The Bossticks - Kathy Griffin - On Choosing Your Battles, Comedy, Trump Scandal, & Overcoming Cancer

Episode Date: April 8, 2024

#683: Today we're sitting down with two-time Emmy and Grammy award-winning comedian, Kathy Griffin. Kathy joins us for a discussion about her entire career journey. From being investigated by the federal government and growing up with a pedophile as a brother, to navigating the challenges of being a female comedian and addressing the gender gap in the industry. We also delve into her experiences living next to Kim and Kanye, her openness about plastic surgery, and her recent diagnosis with lung cancer.   To connect with Kathy Griffin click HERE To connect with Lauryn Evarts Bosstick click HERE To connect with Michael Bosstick click HERE Read More on The Skinny Confidential HERE To Watch the Show click HERE For Detailed Show Notes visit TSCPODCAST.COM To Call the Him & Her Hotline call: 1-833-SKINNYS (754-6697) This episode is brought to you by The Skinny Confidential Our Anniversary sale starts today! Go to shopskinnyconfidential.com and get 20% off all of our products, Including our newest drop! This episode is brought to you by AG1 If you want to take ownership of your health, it starts with AG1. Go to drinkAG1.com/SKINNY to get a free 1-year supply of Vitamin D3K2 AND 5 free AG1 Travel Packs with your first purchase. This episode is brought to you by Hiya Health Hiya Health fills in the most common gaps in modern children's diet to provide full-body nourishment our kids need with a yummy taste they love. Go to hiyahealth.com/skinny to receive 50% off your first order. This episode is brought to you by a2 Platinum a2 Platinum is formulated for tiny tummies as the grow and develop. Visit a2platinum.com/SKINNY to get 25% off your first purchase. This episode is brought to you by Betterhelp BetterHelp is online therapy that offers video, phone, and even live chat-only therapy sessions. So you don't have to see anyone on camera if you don't want to. It's much more affordable than in-person therapy & you can be matched with a therapist in under 48 hours. Our listeners get 10% off their first month at betterhelp.com/skinny. This episode is brought to you by Nike Find your feel with Nike Bras & Leggings that deliver supportive flexibility and comfort for whatever your day brings. Shop now at nike.com/women This episode is brought to you by Vanderpump Villa Watch new episodes of Vanderpump Villa every Monday, now on Hulu. Produced by Dear Media

The following podcast is a dear media production. Caffeinated sunscreen by The Skinny Confidential has launched today. If you have been following along for a while, you know I have raved about caffeinated sunscreen. For God, years. This has been a long time in the making. The bottle is phenomenal. It's hot pink neon with a buttercream lid. The sunscreen, though, that's in it is even better.

So we added caffeine. Caffeine reduces the appearance of wrinkles and puffiness on the skin. I notice when I put it on, it like tightens and firms the skin. But the best part is, is while it's doing that, it's protecting you from the sun. I am someone who struggles with hyperpigmentation and sunspots. So to know that I get the element of caffeine mixed with sunscreen is absolutely incredible. There's nothing like this on the market. There really isn't.

and we decided to make our sunscreen mineral sunscreen. So minerals sit on top of the skin and they reflect away the UV rays. I personally think this is the best kind of sunscreen because it plays really nice under makeup and it can go over your skincare. It doesn't like make those little balls on your skin. And also there's no white cast. It gives you kind of a little tint, very dewy. You can see it.

On my Instagram, I wore it the entire time on my recent trip to St. Bartz. I'm obsessed. I use it every single day. it's now available on the site. Go shop now. I'm scared we're going to sell out. And you should know that today, April 8th, the 10th is also our anniversary sale. So you get 20% off immediately. So you get 20% off all products. This excludes kits and gift cards, but all the products you can shop the sunscreen at 20% off April 8th, the 10th, and you can shop all our other products. I personally would get on subscription for this sunscreen. You're going to love it so much. It's just easier to be a subscriber.

and then you never have to worry about us selling out. Go to shopskinnyconfidential.com and the 20% off will be applied immediately because of our anniversary sale. Thank you guys so much for the support. I hope you love the caffeinated sunscreen. She's a lifestyle blogger extraordinaire. Fantastic. And he's a serial entrepreneur.

A very smart cookie. And now Lauren Everts and Michael Bostic are bringing you alone for the ride. Get ready for some major realness. Welcome to the Skinny Confidential. show him and her. I was saying to Don, well, sometimes doing two shows on one night as hard. And he said, be careful. Wait till the time when you can't do two shows.

And the audience only buys tickets for one show. And he's right, because that time came. With the Trump scandal, boom, no tour, no TV show, no specials, no work. I'm in the freaking Guinness Book of World Records. I've done more televised stand-up specials than any comedian, living or dead, male or female. Yet this rainy day happened, which was the Trump photo, and then I was calling upon Rickles and Joan. You know, I was hearing their voices in my head going, stay the course, waded out, keep writing, keep working on your show, keep working on what you think is funny. And thank God I'm back on the road. I can't even tell you.

This one's a fun one. Not only is it the launch of the caffeinated sunscreen, but we have the two-time Emmy and Grammy Award-winning. comedian Kathy Griffin on the show. What I like about this episode is she is completely and utterly unfiltered. What you see is what you get. That's not always the case. You know what I mean? We have celebrities on. We have influencers on. Sometimes like people hold back and Kathy does not hold back. And this was really cool for me to see as someone who has consumed her content to see her in person, like she is exactly who you see on the television. And in her book. In this episode, we are going to talk about the pitcher that destroyed her career,

her regrets, her relationship with Donald Trump, coming up as a female comedian, the difficulties women face today, plastic surgery, being neighbors with Kim and Kanye, having a brother who's a pedophile, getting lung cancer, and what she learned about the industry. You guys have been on this wild podcast ride with Michael and I for a while. We're almost on episode 700. And this episode will fulfill all your boxes. Okay.

Let's welcome My Life on the D-List, award-winning comedian Kathy Griffin to the show. This is the skinny confidential, him and her. I am so excited to interview you because I've read all your books. I'm a big fan. Oh my God. Thank you so much. I think what I'm so attracted to you with, is the fact how honest you are.

That's my curse. Yeah, it's fun to read an autobiography that's actually honest. Yeah. It's weird. No, it's like I can't stand when celebrities say, you know what? I don't have any regrets. I wouldn't change a thing. Are you kidding?

I'm filled with regrets. I would change at least half. What would you change? What would you change? Well, I'm getting divorced, so I probably wouldn't have married that guy. So there's one change. I mean, just, look, I, the whole time I've been like coming up or when I was coming up or however you want to call it. I got in fights with a lot of very powerful male executives

because I really thought I could rule like the boys. Like I watched my male stand-up comedians do their TV shows and their negotiations a certain way. And I saw what they asked for and what they backed off. And I really think I underestimated the misogyny in the industry. And to tell you the truth, it didn't really do me any favors. I mean, I don't know that it like made it better for the next girl, probably not even. But, you know, it's been tough. I mean, ever since my Trump photo scandal, there's a lot of people in my own industry that are kind of secret Trumpers or still think I'm toxic or still are afraid that their viewers or streamer subscribers or whatever will be scared to me. And so while I don't regret that photo, I still have to really deal with the fallout.

