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The Business

Revisiting comedian Kathy Griffin and her self-funded world tour

May 30, 2017 is the day Kathy Griffin ’s life changed forever. It’s when the photo of her holding what appeared to be the decapitated head of Donald Trump landed on TMZ and she became a pariah overnight.

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By Kim Masters • Mar 16, 2019 • 1 min read

May 30, 2017 is the day Kathy Griffin’s life changed forever. It’s when the photo of her holding what appeared to be the decapitated head of Donald Trump landed on TMZ and she became a pariah overnight.

After that photo went viral, Griffin was fired from every job and sponsorship she had. She was investigated by the Secret Service and temporarily put on the no-fly list.

Since then, Griffin has been fighting her way back. When she joined us in the studio, she said that though her life did change drastically after the photo, she was struggling with her career well before that.

She tells us about fighting ageism, that disastrous press conference, booking her own international tour, and trying to find a buyer for her new comedy special. The film version of her act, ‘Kathy Griffin: A Hell of a Story,’ just premiered at SXSW.

  • https://images.ctfassets.net/2658fe8gbo8o/AvYox6VuEgcxpd20Xo9d3/769bca4fbf97bf022190f4813812c1e2/new-default.jpg?h=250

    Kim Masters

    partner/writer at Puck News, host of KCRW's “The Business.”

  • https://images.ctfassets.net/2658fe8gbo8o/AvYox6VuEgcxpd20Xo9d3/769bca4fbf97bf022190f4813812c1e2/new-default.jpg?h=250

    Kaitlin Parker

    Producer, 'The Business' and 'Hollywood Breakdown'

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    Kathy Griffin

    comedian

    CultureArts
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