Kathy Griffin says she’s been contacted by Secret Service
A tearful yet defiant Kathy Griffin apologized again Friday for a video showing her holding a likeness of President Trump’s bloody head – a gag for which she said she has gotten death threats and a call from the Secret Service.
“A sitting president of the United States and his grown children and the first lady are personally trying to ruin my life forever,” the embattled comic said during a rambling press conference.
“You guys know him, he’s not going to stop,” she said, standing alongside celebrity attorney Lisa Bloom. “I don’t think I’ll have a career after this. I’m going to be honest, he broke me.”
Griffin, 56, repeated her claim that the video was a parody, meant as a response to Trump’s remark last summer that former Fox News Channel journalist Megyn Kelly had “blood coming out of her eyes, blood coming out of wherever.”
“It was a parody of Trump’s own sexist remarks taken to an extreme, absurdist visual,” she said.
Her criminal defense attorney, Dmitry Gorin, said the fact that Griffin is being investigated by the Secret Service over a joke is “outrageous.”
“The Secret Service is going its job, I suppose,” he said, adding that he expects the probe to be closed quickly and Griffin to be cleared.
Griffin also lamented that five of her scheduled shows have been canceled amid the backlash since the video was posted. CNN has also yanked her from its New Year’s Eve coverage.
Griffin reiterated an apology she made online, but she delivered a headstrong message that’s she will continue making fun of Trump as she exercises her First Amendment rights.
“This president of all the people is going to come after me? He picked the wrong redhead!” she said. “I’m not laying down for this guy. I’m going to keep making jokes about this guy.”
But she became emotional when she said she has been receiving death threats – telling reporters that a person shouldn’t have to die for making a joke.
“The threats that I am getting are . . . detailed and they are specific. And today it’s me, but tomorrow it might be you,” said Griffin, who accused Trump of using his office as a bully pulpit against her as a distraction from the scandals roiling his presidency.
An incensed Trump blasted Griffin for the stunt by tweeting Wednesday that she “should be ashamed of herself. My children, especially my 11 year old son, Barron, are having a hard time with this. Sick!”
First Lady Melania Trump and Donald Trump Jr., Chelsea Clinton and CNN host Anderson Cooper – her former New Year’s Eve co-host — also have assailed the video.
On Friday, Sen. Al Franken dis-invited Griffin from an event promoting his new book, “Giant of the Senate,” after he heard from constituents “who were rightfully offended.”
“I’m not good at being appropriate,” Griffin said Friday. “I’m only good at doing comedy one way. It’s in your face. I’m going to make fun of the president. And I’m going to do it more now.”
With Post wires