When Kathy Griffin made the decision to pair with controversial photographer, Tyler Shields, last May she was immediately blackballed at every US venue. She has not been able to book a job in the United States since she posted the distasteful picture. She immediately lost her job hosting CNN’s New Year’s Eve show with her friend Anderson Cooper. I don’t feel like this press conference that Kathy held did her any favors. It made her look like a whiner and a victim when it was her action that set all of the ramifications in place. Kathy apologized at the time but she later rescinded her apology and removed the apology video from her social media. Kathy has been doing her standup in Australia and New Zealand lately.
I feel like it was appropriate for Kathy to lose her job at CNN because it is a news/political station. I understand the US standup venues cancelling her show because she was getting death threats and it put the attendees at risk. But I really don’t understand her being permanently black balled from ever doing her standup here. That seems a bit harsh. She used poor judgment. It happens. It should not be a life sentence.
Kathy was very hurt by Anderson Cooper’s comments about her misjudgment. I feel like Anderson had no choice as a newscaster to denounce her artistic choice. I feel like Kathy probably was so hurt that she struck out in anger and permanently damaged her relationship with Anderson. Recently, Kathy gave an interview where she called Anderson a “spineless heiress” for abandoning their friendship. Clearly this relationship is irretrievably broken.
PLEASE CHECK OUT THIS RELATED POST WHERE I OUTLINED ANDY COHEN’S MISOGYNY.
Something happened between Kathy Griffin and Andy Cohen a few years ago. Here is a post about the situation between Andy, Anderson and Kathy in 2015. It seems that the end of Kathy’s Bravo shows was acrimonious.
Which leads up to today’s bizarre TMZ interview with Andy Cohen about Kathy Griffin.
He’s clearly being a total dick and doing the whole Mariah Carey thing when asked about Beyonce. His doucheyness is on full display. This is the real Andy Cohen who invites people who hate each other to his cocktail parties just to see them fight.
Here was Kathy Griffin’s response.
Even when it's on tape, there are doubters? He is NOT kidding w paps. Was my boss for 10 years. Treated me like a dog. Deeply misogynistic https://t.co/geqFsLtWy1
— Kathy Griffin (@kathygriffin) October 27, 2017
I’ve been screaming about Andy Cohen’s misogyny here for years. It’s blatant. My question is why was Kathy Griffin willing to put up with it for a paycheck just like all the real housewives do? You can’t be complicit in the misogyny and the whine about it once the checks stop coming.
Am I the only one who wonders why Anderson Cooper maintains such a close relationship with Andy? Do you think Kathy Griffin deserves what she is getting?
Everyone in that industry is complicit…until THEIR checks stop rolling in.
Whilst I’ve always got misogynistic vibes from Andy cohen too, it annoys me that Kathy is only calling him out about it now, if they were still pally would she of said anything? Probably not. 2 of my Australian friends saw Kathy in the past 2 weeks and they both said the show was a dud. 1 of them did get to meet her though so that made up for it. Kathy mucked up with the whole president thing but she doesn’t deserve to be blackballed.
I don’t think the punishment fits the crime with Kathy. If soldiers “know what they signed up for”, so do politicians – and that includes tasteless, crass commentary from their critics. When we seek to destroy our enemies, it says more about us than it does about them or their art.
That said, after the “heiress” dig, Kathy is perhaps not the appropriate person to talk about misogyny. That was ill-judged, to say the least.
I am intrigued by Anderson Cooper’s relationship with Andy Cohen. I find it very hard to separate someone like Cooper giving his buddy Cohen a free pass on his misogyny from the part of our culture where men give predators and creeps like Weinstein a free pass on their behavior with women. They’re taking advantage of women in different ways, but the attitudes are certainly related, and I’m disappointed but not surprised to see Cooper giving tacit approval to that.
I agree. Kathy should have never said that about Anderson and why wait to speak out about Andy until he dissed her?
