Comedian Kathy Griffin stated she feels “not canceled” during a recent conversation with NPR affiliate WUSF. She referenced a controversial photo she had posted years ago—one featuring a severed head resembling former President Donald Trump.
In her interview, Griffin discussed the significant backlash that she faced, which impacted her career, but she believes audiences are now more receptive to her.
The controversy began in 2017 when she shared an image of herself holding a faux bloody Halloween mask of Trump. This sparked condemnation from lawmakers across the political spectrum, who accused her of promoting violence against public officials.
Griffin remarked, “Oh, I think the cancellation has been lifted. This is a miracle for me, because I never thought it would be lifted,” pointing out the significance of her return to Tampa after a long hiatus.
Although she initially apologized for the photo, she later retracted that apology and expressed she had no regrets about posting it.
“People still define me by that. Now I really own it and absolutely lean into it, because I was right and I was ahead of my time,” Griffin added, expressing pride in the image. She also mentioned that Trump seemed intimidated by her long before the photo incident, recalling how he would humorously gesture as if he were afraid of her dissent.
Griffin is set to launch her “New Faces, New Tour” show in Orlando and mentioned receiving standing ovations from audiences before she even takes the stage.
