Like it or not, mainstream media has seen very little of Kathy Griffin since she infamously took a photo with Donald Trump‘s bloody, decapitated head last May.
Blowback from the internet-breaking photoshoot included losing out on coveted TV gigs, a nasty fallout with Anderson Cooper, an insufferable FBI investigation, and mountains of death threats.
And while all signs may point to it being curtains for the comedian’s career, Griffin knows that everyone loves a comeback (just ask that awful Winona Ryder L’Oreal commercial) — and says that hers will come before we know it!
Related: Melissa Rivers Says Joan Would Think Kathy Is ‘Desperately Unhappy’
In a wide-ranging interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Griffin reflected on the overwhelming backlash from the Trump photo that came out of a May 23 photoshoot with shock value photographer Tyler Shields. The decapitation concept was birthed from the two spitballing ideas for a photo that “would fuck with Trump.”
Little did Griffin know, she would be the one who was fucked with. After initially apologizing for the photo in a self-pitying YouTube video, in which she claimed she “went way too far,” Griffin decided to adopt a more unapologetic, Joan Rivers sensibility and defend the photo as a free speech issue.
At least, that was the plan before her June 1 press conference with Lisa Bloom turned disastrous — a flustering presser Griffin now blames on the famed attorney. She explained:
“It turned out she wanted me to do an infomercial for her. When I walked into that room, I had no idea there was going to be a banner above my head that said LisaBloom.com. I didn’t know she was going to Velcro herself to my shoulder so she couldn’t be cut out of any shot. I didn’t know she was going to hand me a mug that said LisaBloom.com. I got all of that in under three seconds.”
Bloom, for the record, says Griffin went “off the cuff” in her remarks, despite the two spending hours crafting a cohesive statement the previous day.
That chaotic presser only added fuel to the fire, leading to death threats being sent to the theaters Griffin was scheduled to perform in during her tour — the tour that, ironically, the Trump photo was supposed to be promoting.
Related: Kathy & Her Mom BLAST Bill O’Reilly’s Podcast Invitation!
This is when the FBI got involved, determining that Griffin was under “credible threat” and coached her on how to deal with hate mail. She explained of the system:
“There’s a pile that we think is harmless. And a pile that’s questionable. And then there’s a pile that the FBI says you put in a Ziploc bag and give to them. That’s my life now.”
Never one to waste an opportunity, Griffin took her stand-up tour overseas; a move that turned out to be a smart one, as buzz from the Trump photo helped her sell out in countries she never dreamed of performing in. She remembered:
“In Iceland, at one point I asked, ‘How do you guys even know me?’ And people just started yelling out, ‘The picture!’ “
The act was such a success that Griffin was mapping out her official U.S. comeback — until late October, when she found out that Andy Cohen had replaced her for CNN‘s New Year’s Eve special. Even worse, he was being overbearingly bitchy about the whole thing.
That’s when something in Griffin snapped: she posted a 17-minute rant going off on the Bravo icon, claiming he once offered her cocaine backstage at his talk show. It’s shade she stands by, if not simply “to illustrate a double standard.” She explained:
“If it was me [offering drugs backstage], somebody at Bravo would have said, ‘You have to go.’ When you’re a woman, you get one fuckup, and it’s over. When you’re a guy, you get chance after chance after chance.”
But not everyone thinks Griffin is out of chances. Jimmy Kimmel, who has already offered her a guest spot on his show when she’s ready to talk, predicts a Kathy comeback in the future, telling the outlet:
“She didn’t hurt anyone. She is one of the funniest people in the world. She’ll be bigger than ever.”
Other celebs to stand by the comedienne include Alec Baldwin and Kris Jenner, who gave the following testimony:
“Kathy has been a fiercely loyal friend to me. She has always pushed boundaries.”
While Griffin may not be network TV friendly at the moment, she’s too showbiz savvy to not see herself bouncing back from this controversy. The performer, who has recently been discussing various TV ideas with J.J. Abrams, postulated:
“The minute I do something that makes money, they will all love me again. When I’m dead, I’ll be a legend. But not now.”
A legend undeterred!
Do you see Kathy rising from the ashes like a Griffin? Or has her career reached its expiration date? SOUND OFF in the comments!
[Image via YouTube.]
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