Like the fallout is real, you know, and it kind of continues to this day in some ways. What does it look like? It looks like I have a Nazi march at my show in Huntington, New York. Nazis are protesting a Kathy Griffin show. Think of the insanity of where we are as a country. I mean, because I've had anti-gay protests at my shows for decades, and I'm kind of used to it. In my audience, it's a lot of gay guys and women. And frankly, they go take pictures with them, and it's almost funny. But Nazis marching outside a comedy show is just wild. But I know it's because of the Trump photo, because I wouldn't even be on their radar. for it wasn't. And that photo was six and a half years ago. Yeah, it's crazy when you think about how fast time goes and what people hang on to. hang on to. And so that photo gets recycled a lot. And, you know, it was turned into a meme very quickly. And it went to Iran and, you know, China and Russia within like 12 hours. And just the whole fact that I was like on the no-fly list because of it. And I was investigated by the Department of Justice, two agencies within the DOJ. And they were very seriously considering charging me

with conspiracy to assassinate the president of the United States. Is it just because, I mean, the photo was shocking. Shocking. Shocking. And by the way, anybody who hates the photo, I'm fine with that. And also, just as a feminist, I thought he was dangerous, and people were not sort of realizing how dangerous he was. And there is a great history of comedians also kind of taking stances on things.

And I'm not saying I'm in their class, but obviously, you know, George Carlin and Lenny Bruce, and they were hassled by local police in their day for their material and swearing or whatever. But I'm the only comedy in history that's had the federal government, you know, come after me. And it took away my ability to make a living. So I was in the middle of a 50 city tour, 25 shows in. And when you're on the no-fly list, you can't tour. And so all of the shows were canceled because the theaters had death threats and bomb threats. And if she's on stage, I'm going to do this to her on stage.

very graphic, et cetera. And it was just so blown out of proportion and so bizarre that, and I'm not anti-government. I'm not one of those at all. In fact, I think the FBI actually saved my life because they gave me so many warnings about what was a credible threat versus a non-credible threat. And so, but the magnitude of it to this day blows my mind. And so in Maga World, they recycle the photo a lot. So they'll be like Congresswoman Marjor Taylor Green or Lauren Bowbert or,

somebody and they'll send the picture out again and they'll say kathy griffin should be in prison and next thing you know you got a nazi rally to play devil's advocate in some kind of way i guess like what do you think the response would be if somebody on the other side did that with like a biden mask do you think the people would i don't know about that because i think the question i've thought about is i think it would be different if i were a guy comic that's the one i really think you know, just you can think of like the top five male comics. And I just don't think the reaction would have been that much. And also at the time, I wasn't with an agency. I didn't have a publicist. So I didn't have any institutional support. I didn't have a TV show on the air at the time. So it wasn't

like I had an opportunity to go and remind people like, I'm a comic. I make people laugh. In my new show, I don't even mention Trump. He just doesn't happen to come up. And typically, I wasn't really a political comedian. I was more of a pop culture person. And so it's weird that I was thrown into this era, or not era, but thrown into this narrative of being such a libed hard, if you will, commie, lightning rod. And I just never could have predicted it would have lasted so long. And I didn't think the actual president would get involved. That's never happened. And the actual attorney general all and, you know, that my career would be absolutely stopped. I mean, my whole life I've done commercials and tours and TV shows and have Emmys and a Grammy for Best Comedy Album, and none of

that meant anything. And so I talk about it now because, you know, it's still as mind-blowing that people remember it and they have such a visceral reaction. But I just want to be clear, I'm still a big First Amendment warrior. And I don't like it. but the Nazis do have the right to march across the street for my show. And people have every right to hate that photo. And I couldn't care less. And trust me, many of them have confronted me on the streets many times.

And so it's just a weird thing as a comic. And look, I'm 63. So part of me can't believe that this all happened when I was 57. Like, I felt like I'm already like in my golden years practically, you know. And so it's, I have to laugh. But that's why I called the tour, Kathy Griffin my life. on the PTSD list because it's a shout out to my show, Kathy Griffith of my life on the D list that was on Bravo back in the day.

But I also have legit been diagnosed with PTSD and I'm giggling. Because of that. I mean, I think that didn't help. I lost a lot of friends. Being interrogated under oath and being possibly charged with that crime is a very serious business. I mean, I had to take it very seriously and lawyer up with very serious attorneys. And I've been sued by a lot of.

of MAGA people since that photo. I still have a case in Tennessee federal court by a guy named Samuel Johnson that's a big Trump follower. And I was advocating for a couple trans kids doing their prom photo shoot at a hotel lobby. He was harassing them. And the kids got scared and one of the boys was in a dress. And, you know, the video had gone viral and I made a comment and the guy got fired. So he's suing me for getting fired as opposed to his own behavior. So, like, it has tentacles that sort of go on to this day. And I'm even still in, like, the judicial system because of it. And so, you know, I talk about it because I don't want it to happen to somebody else.

But, like you said, to play devil's advocate, I have no idea what would have happened because I know now that Trump has a personal issue with me. I know him pretty well. Because I was wondering if you had met him many times. Yeah, I would assume you cross. When I was at Bravo, it was owned by NBC Universal. So when he was doing The Apprentice, I would see him at press events all the time. And I would see him when I went to New York, the guy would go to the opening of an envelope, you know.

And so he'd be at this event or that event. And, you know, one time we had a roast for the late Larry King. And I sat next to Donald for like four hours on Adidas. So, yeah, we know each other. But I just thought he was kind of this kooky character because he also even hired. me one time to roast him for one episode of The Apprentice. So he even knows, even though I don't think I'm a classic roaster, he even knows my style is kind of like, you know, get in there and kind of go a little deep and play with the blurred

line a little bit. But I certainly could never have imagined when I was growing up that I'd be investigated by the Department of Justice. It's not really like comedy, Matt. It didn't go in my training. It wasn't part of my like improv at the groundlings. Strasbourg Theatre student started doing stand-up,

do a bunch of specials, do a TV show, and then this. But it happened and it's my reality and I live with it. Looking back, if you knew all this information, what would you tell yourself at the time?

At the time, I would still do the photo. I would have told myself not to do a press conference because I did a press conference because I was hell-bent on trying to clarify that I didn't mean to imply that obviously beheading

was acceptable I wanted everyone to know it was just a Halloween mask, and it had been supported by one of my wigheads, which had been photoshopped out. And so I wouldn't have worked with that photographer, who I believe sold it to TMZ, which is very much in bed with the Trump White House, and Harvey Levin is good friends with Trump. And AMI Media, which owns the National Enquirer, they're very in bed with Donald Trump. And they were given immunity in the Robert Mueller investigation. So they're not a company that I would consider to be clean, in my humble opinion. And so knowing the things that I know now, you know, I would have taken a different style of protest picture and I would have used a different photographer. What is your first moment that you can remember when you were young where you saw this sort of man's world and you called it out?

What was the first time? Oh, man. I think just the fact that the TV shows were all guys. Like I just remember being a kid and when the lineup started being Mary Tyler Moore, Rota, Phyllis. Because until then, it had been really, I Love Lucy was really the biggest female driven stand-up, not stand-up, situation comedy show. And then it seems like the guys kind of took over. So while I love all the classic TV shows with guys, just as a young girl, you know, like they say, representation matters. So when I started seeing that there were fewer women in sitcoms, but they were really good, I started to try to learn like, okay, they probably had to work harder. They probably had to jump higher.

