Where is Kathy Griffin? Comic felt 'erased' not 'canceled' after Trump photo scandal
Kathy Griffin is trying to "get back on the D-list" after she claims she was "erased" and not just "canceled" for her botched takedown of former President Donald J Trump in 2017.
Griffin, 61, sparked widespread outrage in 2017 after she held a mask of Trump drenched in blood-red ketchup to portray him as beheaded in an assassination. In an interview with The New York Times, the comedian said that her alienation from Hollywood did not stop at the disapproval of cancel culture. "I wasn’t canceled," she told the newspaper on Wednesday, January 19. "I was erased."
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Griffin told The Times -- in a piece entitled 'Kathy Griffin is trying to get back on the D-List' -- she believes she's been blacklisted because she's a middle-aged woman who isn't backed by a high-profile agency, film studio, or television network to revive her career. The Emmy winner said her "uncompromising nature" had caused problems for her even before the Trump-beheading controversy, making it difficult for her to gain the support of higher-ups in the industry. "I honestly never had a desire to make enemies," she said. "But I keep making enemies."
Griffin told the outlet how she got an earful from the head of a major news network in 2016 for demanding a pay raise. She said that she was slated to host CNN's annual New Year’s Eve special with news anchor Anderson Cooper, but when she asked the network's president Jeff Zucker for more money, he "started yelling at me." "He literally said something like, 'Who do you think you are calling here demanding a raise?'" Griffin recalled. "And then something came over me, and I just lost it. I just started screaming, I’m Kathy (expletive) Griffin, Jeff, that’s who I am. I would really feel a lot more comfortable showing up if I got paid what I deserve," she said she told the CNN boss at the time.
Griffin was subsequently fired and later rehired after she pleaded with Zucker to have the hosting gig back, albeit with a 20 per cent pay cut. The new year's eve special, however, is now hosted by Andy Cohen alongside Cooper -- something Griffin is still angry about. "This is a guy that I think kind of wanted to be me," she told the newspaper. "And now he’s halfway there."
Griffin also blamed sexist double standards for her controversial public perception, referencing male celebrities such as comedian Dave Chappelle, CNN commentator Jeffrey Toobin and 'Succession' star Jeremy Strong who weathered their respective controversies. "When you're an artist known for being 'difficult' and you’re a man, they write New Yorker profiles about you, and then Aaron Sorkin writes an open letter in support," Griffin said, referring to Strong whose serious approach to acting was recently highlighted in a New Yorker profile. "But when you’re 'difficult' and you’re a woman, they call you a pain…"
Last August, Griffin had a portion of her left lung surgically removed following a cancer diagnosis. Now, she can't wait to reclaim her place in the world of stand-up comedy. "I just want to get back to making people laugh," Griffin told The Times. "More than anything else, that’s what has been robbed from me."
Where is Kathy Griffin?
Griffin was in a relationship with marketing executive Randy Bick from 2012 to November 2018. The duo reconciled in April 2019. The comedian resided in Hollywood Hills from 2004 to 2016 and has resided in Bel Air since. Griffin tied the knot with Bick at her home on January 1, 2020, in a private ceremony officiated by comedian Lily Tomlin.