Kathy Griffin was once known for telling gossipy stories about celebrities.
By the mid-aughts, her reality show, "My Life on the D-List," won two Emmys for Outstanding Reality Program. It now streams on Peacock.
But in 2017, she posed for a graphic photo mocking President Donald Trump.
The blowback was fierce. She lost jobs and found herself under federal investigation. And yet, the comedian has managed something of a second act.
She released a documentary, a new comedy special, and now is back on the road.
WUSF's Cathy Carter caught up with the comic ahead of her Tampa show at the Straz Center on Friday night.
The interview was lightly edited for clarity and brevity.
Kathy, we are now eight years removed from the political firestorm that ensued when you posted that picture of Donald Trump. How are you doing now?
Oh, I think I'm uncanceled, which is a miracle to me because I didn't think I would ever be uncanceled.
I didn't work for seven years, and then when I went back on tour last time, which I made a special out of, which is free on YouTube, it's called "Kathy Griffin My Life on the PTSD List"; it's more special now that I'm not canceled for me to go back to Tampa because I haven't played Tampa in a really long time.
When this controversy happened, you lost a ton of jobs. Lost some friends, too. How do you look at that whole era?
People still define me by it.
Now, I really own it, and I absolutely lean into it, because I was right, and I was ahead of my time.
And so, when I look at that picture now, I'm very proud of it, because I know Donald. I've known him since the '90s. I've worked with him, and the fact that he came for me specifically was so bizarre, because whenever I would see him in person, he would act like he was scared of me, and he would put four fingers up like a cross, and go, "Oh, here she comes. She's gonna be tough on me. Don’t make fun of the hair."
One of the ways you may have been able to move past this controversy is that you really have a strong bond with your audience.
Yeah, OK, get this. I'm not making this up. They stand before I even go out. How about that?
So, what do you think that standing ovation before you even say a word is all about?
I think it comes from the fact that they know I've been their buddy for so long, and remember, when they were watching "My Life on the D-List" 20 years ago, there was no script, no scripting.
I don't even know if they would make a reality show today as real as that show was, so I'm really proud of that. And so, I'm out there, and I've kind of always been out there, and I think my audiences know they can count on me.
Well, let's talk a little bit about that special "My Life on the PTSD List." As usual, you make fun of lots of celebrities. There's a hilarious story about Sharon Stone inviting you over to dinner, and then she forgot you were coming, and she opens the door naked. But you are friends with these celebrities, and I think they are in on the joke, right?
I think so. And look, the Sharon Stone is a funny story, because who doesn't think it's amazing to go to Sharon Stone's house and then she answers the door totally naked.
I always give the props to the person that I'm making fun of, too.
So, like in the new show, I have a story about getting kicked out of Paris Hilton's party, but I called Paris and told her, and she's, like, "Oh, my God, sis, I didn't even know."
And I said, "No, no, it's perfect, because it's great for my act."
I live in Malibu, and I have a whole new set of celebrities to make fun of. When I go to the grocery store, I can just see Gwyneth Paltrow avoiding me and putting her hand over her face.
So, people know you for making fun of celebrities and from the whole controversy over Donald Trump, but what some people might not know is in the ensuing years, as well, you've gone through a lot of stuff. You had lung cancer; you got a divorce. How did you get through all those dark times?
I know it sounds corny, but laughter, because even when horrible things were happening to me, I kept thinking of what Jim Carrey told me when he called me the day the (Trump) picture blew up, and he said most comedians would give their right arm for this to happen to them.
And I was crying, and Jim said, "Put it through your Kathy Griffin comedy prism, and something funny will come out of it."
And then when I finally went back on the road after seven years, it was fantastic. And I can't believe how wonderful the audiences have been, every single audience. It's like they're embracing me.
Kathy Griffin performs at the Straz Center's Ferguson Hall at 7 p.m. Friday.