And so I think at a young age, I thought you're going to have to work harder than the guys. And my dad was like a feminist without being called one. He just thought women were equal, which is the definition of feminism. So I was lucky where I had a dad that helped my mom change diapers and didn't put my mom. down in any way and I had a working mom. So that stuff kind of made me think I could do it. But certainly I would, in my experience, the boys club is very much alive today. I mean, look at the guys who have been quote canceled. Half of them are doing better now, if not before. Like my cancellation was hardcore. It was like career stopping and dramatic. A lot of these guys are like sexually assaulting

women and they have a bad six months or something, you know. So that's something that is just, I know I'm not being the most funny right now, but I'm just saying that's just my observation. I want to see the other side of you. Like I said, I have read your books. I love one to hear this side of you. Oh, thanks. Thanks. When is the first moment that you broke into comedy when you were young? Do you remember like performing for your parents? Was there like an epiphany that you had? Was there a job? it was all of that. First of all, I used to do the Kathy Griffin show when I was a little kid, which I'm sure was very good, although I stole the theme song from The Tonight Show, which is a copyright infringement. So I apologize for that. And I would just stand there in front of the dinner table while my mom made hamburger helper,

which is a dish predicated on the notion that hamburger needs help with a packet of powder. And so that was our meal. And just do whatever songs or dances or skits from movies or something. And then in high school, I was in the drama club. And I was lucky enough to go to a really large high school, Oak Park River Forest in Illinois. And I think they have 5,000 kids there. So the drama department was actually very competitive. So like the guy who does the voice of Homer Simpson, Danny Castellanetta, he was in my class. Oh, cool.

And so it was like at a high school age, it was almost professional level with auditioning. Because the amount of people. The amount of people. And there was actual real talent in my high school. So finally getting to be in the plays And then I knew I had to move to either California or New York To make a living How much harder did you have to work with all these male comedians?

And at that time who were like the main I guess stand-up male contemporaries Like who were the people you came up with I mean I came up with like David Spade Ray Romano Chris Rock Like those are the ones where we were all doing like the clubs at the same time Like same level

And we all started doing theaters at the same time And are there any other women besides you? I would say the women are like Sarah Silverman, Wanda Sykes. Joan there? Joan Rivers for sure, but she was one generation above, but she was my dear friend and mentor. So I really was close with Joan. And we would have the best lunches and dinners that you can imagine. And we would just talk smack about everybody and everything.

And I learned so much from her. And a big thing I learned from her was, if you think it's funny, don't give a fucking do it. Yeah. And that's the best advice I've. ever gotten, which is, if you want to be funny and be in this business, do what you think is funny, not what's trendy at the moment or what other people are talking about. And I think Joan was such an original. There was only one. Nobody was like her. How much harder was it against the boys when you're coming up? Oh my God. Ridiculous. I mean, there would be, look, I remember when Craig Ferguson

decided to stop doing his late show, the late late show on CBS, and they ultimately hired James Corden. And I was dying to get that job. And so I was told by an agent at CAA that the guy who was then running CBS, this guy named Les Moonvez, wasn't considering females at this time. I said, you can't even say that in the state of California legally as an employer. So what are you talking about? But my experience with these older powerful guys is it is they're bored and they are running it. And, you know, I have had some powerful enemies. So I'm biting and scratching my way back.

I'm totally back on the D-list where I belong. I am back on tour, like I said, hustling my butt off, doing 40 cities on this leg of the tour. Then I'll have the summer off. And then I'm going to do the larger cities in the fall. But I get to go back in October to play Carnegie Hall, which I've played five times by myself, which I'm very proud of. And I'll actually be breaking the record because Joan Rivers and I were tied. We had both played Carnegie by ourselves five times. And so I'll have played it as a singular female comic more than any female comic.

And so I know that's silly to brag like that. But I like watching these markers because I watched them. Like when Joan Rivers was the only woman in late night talk for so long, I kept thinking like, okay, okay, there's going to be another one coming. And then it hasn't been since Joan that there's been a woman in nightly nightly, network late night. Like it's still, you know, Chelsea Handler was on cable, which is great. Her show was great. But not CBS, NBC, ABC. Where does this drive come from? I mean, this is, this is not. My parents are depression era. Like my mom would say, use it up, wear it out, make it do.

But this is a different, this is a different formula. Like there's something. It's a, it's a burning desire. I do have a drive inside of me. And I call it a drive to hit the mic, which is, I think you shouldn't be a comic unless you feel like you can't live unless you're on a microphone. And I just love hitting the mic, telling my stories, trying out new stuff. Every show I do, I open the show with local material because there's always something funny going on.

You pick on a city or whatever. I love it. I pick on them right to their faces. And I warn them. I say, okay, Red Bank, New Jersey, I'm coming for you. Get ready. I'll be checking to see what you guys are up to.

That probably keeps it fresh for you too. Oh, yeah. Absolutely. That's what I think is fun about it. I don't want to just write a two-hour monologue and do the same words city after city. By the way, I'm actually not following the formula for success because more successful comedians do that. Their act is it's more perfect and it's more thought out. Mine is very tangential, very improvisational, but every show is different and I do think that's fun.

And I get a lot of repeat business. Like, I get people that have come to see me six, seven times, which is amazing to me. I think it's so interesting when you describe the styles because I think I think we hear stories of those comedians that they like they get on the mics and they're like refining right every comma every period yeah and i think there's an art form for that but then i think on the other side it's kind of like a rickles thing where it's like it's it's like quick speed what's happening in the moment my god you had me at rickles we were dear friends i had him and joan to dinner many times people always ask to watch the legend that is don rickles one time i'm really bragging but i had a dinner

party and Sydney Poitier was my guest of honor and Rickles was there and Sydney said this man about Don, this man has been making me laugh for decades. And I love that Sydney was this big movie star, but Rickles could say anything to him and Sydney would be laid out. And so Rickles and Joan were really my mentors because you're right, nobody was quicker than Don. And he wasn't mean, but he pushed that line and that's what I found exciting about him because you really never knew what Don Rorcos was going to say. I think he's one of the funniest people that ever walked the planet. He's like had a mom and dad

of comedy. Seriously. That's like the best mom and dad to have. And both workaholics. And I remember one time I was complaining to Don because I was doing a lot of doubles. Two shows and one night. Very good people too. It seems from what's come out since. Generous, good salt of the earth

people with real work ethics, wrote their own stuff, did it the old fashion way. No writers, you know, just their instincts. I was saying to Don, well, sometimes doing two shows on one night as hard. And he said, be careful. Wait till the time when you can't do two shows. And the audience only buys tickets for one show. And he's right, because that time came with the Trump scandal, boom, no tour, no TV show, no specials, no work. I'm in the freaking Guinness Book of World Records. I've done more televised stand-up specials than any comedian, living or dead, male or

female. And yet this rainy day happened, which was the Trump photo. And then I was calling upon Rickles and Joan, you know, I was hearing their voices in my head going, stay the course, wait it out, keep writing, keep working on your show, keep working on what you think is funny. And thank God, I'm back on the road. I can't even tell you. It's so funny you say that because it's like, you know, we interview a lot of people and whenever you have like maybe somebody that's having success or even a celebrity in particular, it's like, oh, it's so hard. I can't get any, like, Like at a way time. There's so much attention.

It's like, The burden of my fame. Yeah, I was like, well, you know, look at the other side. Like, what if we just took it all away right now? Right. And that I lived it. So I would now be Don Rickles. If someone said to me, oh, I have a double,

I would say, well, let me tell you what Don Rickles once told me. And he was right. It's true. You have been so open about plastic surgery before anyone was. I thought everybody would follow. I did a big interview with People Magazine when I got a facelift. And I thought, okay, the stigma's going to be gone. No.

The cheese stands alone. Yeah. No one, the cheese stands alone. The cheese stands along. You've been so open about plastic surgery. And reading about your experience, to me, it sounded like you thought it was going to make everything better. I thought that I was going to turn into Jennifer Aniston and I would be the new friend.

