Meghan Markle leads tributes to US Supreme Court Judge Ruth Bader Ginsburg
Meghan Markle has praised the “brilliance” of US Supreme Court Judge Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who died at the age of 87.
The Duchess of Sussex is among those paying tribute to the justice after she died of complications arising from pancreatic cancer.
In a statement shared with Yahoo UK, Meghan said: “With an incomparable and indelible legacy, Ruth Bader Ginsburg will forever be known as a woman of brilliance, a Justice of courage, and a human of deep conviction.
“She has been a true inspiration to me since I was a girl. Honour her, remember her, act for her.”
Ginsburg is considered a feminist icon, and a hero of the American left for her lifetime fighting for gender equality.
She was the second woman to be nominated to the Supreme Court in the US, and was widely considered a trailblazer.
She even earned the nickname Notorious RBG, inspired by the rapper Notorious BIG.
Tributes have poured in on social media from other celebrities including Robert Downey Jr, and Cara Delevingne.
Fleetwood Mac’s Stevie Nicks wrote on Instagram: “My tears have not stopped since a friend tip-toed into my room and said, ‘Stevie, Ruth died’.”
She said she had hoped to meet Ginsburg “to hold her hand and give her a huge hug and thank her for all she had done for women and for all she would continue to do”.
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She added: “It is my great regret that I did not make the effort to go and try to meet her.
“As a two-time Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame inductee, the first female to be inducted twice, compared to 22 men having been inducted twice, I Stevie Nicks, induct Ruth Bader Ginsburg into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame of Life.”
Downey Jr shared a picture of the late judge and one of her quotes, which read: “Fight for the things you care about, but do it in a way that will lead others to join you.’ RIP, RBG.”
Mariah Carey wrote on Instagram: “Thank you for a lifetime of service. Thank you for changing history. We will never let it be undone. RIP RBG.”
Ginsburg’s death has opened up a political battle as Republicans push for her to be replaced before voters go to the polls in November for the presidential election.
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Texas senator Ted Cruz, who is one who could potentially become a Supreme Court justice, said: “I believe that the president should next week nominate a successor to the court, and I think it is critical that the Senate takes up and confirms that successor before Election day.”
In 2016, then president Barack Obama’s hope of appointing Merick Garland as successor to the late Antonin Scalia was undermined by the Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell on the basis that he only had six months left of his term.
Donald Trump has not yet weighed in but did pay tribute to Ginsberg, saying: “Renowned for her brilliant mind and her powerful dissents at the Supreme Court, Justice Ginsburg demonstrated that one can disagree without being disagreeable toward one’s colleagues or different points of view.”