I know Andy is s piece of garbage who treats women like shit, but that was pretty shady..even for him. All that money and class just eludes him.
Well said.
Except that she has not been banned by anybody but the individuals who have hired her in the past and don’t want to be associated with her now. As they saying goes, ‘you have the right to say what you want, but you don’t have the right to be heard.’ Private industry has taken from her the microphones they pay for. That’s also a part of our freedom.
ew wtf Andy. I can’t look at him the same anymore
Hmm, it sure would be interesting if Andy became too much of a topic of conversation at cocktail parties, that he became too much for the big wigs to worry about.
I just imagine this stuff in my head, but doubt anyone has that much money potential that they are axed by a network.
Sounds like a movie, lol.
One thing we have learned is people can be removed in a flash, if a “sex addiction is suddenly discovered.” 24 hours and it’s a wrap.
I truly thought that Hollywood is such big business, it’s money and only money that matters.
Sex, drugs, bad behavior is a thing of the past. No one cares, I thought, due to it being something that was a long time gone.
I can’t believe Andy is going to play it this way. Actually, I can believe it. ?
I certainly agree Kathy,s video/image of a decapitated Trump was in poor taste, but Andy is no paragon of virtue himself, so that argument is null. I do see the business decision of CNN as an appropriate response to KG’s violent representation of a sitting president given their goal of neutrality in delivering the news.
But Andy and Anderson’s icing her out is not a good look. KG has spent her entire life defending and fighting for LGBTIA+ rights. While Andy was pitting women against one another for sport and profit, KG was marching, raising and donating gobs of $, and protecting the very civil rights of AC2. She is a cis~het white woman working for the other team, so to speak. Andy purports to be a liberal progressive, but his actions are reprehensible as an ally to women and gay men alike. The activities on WWHL are often borderline if not blatant sexual harassment creating a very hostile environment for both women and the gay men he ogles and verbally rapes on air. Andy Cohen hates women. It’s no surprise he’s shunned KG.
Anderson and KG were once really close friends, visiting each others’ homes and vacations together. Anderson’s abandoning their friendship appears politically expedient and an effort to galvanize his bank account. He’s rich enough. Can’t he afford to have some principles?
Allyship works both ways. Both these men have done KG dirty. Their reasons are slightly different but both involve a lack of backbone and liberal progressive values they wear like a coat, doffing when it gets a little too hot.
Very interesting points, Angeline. Kathy has done a LOT for the LGBT community. Another reason why Andy Cohen’s behavior is insulting,
Granted, I think it is a joke MC style. He loves that from her, but who’s to say that CNN won’t let them mention her??? I don’t know what the ratings for Anderson and Kathy were but why would they allow the talent for this year dredge up previous talent? It’d be like any morning show hosts or American Idol judges talking about past judges. You want people to think about the current not the past. I’m sure that’s why Anderson has not talked about Kathy. Privately, possibly.
Honestly, he threw Kathy a bone and helped make her more relevant with the shade. Now she can do bits on that.
what has Kathy done for the gay community other than call them her pets?
She advocated for the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell and Same Sex Marriage. There is a reason she has a huge gay following. I don’t think I’ve ever heard her call her gay fans, her pets.
I’m sure you have plenty of gay friends who could tell you what Kathy has done for the LGBT community, right?
I like this post; some interns angles. I’ve always wondered why it’s ok for Andy to talk, stare and even touch his female guest’s breasts on WWHL. Seems like a double standard there.
I think andy is just seeing where his bread is buttered that’s why he’s acting like this he wants the money to keep rolling in so it’s easier to do this
Anderson Cooper is a douchebag who only gets away with his douchebaggery because people like Andy Cohen are so much worse.
OMG since I know who you are, and have known you for YEARS. I’m kind of freaking out.
I assume you have met him?????
And why are you just telling me this [email protected][email protected]?
please cite examples or at least email them to me. HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TO ME ON MY BIG DAY QUESTION MARK (reference you might not get)
Fine go ahead and ruin my opinion of Anderson. /sobs but you will have to do a helluva lot of making up with me at Christmas time.