I thought they would add a seventh friend named Kathy Griffin. Because I somehow thought, because I've had so many, in this industry when you're a woman, they come for your looks. So I had so many guys saying you're ugly, you're a hag, you're disgusting, you're unfuckable, blah, blah, blah. And so, you know, after a while, you kind of internalize a little bit. And by the way, I think I was only 36 when I had that facelift. Like, it's crazy that I think about at 63, but I'm like, why did I have a facelift at 36? But I really did. I thought, this will be the thing that takes me from the D list to the C list. And, you know, it was fine. Did you like any of it? Looking back? I mean, I don't regret it, but it didn't like change my life or save my life or make it better. I don't even think people really noticed. And now as I get older, I go, actually, they come to see a comedian to hear what comes out of your mouth. They don't come to look at your face. Thank God.

It's important to me that the supplements I take are of the highest quality. And that's why for the last eight years, I've been drinking AG1. Unlike many supplement brands, AG1 is constantly searching for how to do things better at 52 iterations. of their formula and counting their team is always trying to find better ways to source, test, and aim to find the best quality ingredients available. And quality for AG1 isn't just a buzzword. It's a commitment backed by expert-led scientific research, high-quality ingredients, industry-leading manufacturing, and rigorous testing. At each step of the process, AG1 goes above and beyond industry standards. I know I can trust what's in every scoop of AG1 because AG1 is NSF certified for sport,

one of the most rigorous independent quality and safety certification programs in the supplement. investment industry. Taking care of my health shouldn't be complicated, and AG1 simplifies this by covering my nutritional basis and setting myself up for success in just 60 seconds. I love AG1 because AG1's ingredients are heavily researched for efficacy and quality, and I love that every scoop also includes prebiotics, probiotics, and digestive enzymes for gut support. And of course, we have an incredible offer for you so that you can try it for yourself. So if you want to replace your multivitamin and more, start with AG1, try AG1 and get a free one-year supply. of vitamin D3 and K2 and five free AG1 travel packs with your first subscription at drinkag1.com

slash skinny. That's drinkag1.com slash skinny. Check it out. The first thing my kids ask me for when they open their eyes is a vitamin. I'm not even joking. They both want their vitamin. Zaza likes the pink and towns likes the green. And that is all thanks to Haya.

Haya, in my opinion, is the best. vitamin for kids on the market. I did a lot of research with this, and this is something that I give my kids every single day. The first thing was I looked at other vitamins on the market, and I saw that so many of them were filled with sugar. Haya doesn't have any sugar. There's zero gummy junk, and it also tastes good, but it's full of all the things that kids need. So there's like 15 essential vitamins and minerals. Everything from vitamin D, B12, C, zinc, folate. Everything is designed to support the kids, immunity, energy, brain function, mood, concentration, teeth, bones.

They thought of everything. Also, as a mom, you're going to want to know this. Everything that Haya has is non-GMO, vegan, dairy-free, allergy-free, gelatin-free. Gelatin free, nut-free. I give my kids the main vitamin and then I also give them the probiotic. And then at night, I give Towns the sleepy vitamin. He loves it. So that's like our vitamin circuit for the kids.

and we have a special deal with Haya for their best-selling children's vitamin, the one that Zaza and Towns love. You can receive 50% off your first order. To claim this deal, you must go to Hayahealth.com slash skinny. You should know this deal is not available on their regular website. So go to H-I-Y-A-H-E-A-L-T-H-H-H-H-T-H-Kny. And get your kids the full-body nourishment they need to grow into healthy adults. One thing that I've seen across the board as a mother is all moms,

if they're giving their baby formula, want to pick the best one. And I have found a formula that I think is premium. It's A2 platinum. So this is a premium infant formula. It's all made with high quality ingredients. Everything is just really complete from a nutritional standpoint. So the first thing that I look for in a formula is what kind of milk it's made from. And this is made from fresh, pure A2 milk.

This is from cows that naturally produce. only the A2 protein. And if you look into this, you'll understand why A2 is superior. This formula has all the key ingredients that babies need, and it's a clean, safe formula. So they actually received the Clean Label Project Purity Award, and they have had a truly flawless track record of zero recalls. This is important to look at because there's a lot of companies that have had recalls. And it's amazing that this company has not. So I actually know a couple friends that have used this formula. they've raved about it. They're obsessed with it. But most importantly, they love that it's made from pure A2 milk from cows. So if you're looking for a formula, check this out. Trust me, you want to choose

A2 Platinum for your little one. For a limited time, our listeners, get 25% off your first purchase, only available at my exclusive URL. That's A2platum.com slash skinny. This is an amazing deal. Don't wait. Order now at the letter A, the number two, platinum.com slash skinny. That's A2 platinum.com slash skinny. What do you think about now so much plastic surgery happening everywhere? It's crazy to me that happens so young. Like that's what blows my mind is that girls are teenagers and they all want to look Kardashian. Yeah. And so they get like...

It's because of this. Yeah, it's because of cell phones. Staring at it all day. And by the way, I have to say, as much as we all use Zoom and it's a great tool, I don't love looking at myself during Zoom meetings, right? Don't Zoom me. No. And with a video.

No. No. First of all. And don't FaceTime. me because I'm not picking up. Do not surprise FaceTime me. I don't want to stare at the screen and ruin my eyes. Right. And then stare at every flaw. And my imperfections. That's what I end up looking at. I'm not a Zoom girl. No. No, thanks. You are friends with the Kardashians. You live next door to Kim and Kanye. Yes, when they were together and had their first two kids. That's amazing. It's, it was heaven.

Like, tell me everything. I've never had the best neighbors in my life. And I'll tell you why. First of all, as a comedian, the material was endless. Endless. I mean, first of all, he's not a big talker, if you know what I'm saying. And, you know, you go out with your coffee. Hey, good morning. Then Chris bought them a Rolls Royce golf cart. So I see Kim driving with, at the time, it was little North. And I just stopped her. I said, hold on, just just stop right there. I said, what's, what's this? My mother literally got me this. I go, okay, so you know that your mother is insane, right? And she goes, yes, totally. And I go, okay, carry on. Just want to make sure. And then one time I was doing my walk around the neighborhood and Kanye was with a tow truck because the Rolls Royce golf card

had broken down within the gated community. And I just, I just looked at Kanye and I went like this. I gave him the slow clap, like at the end of a movie where like the little guy gets a touchdown. Slow clap from the coach. What was his reaction? He just looked to me like I was crazy, as usual. They were good neighbors, though. They were really good. Like, Kim and I would text each other if she was having a party she'd say let me know if it's too loud or vice versa

and she would come over sometimes and shoot the breeze and I'd go over there every so often and shoot the shit Did you ever eat a salad with her? I didn't do the salad shake but I will say I never saw her eat

I can't prove she eats I can't really prove it You should have been nosy like over the fence Is that why they were filming yesterday when I was shaking the salad Is that that's like a signature shake Oh I didn't do it

There must be someplace In Calabasus that has been doing their salads because they get them and then they, you know, in the plastic container, they shake them and they eat them out of the container. And now it's known as the Kardashian shake. I've had the salad. It's called health nut. Okay, wait. Yes, it is called health nut. So what is special about it? It's a really great salad, but it comes in the perfect shaker. Okay. And then also you can get a green iced tea that's like the best green ice tea on the side. Better than the Haley Bieber Air One smoothie? Different. Different. Okay. Okay. Different. I don't want problems. I don't want trouble.

