Kathy Griffin’s comedic career hit an unexpected bump in the road after she posed with a doll head gussied up to look like a decapitated Donald Trump.
Then followed the slightly hysterical apology and over-the-top press conference. She lost gigs, cash, fans, and friends — including Anderson Cooper, with whom she’d been close with for 17 years, regularly co-hosting CNN‘s New Year’s Eve broadcast alongside him.
And given Griffin’s comments this week in a sit-down with The Daily Beast, that friendship (not to mention any remote chance of working together again) seems to be lost forever.
While much of the piece focuses on the comedian’s feud with “fame whore” lawyer Lisa Bloom (her words), Griffin does manage to work in a searing burn at Cooper, referring to him as “The Spineless Heiress.” She attributed the insult to “her gays.”
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“For the record, I am appalled by the photo shoot Kathy Griffin took part in. It is clearly disgusting and completely inappropriate,” Cooper tweeted shortly after the photograph went viral in May.
Speaking to The Cut, Griffin said she knows Cooper was in a difficult position, but felt she at least deserved a text or phone call from him before he decided to tweet about it.
She claims he added insult to injury by telling Andy Cohen on “Watch What Happens Live” that he and Griffin were still tight — despite the fact that he hadn’t reached out to her since the photo was released.
Griffin ended the friendship after Cooper finally tried contacting her via text, several months after the incident.
Then to add more insult to injury, Cooper replaced her as his NYE cohost with Andy Cohen.
Griffin’s “spineless heiress” insult is assumed to be directed at Cooper’s handling of the Trump photo scandal, as well as his pedigree. His mother is clothing designer Gloria Vanderbilt, the great-great-great granddaughter of business magnate Cornelius Vanderbilt.
In 2016, Cooper told People that he stands to inherit none of the family fortune, though he hardly needs it at this point.
Xzamilloh
“Spineless heiress”… I don’t know what she expected from him, other than a phone call and a “Hey, how ya doin?” Because she is a grown woman who is dealing with the fallout from her decisions. But, the emasculating name-call is indicative of a long held gripe I have had with fellow liberals, and it’s the the thinly veiled hypocrisy of using behavior that the other side would be derided for. Get it right, Kathy. He’s a “spineless heir“… who still has a job on New Year’s Eve. But good luck with the upcoming shows, girl.
Brian
If they genuinely were friends, shouldn’t he have done at least that much before commenting publicly? Especially when they both know his statement was only issued to make him look like he was appropriately concerned, not because he was actually outraged.
I’d be pissed too if one of my friends did something so chickenshit.
Xzamilloh
True, but he’s not obligated to… I mean, did she run it by him that she was going to upload a picture of herself holding a fake decapitated head of Trump? She was the one who effed up, not him. I don’t feel one bit bad for her, especially since she apologized for it and is now backtracking and saying she’s not sorry. Pick a damn story before you try scolding somebody for making sure they didn’t get sucked up into your drama.
captainburrito
She effed up yes. But for him to not call her for months? Not obligated to but if you want to keep friends that helps. Calling people names is pretty much her career.
PRINCE OF SNARKNESS aka DIVKID
“Spineless” yeah like the way you simpered and begged for forgiveness with whole poor defenceless woman routine… instead of standing by your shit… your hero Joan Rivers would be ashamed of you. Pathetic bitch
bookworm
That was way unnecessary, misogynistic asshole.
dwes09
Considering the use of implied violence by the regressives over and over again, the whole thing with Griffin was more an example of how regressives can dish it out but never ever take it. Her post was undeniably tasteless but hardly to be taken as an actual threat of violence by any but the weakest of minds.
That said, Cooper should have defended her, and pointed out all the times the right has used the threat of violence and actual violence, not in self defense, but in simply being the creeps they are. so yes, he was spineless, and yes she made a foolish choice that had business repercussions. But at the end of the day Trump egging his base on to physically attack people at a rally, implying that gun nuts should take out Hillary and so on were much worse, and he got a pass on those things and those few reasonable people who made note of it were excoriated by the gun and violence loving right.
PRINCE OF SNARKNESS aka DIVKID
On the principle of the broken clock…Brian/Jason/Jaxton gots this one
BriBri
They’re beginning to eat their own. Don’t choke Kath!