Sigh.
I really don’t want to hear this but tell us anyway because it makes sense and you know everybody.
You have met Daddy???? Omg did you touch him??? Can you pass a message on that I WANT to be the filling in an Andy Squared Daddy Sandwich??? PUHLEEEEEEEESE??? *starstruck*
Way back in the day, I really liked Andy. I read his stupid books and grew to really see him for the pothead dick that he is. Kathy screwed up. However, people often forget the work she has done with the troops, traveling to dangerous places to entertain our armed forces. She is/was a frequent visitor at Walter Reed Medical Hospital spreading cheer there. I have lost an enormous amount of respect for Anderson since he crawled up Andy’s ass. Andy is pathetic and I can barely watch WWHL anymore. It used to be a cute show and now I see it as a platform for Andy to heap abuse on people. I get so sick of hearing about how much he loves pot and booze while Kathy doesn’t drink or do drugs. I’m sorry this has happened to her and I hope she bounces back just as much as I hope Andy implodes on NYE.
Didn’t you hate those damn books? I was so hoping for insider dish and hilarity and instead there were 18 recountings of his three hour at-home massages. Shut up, Andy!
I felt the same way, I used to think he was funny and now I just think he’s a dick. I don’t understand what Anderson sees in him as a friend. I know Kathy and Anderson were genuinely good friends before this, it’s a real shame it ended.
That and all the talk about his dog!! I love animals but I didn’t get the books to learn every nuance about his dog, college friends and parents. The way he referred to everyone by their first names as far as celebrities was maddening! It’s as though we’re supposed to know all of his random friends by their first name! He promised good dirt in those books and didn’t deliver. Kathy will call someone out by name in a heartbeat and that’s what makes her fun. I met her and she was really very kind and lovely to talk to. Andy makes it clear he doesn’t want to be bothered.
I know! Normally I find pet stories funny, but he talked about the dog pooping on the floor 20 times and it wasn’t funny after the first time. I just felt like none of his stories were funny, and he kept telling variations on the same ones.
Wait, what? Andy Cohen refers to people only by their first names? As if we should know them?
Hilarious! It’s a St Louis thing. I have been here over 20 years and total strangers in the grocery line will chat like that.
Now I need to get a book of his from the library. Have got to read that.
Yes. He does it to mimic the Andy Warhol diaries. AS IF
I am devastated. Anderson was a bit of a hero around here. Andy Cohen was a pathetic mysogynist. Anderson has fallen mightily.
I am totally with you on this one. An outrageous comedian goes too far, okay, it happens, it should NOT be a life sentence!!! I don’t want my worst mkments held against me for all time ffs, that’s not even human. She didn’t kill anyone. She didn’t fuck anyone’s dog or rob a charity. Anyway, re Andy Cohen, he really is a cuntessa through and through. Can’t stand the little fuck. What a dark bitter thing he is under that carefully tanned skin.
“I don’t want my worst moments held against me for all time ”
THIS I have so many WAY WORSE THINGS I’ve done to people I love. And because they are spectactular people who believe in me no matter how shitty I am, I’m forgiven. And if you believe in the whole God thing I am kind of forgiven too because I have bouts of belief.
It’s pretty insane to cut off a single woman in her fifties from having an income EVER.
I used to watch her stand up, but it got old fast. Kathy has been limiting her target audience and feels safe to offend the other half. There are risks in doing so. Kimmel recently stated that he is limiting his audience as well. I just don’t see too many comedians with good material that everyone can enjoy.
Kathy took a chance to make a political statement and it backfired. The offended audience would take it on the chin but these extreme Trump supporters are very proactive and organized; they hit back.
I’ve always loved Kathy. She skewers rich white people who are famous. I love it, But the truth of the matter is when she got rich herself…
The thing I don’t get is that the entertainment industry is primarily white democrats.
I get Kathy FUCKED UP.
