Kathy Griffin
, 64, has never shied away from speaking her mind, even if she had to pay a hefty price for it. The celebrated comedian and actress found herself in the middle of a huge controversy in 2017 when she posted a photo of herself holding a fake severed and bloody head of
Donald Trump
. The photo, despite its controversial nature, went viral, and upset many people—including Trump and his family.
This controversy changed Kathy’s life in many ways. Not only was she subjected to online backlash, she also received death threats and had several travel restrictions placed on her. Even her career and professional relationships took a hit. Apart from losing a CNN gig, her friendship with Anderson Cooper also came to an abrupt end.
Kathy Griffin “beheads” Trump in gory photo
https://t.co/qxSnV27QXc
pic.twitter.com/vkAiWmu4Pw
— The Hill (@thehill)
May 30, 2017
And then came the criticism from Trump himself. Donald Trump, who was just a few months into his first term at that time, shared how the viral image had a traumatizing impact on his youngest child,
Barron Trump
. As reported by
TMZ
, Barron, who was then 11-years-old, was watching TV when the news of Kathy holding Trump’s fake bloody head came up. He yelled “Mommy, Mommy!” in fear as he thought that the image was real. Reportedly, even Melania blasted at Kathy, stating what she did was disturbing and “makes you wonder about her mental health.”
Eventually,
Kathy apologized
. However, later that year, she made it clear that she wasn’t done being Trump’s critic. After observing Trump’s administration for a few months,
she retracted her apology
and stated, “So the picture happened, the outrage was ridiculous, I made an apology, and now in light of all the crazy stuff that he (Trump) and this administration are doing….. He’s unhinged.”
“Stop acting like my little picture is more important than talking about the actual atrocities that the president of the United States is committing,” she said on the morning show
Sunrise.
And since then, she has continued to be a harsh critic of the real estate mogul turned politician. Not only she wasn’t a fan of Trump’s ideology and leadership style,
she also suggested
that Trump may have used his influence to destroy her career. “I am not afraid of Donald Trump. He’s a bully,” she said during a press conference. “What’s happening to me has never happened in this great country.” Kathy said while adding that “for the first time in history” a sitting president was making “a personal attempt to ruin a comedian,” as reported by
Variety
.
Not only did she take back her apology, she re-shared the controversial picture again in November 2020, on the night of the presidential election between Trump and Joe Biden. The Democrat won the elections that year and Kathy also simmered down. However, her anger again resurfaced when Trump won the 2024 presidential elections.
Kathy Griffin denies President Trump won the 2024 election: “I don’t think he won in a free and fair election this time.”
Didn’t Democrats criticize Trump for denying election results?
pic.twitter.com/hfq4eHIeA8
— Gabriela Iglesias🇺🇲 (@iglesias_gabby)
July 10, 2025
In March 2025, two months after Trump returned to the White House to serve his second term, a TikTok user posted a video of handmade rugs showing the severed heads of wealthy men closely connected to Trump, including Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Mark Zuckerberg, and Trump himself. The video used a song called The Guillotine, which refers to the French Revolution — a time when people rose up against the rich and powerful.
While posting the controversial video, the TikTok user clarified that the video was a form of free speech and didn’t advocate real-life violence. Kathy reacted to the video by adding a short clip of herself smiling and nodding, thus giving a subtle approval to the artwork and the message behind it.
Kathy Griffin has shared a video advocating for the beheading of President Trump, Elon Musk, and other prominent wealthy figures.
Wth is wrong with Kathy Griffin? 😳
pic.twitter.com/Ca95cBBYUM
— 🌸 Digi Gal (@DigitalGal_X)
June 30, 2025
Even since Trump has stepped into the arena of politics, Kathy has never been afraid of speaking out, even when it led to dire consequences. Despite all the backlash, death threats, travel restrictions and losing her job and friendships, she stands by her opinion, unshaken and unabashed.
