Is Debra Messing getting divorced because she’s dating her “Smash” costar?

Last week, we discussed the impending divorce between Debra Messing and her husband of ten years, television producer Daniel Zelman. In response, many of you brought up the Coke Mom blind items as a possible reason for the split. Of course, no one entirely knows exactly what’s going on in that regard, but there’s another complicating factor for the equation. Us Weekly has exclusively revealed that Debra is now dating fellow actor Will Chase, who is a Broadway veteran and whose IMDb profile reveals several short stints on various television programs including “Pan Am,” “Rescue Me,” and “One Life to Live.” Apparently, Debra and Will have fallen very hard for each other on the set of their upcoming show, “Smash.” Here’s a photo of Will, who I don’t think is nearly as attractive as Daniel, but what do I know?

Debra Messing is moving on.

The actress, 43, who announced exclusively to Us Weekly on Dec. 20 that she and her producer husband of 10 years Daniel Zelman had split earlier this year, has already found love again.

An insider tells Us that Messing has fallen for actor Will Chase, her costar (their characters share a romantic past!) on the NBC musical drama Smash.

“Debra and Will have been together for about six weeks,” says the insider. “She is completely smitten with him.” And while the relationship is still new, it’s already serious.

According to the source, Chase 41, has left his wife of two years, stage actress Stephanie Gibson (Chase has two tween daughters, Gracie and Daisy, from a previous marriage).

“Will didn’t break up Debra and Daniel. It was over before she met Will,” the source clarifies of Messing and Zelman, 44, who amicably share son Roman, 7, and will “continue to live together with their son, then gradually transition into a new living situation,” they explained to Us in a statement.

[From Us Weekly]

Last time, I expressed a wish that celebrity (or any) couples would stop referring to their splits as entirely “amicable” because even if one party isn’t all torn up about a divorce, the other most certainly carries some degree of animosity. Certainly, a ten-year marriage can’t end amicably if one party was, say, sleeping around with someone else, which would almost certainly lead to the end of the prior relationship. And if the “Coke Mom” blinds really are true, I truly hope Daniel fights for full custody of he and Debra’s son.

Photos courtesy of Fame and WENN

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20 Responses to “Is Debra Messing getting divorced because she’s dating her “Smash” costar?”

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  1. brin says:

    Does this make Daniel the “starter husband”?

  2. Tapioca says:

    Surely a couple announcing a split without the words “amicable” and/or “privacy” is the first sign of the apocalypse? It’s reassuring when they try to pretend they’re nice people.

    Her new BF has the eyes of a serial killer.

  3. Toot says:

    Damn, this new guy left his wife too. This seems like shady business all around.

  4. mln76 says:

    I still don’t want to believe that particularly horrid blind. BUT there seems to be some circumstantial evidence of its accuracy. The blind stated that Mom wasn’t allowed unsupervised time with her kid which is why they were still under the same roof. I have to add the Coke Mom blind is really old and could be BS (I hope it is).

  5. someone says:

    I have also heard Debra messing is a HUGE bitch…. but that’s just a rumor but then again we’re on a celeb gossip site so…. 😉 anyone else hear that though ?

    • CG says:

      Yeah, I def heard that. I think I remember that by the end of Will & Grace, the other castmembers couldn’t stand her, and she was the one who had the hardest time finding work again because of her attitude, too.

  6. CTgirl says:

    Tacky is as tacky does.

  7. lisa says:

    Wonder if they will be vilified for years.

    NOPE

  8. the original bellaluna says:

    Thank you, Bedhead, for pointing out what (to me) is a huge irritant: the “amicable” divorce, where everyone remains “close friends.” (or whatever)

    Anyone who’s ever been through a divorce knows there is no such thing. It devolves into “Well I’m not giving you your game system until you give me my CD’s” and such nonsense because of hurt and/or anger on both sides.

    As far as Debra, her (soon-to-be-ex) husband is a very handsome man. I’m sure he won’t have much trouble finding another woman to love.

    • Trek Girl says:

      Whoa, let’s not generalize. There are indeed amicable divorces.

      Divorces don’t always devolve into petty games and nonsense. It might be irritating to hear it, and I can understand why, but amicable divorces do happen much more than one would think.

      • the original bellaluna says:

        Mum’s been in family law for over 40 years, and there is no such thing as an amicable divorce. (Unless you mean people amicably agree that a divorce is in order; or “you take your stuff; I’ll take mine;” and there are no kids or community property/assets involved.)

        And the people (or people on their level & higher) we gossip about are the people she reps.

      • Trek Girl says:

        @The Original Bellaluna: I was talking about average people as well, not just celebrities and higher-ups.

        I understand what you’re saying about your mom, but I still stand by what I’ve said because I’ve seen it. There are couples that get divorced, work out the terms of it with little or no trouble, and stay friends afterwards, all while having children. Your mom may not have seen it, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist.

  9. LindyLou says:

    So Debra was Messing around!?!?! Yeah I said it – lol! (Can you tell I’m a little bored today?) 🙂

  10. Kim says:

    How messed up is she?! Still living with her ex, to put up a front for her son, when she is sleeping with someone else?!

    How confused will her son be when they or daddy move out suddenly and a new man is in the picture? She has always seemed like a whack job and this proves she is.

    Get properly divorced, talk to your kid about the changes coming (he deserves that much) THEN start dating someone else – not in reverse order – SELFISH!!

  11. Gigohead says:

    I have to say she did pretty good considering she has the most ugliest nose. She’s got a beak on her! I’m not surprised to read on this thread that she is not a nice person. I had a feeling she wasn’t very nice and the way she handled this divorce and then go on record that she already has her BF is just tasteless.

  12. Tiffany says:

    Thiis really is not all that surprising to hear about Messing being a bitch. There was a story going around shortly after her Emmy win for Will and Grace(she was the last of the cast to win) and someone from the show said maybe now she might be a pleasure to work with. Ouch. I also read about how people were lining up to work with the other cast members once the show ended, but there was not much talk about her. The blind and now this, well…..

  13. Rob says:

    wow, How funny, I just got done watching smash and decided to google for interviews asking how deb ra messing felt playing the part of a woman who has an affair on a great husband with a family at stake. LOL well I guess I found out huh. I enjoy the show Smash but I find that she is really breaking up her marriage because of the grass is always greener syndrome and because people who are pampered to long can succumb to I have no idea how to live with integrity or promise keeping a bit disgusting. I would never be for censorship but I am so disgusted at hollywood and its general lack of anything resembling personal integrity in the intimacy department. How sad right? But then I had hoped Debra messing might actually be nice, perhaps she is but how gross that she is having an affair for real with the guy whom she is playing having an affair with. You think that just might be taking the whole method acting thing a bit to far? 😉