But shouldn’t they at some point be on her side instead of having her blackballed?
In other news I think she looks ridiculous bringing this up for herself an DESPARATELY needs a few dozen spokes people.
This will obviously be an unpopular opinion here, but I am just fine with Kathy Griffin being frozen out. I am not an extreme, proactive or organized Trump supporter, but I found KG’s stunt extremely distasteful and in general, find her “humor” unappealing and easily dispensed with. She’s well known, but hardly a first rank comedian. She’s had a nice long run; time to go.
As for Andy Cohen, one hopes he will go too far on something and be similarly fired/frozen out. I too tried to read his last book and was completely turned off by the desperate celebrity brown nosing. He’s such douchebag on every level.
It may or may not be a popular opinon, I get it. But if it was your sister or friend would you think that she should be unemployable
?
If you have a penis you seem to forever get second, third even 5TH second chances. I have never understood why these guest put up with his degrading comments about their breast. HUGE red flag, I may be guessing here but could it be the LGBT community that gay men could not POSSIBLY harass a straight woman??? Kathy needs to move on and do what she does best. I would see her show but never AC2
My sister or my friend would have me automatically in their corner. I may think they were not using good judgement to do X, but I’ll stand by them. Kathy Griffin? Afraid she will have to struggle along without my support. This will cut her deeply, I know.
I think you said that she would have been wiser to lay low and let it blow over, with which I agree. I think she knows that, too….but there’s no free publicity in that, is there? It’s all feeling like a publicity stunt to garner sympathy and attention to me, seizing on the headlines of the past couple of weeks and jumping on the “mysoginistic” buzzword of the week.
1)she’s a millionaire so she won’t go hungry
2) her career was already in the toilet
I always thought Cooper had more class than to be friends with Cohen. I absolutely loved Cooper and Kathy together for New Years’ Eve. This all makes me sad for Kathy.
I have always believed that Anderson was ruining his credibility by being BFF’s with Andy and cementing it with that horrible tour. Anderson is a respectable journalist, the tour is so beneath him. But I guess he is showing true colors… sadly…
What happened to the First Amendment, our right to express our feelings, no matter how stupid or controversial they may be? What Kathy did was overboard, and not the smartest thing she’s ever done, but to have everyone get judgmental on her (some only because of what they perceive as the particular brand of political correctness in vogue at a specific time) is terrible. I understand the hesitation on the part of venues to have Kathy perform due to death threats, but to blacklist her entirely? So wrong. I don’t really see how Kathy’s very wry and outspoken sense of humor could translate to an Aussie or Kiwi audience, since a lot of the celebrities she skewers aren’t well known over there, but her overall take on things can be funny, no matter where she is geographically. If she keeps her mouth shut and lets this thing cool down, as all things seem to do in time, she could be OK; however, if she persists in making this about a broken friendship between her and the very cautious Anderson Cooper, and enmity with the ever-disgusting and salacious Andy Cohen, she’s making another big mistake. She should take a page from people like Paula Deen, who was at the center of a huge controversy, but is now back on TV, selling her cookbooks and generally seeming to do well.
Yes EnglishRose that is what I was thinking. Anderson did not have to mention Kathy at all, his statement a few days after her stunt was not something he had to do. I don’t understand why he would turn his back on a “friend”. I understand CNN’s situation and the need to let her go, for now. Anderson could had remained her friend.
Also when a person, Andy takes over a job because of a person being fired the word gracious comes to mind. That is how most would handle the questions. Be gracious and refuse to say anything else.
Kathy probably was hurt by Andersons words thinking they were more than just cohosts.
If Kathy is quiet about this she will be welcomed back to do her standup.
I recall in her reality show she is very frugal so financially she is fine.
Kathy also adopted that entire small town in Mexico, education/schools, clean water treatment, medical and veterinarian service. She still provides services that trains them to be independent.
In my experiences quite a few gay men really do not like women at all. Really dislike most of us, yet drool over certain female celebrities which I don’t understand except Cher. I drool for her.