And you should have watched her shake the salad. I would have been like over the fence. I mean, she is the professional. They've turned that into an art form. They really have. But I was on my way to a show last weekend, and I was wearing kind of like a see-through black shirt for the show. And then I wore like a bodysuit underneath.

And it was one of those ones made by Chloe, good American. They're good. And the butt floss was going up my butt. And so I texted her and I said, you know, haven't you people done enough to me? haven't I been through enough? And she wrote back, since when don't you like something up your asshole? And that's why we're friends,

because they can take a joke. I think that's what's so great. They're self-deprecating. They seem like they're in on the joke. They're in on the joke and they figured it out and they're just counting their money. Maybe they're printing it.

They might be printing their own money at this point. Yeah, I'd buy it. You are crushing it on TikTok. Oh, thank you. I work so hard on my TikTok. Thank you. I love it. I have fun doing it.

You're so honest. It's just like, really weird to encounter someone who is so brutally honest. It's crazy. Did you see the one I made about Kanye's new wife? No. I didn't see that one. What did you see?

We saw them the other day when we were running around. It was a bit of a scene. What? Here in America? Yeah. Okay, what was she wearing? Not much. Well, like the panty hose?

Yeah. Oh, like the thong. It was kind of strange too because we were up... You see nipple? We were up at the hotel. Did you look at another girl's nipple? Yeah. Well, I mean, this thing was taking up a lot of space.

That's true. So you looked. I mean, it was kind of like, I had to kind of like maybe only look down to not look. But it was crazy because this was like a family, like there was like kids and families and they were just charging around the hotel like a spectacle. And I was like, were their paparazzi following? No, it was in Santa Barbara. So it was their crew. How many people?

How many people were in their pasty? There was probably like, yeah. But it was kind of crazy because they were just like running around all over the place and there was no rhyme or reason. Yeah. We're just like, okay, this is a little of spectacle. Or just like random people taking any pictures? No, because I think, you know, in that area, people are in Montecito. They're a little snooty.

They're like, we have Harry and Megan here. Yeah, they're like, we do not care. Right, we don't lower ourselves. Yeah, I was like taking a picture. They go out of the way. You probably have pictures from when your neighbors with them. You don't even need a picture. I was like, achu, click.

Yeah. Achoo. Oops. I will tell you one time Kanye went in the backyard and just was yelling. Like, ah! And that was really fun. Wow. You could write a book on that. I know. I could just write a book called When Kanye and Kim were my neighbors. Sure, they'd love that. They would adore it, especially Kanye, because he's so centered.

And, you know, like they would film there sometimes. Not a lot, though. But this was the Bel Air House where I guess they had it fully decorated. And then I guess Kanye walked in, took a look at it after two years and said, change everything. So they ended up living there longer than they thought they would. And I'm sure Kim was thrilled. I was her neighbor. Just ran. writing down and taking notes of everything. And one time I did have her sign my guest book and she signed her name wrong, which I thought was genius. That's amazing. Kim Carfashian or Carcassian or something. It was hilarious. You opened up about what is going on with your brother.

Yeah. And that's how I found you on TikTok. Yeah. What is that like for you? That's where I thought you were going to say your post-traumatic stress came from. Yeah, I had a brother that was a pedophile. And that is a heavy, heavy thing. thing to live with. And it was, he hadn't going to prison, not for that. He went to prison for assault

and battery, but he was a pedophile. Your real brother. My actual oldest brother, who was also my godfather, because Catholics are a little twisted. And my parents ran out of relatives and made my brother, my godfather, and my sister, my godmother. And in the Catholic church, supposedly, if you're like super duper Catholic, if anything happens to the parents, the godparents take over. So luckily, that didn't happen. But it was just a very heavy thing. It was very divisive in my family, obviously. I have a tremendous amount of empathy for my mom and dad because I know that my dad did not molest my brother. He was molested by a coach and a priest. And I have the most empathy for his victims, though. So I had no relationship with him once I found that out. How did you find it out? His wife told me. And wow,

that's heavy. Really heavy. And not everyone in the family believed her. What happened to her? She, luckily got away from him. He was also physically abusive to her. How many eight years older is he than you? He was like 20 years older than me. Oh wow. Okay. So my parents had kids like every five years. The rhythm method doesn't work. I'm what you call an accident baby. Oops. I'm here. Yeah, that was that was, that was, he was just a very heavy presence in my life ever since I was a kid. And he was a singer in like a cover band. So it was also weird because he was the only one of my family that was like leaning toward the entertainment field. So it was such a horrible thing to try to process as a kid. Also just to be told to be told as a 10 year old, oh by the way, your brother

molest children, and he beats me. And then he did beat that woman up right in front of me and my sister and brother. He threw her right across the room. And it was such a violent act. And it was so intense. And that was the first time my parents had to deal with that part of his personality and what happened to him to him? He went to prison and then he died he overdosed of crack crack addict. So he was homeless here on the streets of Los Angeles and sometimes I would see him if I was going to an audition. He'd be like on the freeway, you know, exit ramp with a sign. What would you do? I would keep driving. I don't support that is that is the the craziest thing I've ever heard. What made him like, I mean, there's an event? I think the coach.

and the priest molesting him is probably what made him like that. And as far as being an addict, you know, I don't know, I'm in recovery for a pill addiction myself. And so I had a pill, I'm going to call it a pill phase because I'm in recovery now. But, you know, once an addict, always an addict, and I go to my AA meetings. And ironically, I've still never had a drink to this day. Ever? Ever. Wow. And so I think. Wait, you've never had a sip of alcohol in your life? Ever in my life. And I think that when I started abusing pills, I didn't think I could be an addict because I'd never had a drink. and the rest of my family drinks. And so I thought, oh, I missed that one.

I dodged that bullet. So that is also part of my PTSD. And then I tried to take my life. Oh, yeah, this is going to be quite an interview. Three and a half years ago, and I went on a 50-150 cycle for three days at Cedars Sinai. You know why this is going to be quite an interview, which is a bit challenging is half of the things you say

I want to laugh hysterically and the other things I want to crawl up into a ball. Right. Right. And I end the beginning, Kathy Griffin. That's what it's like to be my friend. I have to understand the timeline. All right, Trump scandal, at home, not working, started taking prescription pills because I had a bunch laying around because when you're older, they just give you pills. And I just maybe just never threw them out.

I don't know. Then I decide my life is over. I've had a good run. I try to take my life. I take like 100 benzos, which are downers. I live. I wake up. There's blood in the bed.

I don't know what's happened to me. I've got bruises and lacerations. I fell down the stairs. And then I finally called a doctor and said, I tried to take my life, blah, blah, blah. And then he said, we'll come to the ER. We'll check you for any broken bones or anything. And what that really meant is when you tell a hospital what you've done,

they legally have to put you on a 72-hour hold, which is fine and I needed it. And then luckily, the doctor there got me really good reps from Alcoholics Anonymous, which I'm a fan of because it's free and they don't have like one leader, so it's not like culty. So I've been in recovery now for three and a half years. And then I was one year and one month sober, and then I was diagnosed with lung cancer.

