Kathy Griffin expressed regret about a 2017 photo she took holding a mock severed head of then-President Donald Trump, saying the backlash left her jobless, addicted to pills, and subjected to a psychiatric hold.
On “The View,” the comedian tearfully recounted losing work for six years due to the graphic photo, which resulted in being placed on an INTERPOL list and facing death threats.
“Six years I was out of work because of that [expletive]. There I said what it was, all because of a picture!” she said. “A picture I took making fun of the president!”
“No fly list. INTERPOL list, stopped at every airport,” she said. “Pill addiction, suicide attempt, and I was on a psych hold for three days.”
Her stunt threatening the president fell under a Class D felony and similarly extreme rhetoric against Trump has taken political vitriol to a new level, according to Griffin.
“No agency will touch me. No network will touch me. No streaming service will touch me. Nobody. And yet, I’m an earner. I’ve made them all money, and I’ll make them money again. I have to dig myself out of this hole,” she said previously.
While threats against past presidents occurred, Griffin’s action stood out for its graphic nature and she lamented the long-lasting career consequences despite previously earning networks money.