BTW, Taylor Armstrong spoke at the YMCA women’s conference in Monterey tonight on domestic violence. Looks good except those way too big lips.
There is a certain dysfunction in the relationship between gay men and straight women, and perhaps this is not the best forum to discuss it, but it’s way more complex than “some gay men don’t like women”.
The dysfunction swings both ways in my experience, Patti. It’s invariably been straight women whose friendship has disappeared when they’ve gotten into relationships – my male friends don’t ghost in the same way. It’s invariably been straight women who have asked invasive and inappropriate questions about my sex life, or made assumptions about my attitudes to fidelity and monogamy. It’s invariably been straight women who have raised the issue of the origin of my children in front of them when they’re far too young for a conversation about surrogacy. It’s invariably been straight women who become overly familiar and think they can appropriate the language of the gay community (eg. Kyle Richards referring to “the gays”, the RHOA on every single episode). I take issue with this being framed as a one-way problem. Those experiences don’t make me view straight women as a monolithic group or cause me to make sweeping judgments – I think I comment more about the misogyny on Bravo than any other regular commenter on this site – and I wouldn’t expect your experiences with gay men to do so either.
There’s also an issue specifically with Kathy on this – as soon as she didn’t get the support she expected from Anderson, she resorted to homophobia (and misogyny) by calling him an “heiress”. She doesn’t get a free pass on that because she’s raised a few bucks (at gigs that also raised her profile and helped her career) over the years. This is behavior I’ve seen straight women repeat many times, so if we’re going to have a conversation about misogyny and the relationship gay men have with women, we need to look at the issue from both sides.
I would like to hear more of your thoughts on this.
Johnny thank you. You explained yourself and the situation very well. I realize now I made a sweeping statement that wasn’t appropriate.
I did not know the situation about women asking questions that are inappropriate.
I need to look back at myself but I believe Ive spoken to my few remaining gay men friends in the same way I speak to others. Being a open person I’ve learned not all people are as open. Plus about having a family, straight or gay will never be my business. I don’t want to know.
When I was first starting out in my adult life I loved knowing secrets, I was concerned I was missing out if I did not know. I learned that wasn’t the way to live a healthy long life.
Yes I read Kathy s response and did not like it. I dismissed it as her being hurt which often comes out in anger. If she was Anderson’s friend she would had given him time to explain.
This subject is much deeper than my simple response.
Guess you know there is certain status to having gay couples on our social invite list. When I ubderstood I was guilty of this I did a little soul searching. Turned out I was okay yet I was the lucky one these people called me a friend.
The only people in life I envy are those with your brain cells.
Thank you Johnny
Maybe Anderson Cooper actually was disgusted by the decapitation stunt. It has faded, but it was a shocking and disgusting thing. Maybe he genuinely thought she went too far?
Anna, I agree with you but don’t we allow a friend to mess up, at least once before tossing them out?
I hated Kathys stunt, I felt it brought us, Americans down to their level.
I watched Kathy and Anderson together New Year’s Eve when I could. I don’t have Johnny’s insight to Kathy though, I was not comfortable or did not like all of her remarks to Anderson. He laughed but I did not think she was funny. I thought maybe it was me, possibly I did not understand. I’m going to go with Kathy stepped over the line with Anderson.
I still don’t like Andy, straight or gay I don’t like when people constantly refer to sex in a personal way directed towards someone. I don’t line the sexual questions he asks. I read like a uptight prude.
There are straight men who act just like Andy.
The First Amendment allows free speech (in most instances). It does not promise to protect you from the consequences of people speaking with their wallets (so to speak) and declining to support your endeavors as a result. She gambled. She lost. Maybe, with time, she will come back.
I wish there was more publicity about Kathy’s good works. This is the first I am hearing about some of them and it definitely affects my view of her.
Andy is a douche, lowlife who has gotten out of control with his “celebrity.” Anderson is playing with fire and the future of his career by associating in public with him.