And I've never smoked. So I have half along on my left side. I had half my left lung removed. It changed your voice a bit. It changed my voice. And then during the lung cancer surgery, I was injured. So I now have a permanently paralyzed left vocal cord

and an aperture above both my cords. So when I do stand up, my voice is in a little bit of a higher pitch, which is fine. I wear a headset microphone now like Jenna Jackson, and I feel like her in so many ways. No, but it's interesting you say that because when you first came in, I mean, I grew up seeing you all over the place periodically all the time and was a huge Seinfeld band also. Yeah, Jerry Seinfeld is the devil. Yeah, exactly. It's a Seinfeld thing. And, you know, when I first heard you, I was like,

oh, like a voice change a bit, and now this makes a ton of sense. Lung cancer never smoked. So I have what they call the luck of the Irish, which means bad luck. But it's all turning around. Oh, and I'm getting divorced. I filed for divorce 72 days ago. But does that feel liberating? I'm kind of still in the heart. Well, I mean, I'm going to be heartbroken.

But it's pretty, it's pretty gnarly. Like, I definitely thought I was going to be with this guy forever. So I'm kind of nursing a heartache too, which is where the tour comes in. Because honestly, it is, for all of my bitching that I'm doing, I really do the greatest job in the world to make people laugh. So I'm so happy to be on these. 40 cities. I go out there every night. I run out on stage. Something takes over my body. The men of my shoes hit the stage where I just relax and I feel at home. And the audiences have been so incredibly kind and loving. And I think most of the people that show up, almost all of them,

they know either about the Trump photo scandal or the lung cancer or the pill stuff. And so that's why I call the tour of my life on the PTSD list, because I really talk about all. of it. This is a lot. It's a lot. I know. It's a lot. No, it's a lot for you. I just can't believe you've been through a lot. I mean, this is, this is not a joke. It's a little much. And just in the last six and a half years. Like, I was kind of smooth sailing till then. And so it's a lot for a short amount of time. But, you know, I got to think everything is for a reason. And every show is so special. Not that I ever took them for granted. But every show is even more special. I do two hours at least. I don't have an opener because I have too much to say, and I've always changing my stuff.

But I do. I do cancer jokes. If I go to one more oncologist's office and have them call me Kathy Lee Gifford. And right, what am I going to do? yell at them. I just laugh. And so, you know, I talk, I say to the audience, clap if you've been affected by cancer in any way. Well, everybody claps. Clap if you've been affected by addiction in any way. Everybody claps. And I even say clap if you've lost someone to either MAGA or QAnon and a lot of people clap. Oh yeah. Don't get started with the Q&on. The Q&N people think I went to Epstein Island. Did you go? Can you imagine? Did you go? Let's clear it up. Clear it up. And then I use something called adrenachrome, which is a made up word where they think I was harvesting baby

parts with Hillary Clinton in the basement. Get my tinful hat back there. Yeah, put it back on. Point it toward the moon. How did you know that you had lung cancer after everything that you'd been there with the pills. I got an abdominal x-ray because I was having abdominal problems. And luckily, the doctor said, I see a mass on your lung. And I can tell from your last x-ray, it's grown in size. So, like, when the doctor's like, and your appointment is in three hours, you know it's bad. So I got surgery pretty quickly.

And then I've just been, yeah, been back since. But the voice stuff is hard for me to get adjusted to because I'm self-conscious about it. No, don't. I shouldn't because the audiences don't really care. They're like... I don't think you should... When my adrenaline goes, when I do stand-up, it goes up a little bit. Do you remember, I mean, you've done so much, what was like the first thing you recognize

like, okay, I got a break here? Because comedy's so hard to break through. You know what? When I was on a TV show, because I did like everybody's student film for free, everybody's, you know, play for free. But when I was on the Fresh Prince of Ballet, finally I was on a show where I could tell my relatives, like, I'm on the show, you've heard of it. It's on NBC. It's with this guy Will Smith, who's the rapper Fresh Prince. It was season one of the show.

Oh. Episode five of the entire series. That's so cool. Isn't that wild? That's iconic. And getting on a Seinfeld was amazing because I had done my first HBO comedy special and I made fun of Jerry. Had you met him in the comedy circuit before? I never met him until I was on the show. Oh, that's interesting. And he was such a dick that I then went and told a story about him in my special. He actually, to his credit, thought it was funny. He didn't clutch his pearls and go, oh, how dare you? I'm a star. So they wrote the second episode where my character becomes a stand-up comic whose whole act is making fun of Jerry Seinfeld. And that was amazing. Because just to be with that cast, they had just announced that they were quitting the entire series. So all the executives were there. And they were all like, you know, talking about what it was like to be working the four of them together is this iconic, you know, group of people that were national treasures.

Sally Weaver. I was Sally Weaver. That was my character's name. Seinfeld's one of my all-time favorite shows. And you can watch it anytime. I still watch it. I still watch it. I've never watched it.

Well, you've got to watch the Sally Weaver episodes. I will go watch it. Is it that good though? Do I need to watch it? It's kind of addicting. I think you might like it. It's also different. It's as good as Curb, I'd say.

Yeah, I agree. I would say curb prime and Seinfeld Prime, are like very comparable. I think Seinfeld hold... Seinfeld does hold up. Seinfeld holds up, I think. You can go back and watch Seinfeld right now, and it's all...

It's not dated because the joke about it is they used to say it was a show about nothing because it didn't have like a traditional situation comedy plots and it was kind of just about little things and I think that's why it holds up. I feel like also... It's very lifey.

I think I need to go back and watch it at night. We're huge fans of Larry David. Me too. I think I could say that I like... I mean, Seinfeld maybe holds up. holds up longer, but then also it's like kind of a compliment to Larry. Wait, how was your relationship with Jerry after the second episode when you got, because you said he was an asshole and then you,

he was nice and then he kind of dumped me. Like I was kind of insulted. I was never asked to go on comedians and cars getting coffee. But you never got on that? I think he thinks because I'm not like a real comic because Jerry really writes his act. He sits in a computer. And he, like I said, the commas are in place. He takes it very seriously.

And I think he thinks like, oh, she just kind of like makes stuff up. which I kind of do. I improvise a lot, but, you know, but he's still, you know, an American treasure and he's one of our greats and always will be. I've got one more question about an early show. This is a favorite of mine.

So this is, is you had an episode on the X-Files. Yes. The doppelganger. Yes. It's one of my other favorite shows, X-Files. I got to play my own twin. I got to play two Kathy Griffins on the X-Files.

That's cool. And it was so big at that time. They were terrified of even the locations being found up. The fans, were so rabid that like we shot like some of the stuff in downtown LA some of the stuff and like out on the west side and it was like this big secret where the crew was shooting the next day and that was a really tough gig like I have such respect for people that do our dramas and I also did an episode of Law and Order and God they work hard on that show outside of your

own shows obviously which I'm sure are your favorites what is like your favorite franchise that you went on and guessed it on what was what was like I mean just Just the ones we talked about. Seinfeld was incredible. ER back in the day was a really big show. Oh, that's so cool. And I brought my mom and dad to the set. Well, that's why when I think of you, I'm like, I've seen, because you've been, you've been, you've been, you've been, I'm one of those people.

I've, like, kind of met everybody at this point. What was it like to know now that you were, like, sort of the first person to dip yourself in reality television? You know, it's so wild because it was so different than that my show was really real. I know. There was no, nobody pitched. ideas. They just followed my life around, hoping I would say funny shit. And I would purposely schedule stand-up gigs that would be akin to being funny. You know, I also, you know, we went and did an episode in Iraq because I performed for the troops in Afghanistan off camera.

And then, of course, they were like, would you go to Iraq? And I said, of course. And so the ability to do that, I don't think, I don't know if they would let me do that show anymore. Because, you know, it was in the era of Osbournes, which was totally real. That was Ozzy being Ozzy. I don't think he cannot be Ozzy. Right? Exactly. And the same with the whole family. And Nick and Jessica, that was Nick and Jessica just being Nick and Jessica.

