to respect her dying wish, which was to ask that her seat not be filled until a new president is sworn in. Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg, for all you have given us all these decades, I stand ready to fight for your final request.
— George Takei (@GeorgeTakei) September 18, 2020
Megan Rapinoe
This is devastating, an incalculable loss. We owe so much to RBG. Rest in Power Ruth Bader Ginsburg. #RIPRBG
— Megan Rapinoe (@mPinoe) September 19, 2020
Bernice King
The great Zora Neale Hurston said, “There are years that ask questions and years that answer.”
This year is profound in that it is asking AND answering.
As we remember the wonder that was #RuthBaderGinsburg, let us bend more toward justice with the moral arc of the universe. pic.twitter.com/EZLmbcjNp9— Be A King (@BerniceKing) September 19, 2020
Hillary Clinton
Justice Ginsburg paved the way for so many women, including me. There will never be another like her. Thank you RBG.
— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) September 19, 2020
Tiffany Trump
In 2017, I was honored to attend a lecture by Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg at @GeorgetownLaw. #RBG was a pioneer for women and gender equality— graduating law school when there were only 9 female students and then becoming the 2nd woman Supreme Court Justice. #RIPRBG pic.twitter.com/Kbxyq5aaVJ
— Tiffany Ariana Trump (@TiffanyATrump) September 19, 2020
Octavia Spencer
My deepest condolences to Justice Ginsberg’s loved ones. The nation mourns this loss quite deeply. #YouWereTheFairestOfThemAll
— octavia spencer (@octaviaspencer) September 19, 2020
Janet Mock
Rest in power to a feminist icon and American hero! Thank you Ruth Bader Ginsburg for your service, for working well BEYOND retirement until the very end because our country needed you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. https://t.co/cQgTwuafVJ
— Janet Mock (@janetmock) September 18, 2020
Marlee Matlin
Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, American icon, leading and shining light of hope in the halls of justice - you will be missed. My condolences to your family and friends. RIP Ruth.
— Marlee Matlin (@MarleeMatlin) September 18, 2020
Zoe Saldana
Jurnee Smollett
Damn. Not RBG.
— jurnee smollett (@jurneesmollett) September 19, 2020
Diane Warren
Goldie Hawn
Cyndi Lauper
Oh so sad Ruth Bader Ginsburg passed away this evening so sad. She did so much for us. She will be so so missed??
— Cyndi Lauper (@cyndilauper) September 18, 2020
Jonathan Van Ness
Arianna Huffington
Brie Larson
“Women belong in all places where decisions are being made.”
Thank you, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. We’ll keep pushing our way into all the places we’ve yet to be invited.— Brie Larson (@brielarson) September 19, 2020
Sarah Silverman
I know she tried to hang on, for all our sakes. She hung in there so hard.#RBG
— Sarah Silverman (@SarahKSilverman) September 19, 2020
John Leguizamo
#rbg #RuthBaderGinsburg Rest with the best! But we must fight as she fought till the bitter end no matter what we cannot and must not succumb to cynicism!!!
— John Leguizamo (@JohnLeguizamo) September 19, 2020
James Taylor
RIP our dear #RBG.
(Kim and James with Justice Ginsburg earlier this year). pic.twitter.com/QorbyGdqjz— James Taylor (@JamesTaylor_com) September 19, 2020
Dan Rather
A shock. A sadness. A great loss. The passing of Ruth Bader Ginsburg leaves a hole in a nation already reeling. She is an American hero, in every sense. We can honor her by joining to carry forth her legacy of equality, empathy, and justice. May she Rest in Peace.
— Dan Rather (@DanRather) September 18, 2020
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