Ummmm Yeah
Remember that time Anderson Cooper rescued a child during a riot after the big earthquake in Haiti? What’s that burnout old skank done to compare to that?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SfoiQXnbnf8
Kieran
Heiress? Oh I get it, Anderson Cooper is an “heiress” because he’s gay. ha ha. I’m surprised the skank didn’t tell him to take the dick out of his mouth.
Brian
Or, alliteration?
Prax07
I still like Griffin, and loved the Schlump head photo. As for the “heiress”, never been a fan. And please, if gays can call each other she/queen/bitch/etc I’m fine with an ally calling that queen anything she wants.
Kieran
Are you one of “her gays”? What’s that like?
Brian
Kathy has been a fag hag all her life. I have no problem with her using the language any gay man is allowed to use.
AllanSum
Oh this old shameless fame-wh*re again. She never really learns, does she?
mhoffman953
Kathy Griffin is even turning on her attorney from that disastrous press conference she held
Brody
Tasteless, classless, humorless publicity whore whose career was nearly ruined for attacking her political enemies is now ensuring the ruin of said career by attacking her allies.
YourDad
Kathy Griffin holding a mannequin head vs. Nazis with torches chanting, “seig heil,” “blood and soil” and “Jews will not replace us.” (oh yeah, they also killed a woman)
Trump on Griffin: “sick,” “depraved,” “makes you wonder about the mental health of someone who would do this.”
Trump on Nazis: “I have to say, there are some very fine people on both sides.”
Read Christopher Isherwood or a history book. Performers, writers, comedians, artists protest first and loudest, and pay the dearest. America is pre-Nazi Germany, and Republicans who could, won’t lift a finger to stop it. Destroy this “tasteless, humorless publicity whore” (Brody) over a mannequin head photo; silence the provocateurs and protesters; chill any artist or performer thinking of being too controversial; destroy the careers of politicians who resist and march forward to tyranny.
Nope. I’m with Kathy.
jjohnson1032
Well said.
Brody
The era of this country being run on the whims, nonsensical ideas, and infantile dreams of writers, actors, and musicians ended on January 20, 2017.
The grown-ups are in charge now.
Deal with it.
ChrisK
What are you smoking mo bro? Those “adults” are going down.
YourDad
Does Putin let his trolls smoke?
DCguy
I’m not sure why Griffin expected anything different. Cooper was completely spineless about staying in the closet after it was well known and only came out when it was so obvious that even the blogs were attacking him. Then he came out in the most spineless way possible.
But remember, FOX News wants to keep everybody enraged about Griffin so they won’t pay attention to the people carrying torches, Natzi flags and wearing Klan Hoods chanting “Trump!”.
surreal33
If he had balls he would have stood by her. The stunt with the head of 45 is nothing compared to the fact we have open RACISTS running our country.
paul dorian lord fredine
@brody ‘the grown ups are in charge’? as of when? as corker implied they’ve turned the white house into a day care center for an infantile lying moron. who are these ‘adults’ of whom you speak? even kelly is losing credibility. go back to sleep, you ‘dream world’ is calling.
OzJosh
Griffin is on a suicide mission to end her career. She just appeared on a talk show in Australian in which she weighed in on the Weinstein scandal and named several other high-powered Hollywood execs as abusers, with no evidence and not much credibility. If their lawyers get a hold of the tape her career is over.
nitejonboy
I’m with Kathy…Screw you Anderson, you prissy little thing.
seaguy
Kathy is not doing herself any favors trashing everyone around her she is burning bridges for sure.
Topnine
Cooper replaced her… with Andy Cohen. Bitches.
Prax07
So Cooper replaced one woman with an even bigger woman. Can’t stand Andy, never could stomach him.
BGinBigD
Now looky here, Miss Kathy, friendship or not, Anderson Cooper has a right to comment on your actions just as much as you had a right (but it was so wrong) to pose with your “Trump head”. Anderson Cooper also has a responsibility as a journalist to be as objective as possible. Yes, he probably is liberal and works for a liberal news organization, but when he witnesses something as tasteless and offending as what his friend did, he calls her out on it. The fact she can’t handle it is her fault. My advice to Anderson: good riddance of Kathy Griffin.
Mmmrrrggglll
I can’t believe that in all of these comments nobody said,
“Oh, no she di’ nt!”