And she really thought tuna and chicken were the same thing. And you can't write that stuff. But after my life on the D-List, I feel like that's when you got into like the hills and the Kardashians. And there were more what they call soft scripted shows. So I like really real shows. I watch every docu-series there is. Oh, my God. Twin Flames.

I never met a cult docu-series I didn't find fascinating. Because I think real people are just fascinating. But I don't think you have to plow them with booze. I don't think they should be getting DUIs in real life and be going to prison. Like when I see what happens to a lot of reality stars. You're not like, let's not fuck up their lives. Let's not fuck up their lives. And just the fact that unfortunately people are so hungry and we'll kind of do anything to be on TV is also a little bit of a bummer.

The skinny confidential him and her podcast is sponsored by Better Help. Guys, it can be so easy to ignore your social battery and spread yourself too thin, especially with social gatherings picking up after the winter. What's the right amount of socializing? How much energy do you want to put out? Maybe you thrive around people. Maybe you just need some alone time. Therapy can give you self-awareness to build social life that doesn't drain your battery.

Lauren and I have talked to so many incredible people over the years doing this podcast, and one of the common denominators of many high performers is that they talk regularly about their feelings, about their thoughts, and they do so with licensed professionals. This is why Lauren and I have been fans for years of BetterHelp for this audience for ourselves, because BetterHelp brings therapy right to the home from the comfort of your couch, your bedroom, your office, wherever it may be, all at your convenience. No more long commutes to sit in waiting rooms and wait for a therapist and then figure it out if it's the right fit.

What we love about BetterHelp is you can do it, like I said, all from the comfort of your own home or your offers or wherever you want to do therapy. And what's also great about Better Help is you can get paired with thousands of licensed therapists and change at any time for no reason. If there's one thing we've learned doing this podcast for the last eight years is that getting your thoughts out, talking to someone communicating is so important not only to understand yourself, but understand others as well. Again, this is why we love a platform like BetterHelp so much. I think so many people can benefit from therapy, especially with the professionals they have on this platform. So if you're thinking of starting therapy, give Better Help.

Try. It's entirely online designed to be convenient, flexible, and suited to your schedule. Just fill out a brief questionnaire to get matched with licensed therapists. And like I said earlier, switch therapists at any time for no additional charge. Of course, we have an offer. Find your social sweet spot with BetterHelp. Visit betterhelp.com slash skinny to get 10% off your first month. That's Betterhelp, H-E-L-P.com slash skinny. Betterhelp.com slash skinny. You may have heard me talk about my daily non-negotiables on past episodes. one of which is a morning walk with my son. So after I wake up, I try to make the bed. I hydrate with an electrolyte water and I do my quick wellness and skincare routine. I make my kids breakfast. Then my son

and I go outside for a walk. So he is in the stroller and I'm doing a walking meditation. We get in our morning light and movement in and we love it. It's like a habit stack if I've ever seen one. And during those morning walks, I'm wearing Nike specifically at my indie bra and my Nike Motiva walking shoes. The bra is so supportive. In fact, it comes in different support levels so you can get like low, medium or high support depending on the size of your boobs or preference. Plus the bra has adjustable straps and is so comfortable. Nike's Motiva walking shoes are smooth. They're cushion. They're comfortable. They're great for like a daily walk. And what I like about them is they give you optimum support for every move every day. I have planar fasciitis and these are amazing for that. Both the Indy bra and the Nike Motivas are the move.

the indie bra just sculpts your body in a perfect way. I feel like we've been talking a lot lately about tailored, well-fitting clothes, and this is it when it comes to athletic wear. Another thing that I love is they're both so durable. So you're getting high quality, flattering apparel that you can wash and wear over and over again. You'll just keep reaching for these staples just like me. Shop now at Nike.com. Again, that's Nike.com.

How I, like, relax is with my shows. And there is a new fun reality series from Lisa Vander. Pump. I am a big Lisa Vanderpump fan and she has a new home on Hulu. The new show is called Vanderpump Villa. It's an escape to the French countryside. This series offers first class luxury and world class drama, which is like fun to sit in bed with your popcorn. I usually have my magnesium water. I like to dim the lights, watch my show, just like relax when the kids are sleep. This show is all about Lisa's staff, how they work, live, and play together 24-7 while dealing with all the things. So there's romance, there's misadventures, there's like fighting.

It's just like workplace drama. You know what I mean? Lisa Vanderpump has been on this show, and I can tell you she is as real as it gets go listen to the episode. She's the queen of hospitality and she's the queen of reality television. She's run over 35 restaurants and a boutique hotel. And now she's a household name. Obviously, we all know who she is. And the This show does not disappoint. Let me tell you. If you want something that's juicy, if you want something unfiltered, entertaining, this is the series for you. She really does not miss a beat with this one. I enjoyed it so much. I think you guys are going to love it too. If you want something, it's like in an old world setting, but with like a modern day fun, this is the show. Okay?

European luxury has never been closer and more accessible. Thanks to Lisa Vanderpump. Watch new episodes of Vanderpump Villa every Monday now on who. That's Vanderpump Villa every Monday now on Hulu. You know what's so interesting, and Lauren and I were talking the other day. We have all, like, a lot of people that go on those shows come on this show. Yeah. And I always ask all of them, like, why do you go on these shows? Yeah.

What do they say? Well, I'll tell you, but there's all sorts of things. But there's never been one of those people that have come on and said, I want to be famous. And I kind of want to say sometimes like... That's totally the real reason. I know. And I kind of want one of them to just come on and say, you know, like, I want to be famous. I want the attention.

That's why, like, Kim Kardashian. She's in, though. Yes, she will say, she'll say, I've always wanted to be famous. Right. And she was asked, like, are you, are you mad when people take photos? And she said, I'm never mad because I'm so grateful I'm famous. But it's always some weird, like, kind of like. They always go, I want to use it as a platform for my charity work. Oh, BS. They want to be famous. Look, I called my show my life on the D list because I wanted to be on the A list. And I knew I wasn't. Shocking thing that you've encountered by being famous. I think the people that would come up to me and get violent with me after the Trump photo was shocking.

What do you mean? Like a guy, once I was walking down the street and he came up and he pushed me. And I was just like, first of all, I'm walking down the street. And then he just started screaming at me about Trump. He was a Trumper. And that freaked me out. I had a guy show up to one of my shows with a knife with a Trump shirt. So that's been the most shocking of reactions.

from people because once again, it's like you can love or hate that picture, but don't be going and pushing a woman on the street, like no matter how you slice it. And other than that, I, you know, I'm a sucker for a compliment. I love hearing if somebody watch the dealist with their parents or have nostalgic feelings about the dealist show. I love that. I'm not like, oh, that's my old life. I'm proud of that show. I won two Emmys. And I certainly never thought I'd win an Emmy in my life. if I tell dick jokes. So that stuff is, you take the good with the bad.

Your mother and you were so cute on that show. My mom was a natural. Yes, she was. She kind of was a ham. You could not script my parents because my dad was just like comedian level funny and he could be funny on cue. And my mom didn't know why she was funny.

And they were drunk the whole time. They were drinking their box of wine. And, you know, after a while, if you're older, you're not driving anymore, then I say have at it. I had no problem with it. And so they really were real. And I was really flattered when Bravo said after season one, the network wants more of your parents.

They're so funny. And I was really grateful that my life on the D-list was allowed to be a comedically driven show as opposed to people fighting or throwing drinks at each other and that stuff. Do you think that you'll ever retire? You never retire. Never. No. You love it so much. There's always more and you're never done.

