Molly McNearney Dedicates Gracie Award Speech to ‘Fighting for Reproductive Freedom’ and Why ‘It Doesn’t F—king Matter’ What Women Wear

While accepting a Gracie award for her work on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!,” Molly McNearney took the opportunity to directly address the pressure women often face to look perfect.

“I’m not saying this for sympathy. Jesus, do not give me sympathy,” McNearney said Tuesday night at the 50th annual Gracie Awards held at The Four Seasons Beverly Wilshire Hotel. “You might be feeling the same [insecurity] right now, and I need us to realize together — close your ears — it doesn’t fucking matter! It doesn’t matter. We’re all too hard on ourselves. We’re gonna take all this off in a couple hours, unless you’re married to Jimmy Kimmel.”

Hosted by actor and comedian Fortune Feimster, the evening celebrated this year’s winners chosen by the Alliance for Women in Media Foundation, which honors women’s voices in media. Top winners included “Dune: Prophecy,” Cristin Milioti, Kathy Bates and Megan Thee Stallion, with Variety winning a Gracie award for the Power of Women franchise.

When “The English Teacher” star Stephanie Koenig accepted Gracie awards for acting in and writing the hit FX show, she thanked the people who took a chance on her. “Also, shoutout to some dudes, some cool dudes, that helped me get this job. And it was my first writing job,” Koenig added. “Thank you for opening the door. If you’re a dude and you have hiring power, open the door for women.”

The evening, which also honored Variety‘s Power of Women franchise, certainly didn’t shy away from addressing the current political moment. McNearney, who was presented with her award by husband Jimmy Kimmel, talked about the importance of “fighting for reproductive freedom” in her acceptance speech. Cam, who performed “American Requiem” from Beyoncé’s “Cowboy Carter” at the gala, told Variety on the red carpet about navigating everything as a Tennessee country artist.

“Keep your sanity day-to-day, because I think it’s easy to lose that,” Cam said. “Make sure you take up space where you can. The more personal connection, the more impact you can have on each other.”

The evening was also a celebration of journalists around the world, with national, local and student winners covering timely topics ranging from incarceration to the fentanyl crisis. CBS News journalist Norah O’Donnell, known for her exclusive interview with Pope Francis, reflected on the importance of a free press.

“That’s why I got into the business — to be a truth teller,” O’Donnell said. “Informing the public is what we do, and you need an informed electorate to have a functioning democracy. And so when we don’t have that, we don’t have an informed electorate, and we need the media to be trusted. That’s an awesome responsibility for all of us as journalists: To make sure that the public still trusts us so they believe the news we report.”

See more photos from the Gracie Awards below.