Kathy Griffin is sorry she said sorry
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Photo: Jen Rosenstein, courtesy of Kathy Griffin
Comedian Kathy Griffin tells Axios she never should have apologized for the notorious photo that got former President Trump's base boiling mad and derailed her career nearly seven years ago.
Why it matters: She's taking her mea culpa back and hoping for a comeback on her new tour "My life on the PTSD-List." It launches at Hoyt Sherman Place in Des Moines Friday.
What she's saying: The tour is kicking off from Iowa's capital because Midwesterners are "a no bulls--t people" with sensibility and a sense of humor, she says.
- She joked that she's here to get Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds out of office and replaced with DSM Mayor Connie Boesen — a Democrat who she theorized would do both jobs for one salary.
Catch up fast: In 2017, Griffin was publicly ostracized for a photoshoot in which she held a fake bloodied and severed head replica of Trump.
- She lost jobs and tearfully apologized at a press conference a few days after the photo appeared on social media.
- In 2019, she released a self-financed film about how she was federally investigated for conspiracy to assassinate the president and blacklisted in Hollywood.
Zoom in: People are now realizing the reaction to the photo "was blown a little out of proportion," she said in a moment of seriousness.
Of note: Comedian and former Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn) and icon Cher are among the friends who "dumped" her after the 2017 incident, Griffin says.
Yes, but: Not everyone gave Griffin the cold shoulder, as she says she's now close friends with the musician Sia.
State of play: The new tour avoids much of Griffin's previous focus on politics and entertainers to instead find humor in serious topics like her battles with cancer and a prescription pill addiction.
- The new routine doesn't include a scripted Trump segment, although he will get mentioned as current events warrant.
Reality check: While some of the tour's 37 shows are nearly sold out, others — like in Omaha — are struggling to sell tickets, Griffin says.
- As of this morning, a significant number of the nearly 1,300 seats at Hoyt Sherman Place were still available for sale.
If you go: Friday's show starts at 8pm.
- Tickets start at $60.