Comedian Kathy Griffin. (Photo: Screenshot)
CNN terminated their agreement with Kathy Griffin over backlash to a photo depicting her in an ISIS-like pose holding up President Trump’s severed head. Griffin, a comedian and CNN New Year’s host, set off a firestorm with the photos and offered an equally criticized apology.
“CNN has terminated our agreement with Kathy Griffin to appear on our New Year’s Eve program,” the CNN Public Relations account tweeted.
She appeared in a hastily thrown together video sounding arrogant and aggravated, claiming she “crossed the line” but that she was “a comic.”
“I crossed the line. I move the line.”
It didn’t go over well on Twitter, not with Trump supporters and not even with mediates. President Trump said “Kathy Griffin should be ashamed of herself” for the photo on Twitter, adding that the picture bothered his children, “especially my 11 year old son, Barron.”
Kathy Griffin should be ashamed of herself. My children, especially my 11 year old son, Barron, are having a hard time with this. Sick!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 31, 2017
TMZ reported Barron Trump was actually watching television Tuesday at home with First Lady Melania Trump when Kathy Griffin’s photo appeared on the screen. He panicked and screamed, “Mommy, Mommy!”
As it was put to us, “He’s 11. He doesn’t know who Kathy Griffin is and the head she was holding resembled his dad.”
First Lady Trump ripped Griffin on Wednesday, questioning the comedian’s “mental health.”
“As a mother, a wife and a human being, that photo is very disturbing. When you consider some of the atrocities happening in the world today, a photo opportunity like this is simply wrong and makes you wonder about the mental health of the person who did it,” the First Lady said.
Donald Trump Jr. also accused the comedian of giving a “phony apology” and called on CNN to ban the comedian as a commentator on its channel. He responded to hosts Anderson Cooper and Jake Tapper’s criticism to the photo shoot on Twitter as well.
The #kathygriffin phony apology would be a lot easier to believe if there wasn't a video of her mocking the response she knew was coming.
— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) May 31, 2017
Dear @CNN, I must have missed your statement banning your commentator #KathyGriffin from future shows. Please resend. Thx
— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) May 31, 2017
Thank you. Will you work with her again if @CNN has her back in air? Asking for a lot of people. #LMK https://t.co/nXPYveZgPg
— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) May 31, 2017
