Preview: Kathy Griffin on the anti-Trump stunt that nearly ended her career
Comic Kathy Griffin nearly lost her career over an incident involving political satire about President Donald Trump that many, including the president himself, thought went too far. She says she learned a lot in the aftermath, in an interview with Luke Burbank for "CBS Sunday Morning" to be broadcast March 24.
In 2017, Griffin made international headlines when she posted a photo of herself holding a mask of President Trump with what appeared to be dripping blood. (It was actually ketchup.) The president responded with a tweet saying his family was having a hard time with it. Even Griffin's mother was upset with her.
As a consequence, Griffin said, the fallout cost her an endorsement deal, her comedy tour was canceled, and CNN ended her long-running job as co-host with Anderson Cooper on New Year's Eve. She was placed on a no-fly list, and under investigation for conspiracy.
Burbank asked her, "If you could click your heels together and go back at the end of the photo shoot before the mask came out, could it just been like, 'Let's call it a day…' would you?"
"No," she replied, "'cause I've learned so much. And the most important thing that I hope people see is that, long after I kick the bucket, they see the crazy red-haired lady didn't go down."
She says she feel "the momentum is finally going in my direction."
Griffin also talks with Burbank about life after the incident; her new theatrical comedy film, "Kathy Griffin: A Hell of a Story," which is still seeking distribution; and how she still gets death threats today.
"I was in London a month ago, and I had a driver," she recalled. "He recognized me from the photo, and he said that he was from Morocco and that if we were in Morocco he would cut my tongue off.
"That was a long drive!" she laughed, adding, "I called the president of the car company and had him fired."
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