Yes, amazing isn’t it that Paula Deen has been allowed a shadow of her former career now that racists are back in vogue. I doubt if if the political climate were different AC2 would have not jumped ship. Andy is only hanging with Anderson because he has a larger, more well respected platform, and deeper pockets. We will see how Andy ends up down the line. He is not a well respected or powerful figure in the bigger view.
I always watched Cathy and Anderson. It was fun. Nope. Will not watch Andy on New Years Eve. Maybe I’ll actually go out this year.
I was a big Andy fan in past years. My eyes have been opened though.
At some point I started to feel so uncomfortable with him hitting on every young boy he has his staff fill the clubhouse with … the things he says to them? It’s nothing short of a hostile work environment. I really feel it will, or damn well should, come back to bite him.
As for Kathy, I love her and always have. I think it was a big mistake to do the phot shoot and a worse mistake to Handle the press conference with the mixed messages of I’m sorry and I’m being targeted by Trump. But she should absolutely not be black balled. It reminds me of the Dixie Chicks losing their career in an instant after saying they were embarrassed to be Texans because of Bush.
Kathy’s biggest problem was hiring Lisa Bloom to handle the matter after the fact. It seems pretty clear from Kathy’s statements that Bloom used her to get publicity for Bloom instead of actually helping Kathy. I thought Kathy crossed a line, but her statements that Trump was out to get her made her sound insane and made things worse in my opinion. Apparently, according to the Daily Mail, that was Bloom’s idea.
Between this and the Weinstein matter, it seems really apparent that Bloom is a horrible human being and a really bad attorney.
I just want to say something about the Dixie Chicks. I didn’t like their statements against Bush but I felt they were entitled to their opinion and kept listening to their music. Until Natalie Maines gave an interview where she said she didn’t want people that supported Bush listening to their music. Done. The entertainment industry really needs to understand that most people get that people have differing political opinions and are fine with that, but if an entertainer states that the people who disagree with them politically are stupid they shouldn’t be surprised at the outcome.
She just posted the most delicious video on her social media accounts. Shat all over Bravo, Andy Cohen, Harvey Levin, TMZ. She even leaked Harvey’s phone number.
Yup, that video is messy af. I’m worried about her mental state. But she looks damn good in it lol! Her eyes are so blue.
Omg, I just got to the bit where she alleges Andy Cohen offered her coke before WWHL twice. He’s gonna get this video taken down so fast! I’m gonna download it……
Tamara I was trying to find your email address on this site to send you the YouTube link Kathy posted. I couldn’t find the email so hope it’s okay to give you the heads up here. Kathy tells her truth about TMZ and Andy Cohen, including how AC offered her cocaine on 2 seperate occasions before his WWHL show
Tamara, please do a post on KG’s recent rant on TMZ/Levin/Andy Cohen, your insight on this entire issue would be soooo appreciated.
I have always liked Kathy. It would be easy to forgive her. But She is just going about this all wrong ever since the botched press conference and fucking herself even more. Its really too bad.
kathy just made a youtube video trashing andy cohen and harvey levin, she says andy offered her coke and she gave out harvey’s cell phone number lol
So what’s happened to the photographer who took the “artistic” shot? Is he blackballed too?
From what I understand (and I don’t know a lot) this is typical for the photographer. I know he was a total douche bag to Clint Eastwood’s daughter when his wife Dina had a reality show. It is sad that Kathy got caught up in his bullshit. (And he is a bit of a bullshit artist, I think).
I think she also didn’t realize, as much as she patterns herself after Joan Rivers’ no apologies balls to the wall style, Joan DID have a line and DID have a filter. She had some taste and an understanding of what she could or couldn’t do, better than Kathy does. (Yes, she also had the age factor as well).
If Joan had done this (which she wouldn’t have, because she was friends with Trump but lets pretend), she would have faced a lot of the same consequences and I imagine her good friend Prince Charles would have had to stop inviting her to functions when in England.