That's Joan Rivers. It's very Joan Rivers. Yeah, I know. Who do you think are the next upcoming women comics? Okay. I have to confess, I'm really bad about knowing other comics because I've been touring myself for so long. No, that makes sense. I get that. And even like I just did a show in Vancouver as part of the Just for Last Festival, I didn't have time to go see anybody else's show. I flew in, did my show. Then I had a show in Tacoma the next day. But I, look, I'm always rooting for the girls. So naturally, I want the women to be successful. Because to this day, if you called your local comedy club and said, read me the lineup for Friday and Saturday night, it's still probably like eight to two men to women. So I'm just hoping more women get out there and enjoy. stand up and you better love it because the bad times are tough, but the good times are the best. Knowing what you know now about breaking into comedy and show business in general, what would you tell your younger self if you were starting right now? Well, like I said before, I'd say

pick and choose your battles instead of everything is an artistic value at level 10. Like I really thought when I was fighting with these executives, I thought I was fighting for the product of the show. I thought, I'm fighting for this joke in the special. I'm fighting for this bid in the DeLis show. I'm fighting for this line on Seinfeld or whatever it was. Well, I didn't start any fights on Seinfeld. Those lines were perfect. But I probably would just say, just learn to be better at picking and choosing your battles.

And there's a time. But not everything is going to be on your shoulders, even if the show has your name in it. And I would also be probably better at choosing people to work with. Like there were some people that I gave breaks to that weren't quite ready. There were a couple of production companies I worked with that I didn't really feel like had my back. And I know other artists or comics that have worked with companies that really have their back.

You know, you look at Dave Chappelle. Netflix has just stood by him and stood by him and stood by him. And you really need that to be successful. And I'm not saying I'm David because he's in a class all of his own and he's brilliant. But let me tell you, when he got, quote, canceled, it made a big, difference that the Netflix boys were like, nope, he's our guy, we're sticking with them. That was a dangerous moment in time, I feel, for everybody because I think comedy is one of, like, the last frontiers to almost fix culture when we start to get off the rails, because you guys are like the only ones

that can comment on some of the absurdities we go through as people, right? I really believe that. I, this is going to be a really weird story, but I had Prince Charles tell me something. His name is King Charles, because Joan Rivers was good friends with him. And so Joan took me to England one time, and we spent two nights with Charles and Camilla. I know this is a weird story, but it's true. And if you know, Joan, you would know that I'm not making up. Anyway, King Charles said to me, without comedians and newspapers who would keep us honest. And I love him for saying that. Because it's like, what was that like spending two days with them? Well, first of all, she's naughty. Camilla is very naughty and has a potty mouth, which I love.

And, you know, they're old and they're kind of funny because they kind of don't give a fuck. anymore. And, you know, the, we went to Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle. That was wild. Sure. I mean, it was like being an episode of the fucking crown, which I now watch every episode of because I'm like, oh, those are my friends. I totally know them. No, but I love that Joan Rivers as wild and outrageous as she was. And some people think she was offensive. I don't. But I love that in her real life, she was literally running with royals. And she would go painting on painting vacation with Chuck and Camilla. I call him Chuck and Camilla.

And I love that Joan had this other side of her that was like, you know, she was one of the smartest people you'd ever met. She read every book. She saw every Broadway show. And it also taught me, when you're a comic, you better be up on everything.

Like, I can't just be up on political jokes. I got to know the pop culture jokes. I got to know those Kardashians, A to Z, where they're going, where Rob is. Rob is missing. Is Rob missing? Is there an APB out on Rob? I haven't seen Rob in years.

you know. Are you looking to get married again? Can we go for Ro? I'm just, I think Kathy Kardashian has a nice ring to it. KK. Exactly. I could fit right in with the branding. And my dream is to stop being a human and be a brand. Because I think that's the mistake I've made as being a human. I should have been born a brand. That's the way to go nowadays. You should start over and just do it. Brand. Right off the world. Right off the gate. Kathy Griffin Brand. I don't understand how you don't have a podcast. You know, I was going to do one, but they wouldn't indemnify. me and I've been sued by so many maggot people that I just don't want to get in trouble

every time I open my mouth. I mean the production company was like they wouldn't cover legal fees if somebody sued me. You're very good at the TikToks and being on the mic. It's very, I mean, I'm a talker. Can we do the Kathy Griffin show? Well, you know what's difficult about that to play devil's advocate again?

It's like you want to create an environment when people can say and do whatever the hell they want. But in order to sometimes create that environment, it's like you can't take on all the liability because you never know what someone's going to do or say. Well, you never know what people are going to be offended by. Because trust me, I never mean to offend anybody. I'm always trying to be funny. Am I offensive sometimes? Yes. I'm trying some new stuff and it's falling flat or it's too far. Have I gone too far? Many times. I don't just cross the line. I move it and then I cross it. And I happen to think that's a comedian's job. Does it always work? No. But I still believe as a comic, it's part of our job is to really test that line. and see where people's heads are, see what's making them laugh. I don't mind if I get a gasp instead of laugh.

Oh my God, does she just say that? But as a comedian, don't you feel like there was almost a weird period of time, call it, like, middle pandemic era where comedy, like, started playing it a bit safe in some arenas. And it was, and it was. A bit safe? Yes. Because everybody was getting canceled every five seconds for everything they said. Yeah.

And I would. And there's a middle ground between being a comedian. who's able to evolve. I mean, look, I wouldn't do the jokes I did 15 years ago, 10 years ago. Like, seriously, I'm sure I would be horrified if I looked at some mild specials. But I like evolving and changing. But on the other hand, I also don't think people should be getting canceled every five seconds for everything they say. I watch kind of some of the reactions to some of the things where it's like, you can tell there are certain audiences that have deemed certain subjects to be off limits. Right. And I think that is a dangerous place to be in for comedy.

those are sometimes the funniest things to discuss. I actually talk about my suicide attempt in the show. And I know that sounds out there, but I really think I've been able to frame it in a way where the audience is actually laughing. Because it was so crazy and so over the top. And I tell them I was out of my mind on pills and I would never do it again. But I love to think I'm going to get people laughing. And like I said, whether it's the topic of cancer, it's not like this is a new topic. But there's things that sometimes we're afraid to laugh at. But as someone who's gone through, like you said a lot, humor got me through all of it. If I wasn't laughing through the last six and a half years, I don't know what I'd be doing. How are you going to get through your divorce with humor?

I have to. Yeah. I mean, just the idea of me dating at 63. Are you kidding? What am I going to go on Tinder? Raya. I'm no swiper. I'm too famous.

Can't be going on Raya. There's some pretty famous people on Raya. Who? Tell me famous people. John Mayer's on it. He's a horror. John Mayer's a horror. Well, I don't want to catch something.

What's your taste? My taste is guys who like me. It's a low, low bar. No, what's your real taste? Just honestly, I like a nice guy who can be comfortable with the fact that I am in the spotlight. Dominant. Yeah, and that's the hardest part is honestly. Good.

We've got six guys that are contained away. Fantastic. I find that the gender politics is still a real thing. And one of the things I like about Taylor Swift is never in the history. of pop music, have you seen a female star with literally the football player, like, cheering her on to the front row with his dad, like fist bumping? I mean, you talk about the greats like Cher or Stevie Nick's or Dolly Parton. They never had that. You never saw Dolly's husband, like, front row at her shows. He's, like, missing, you know? And then Cher's boyfriends would always be called Mr.

share. And so I hope things are changing for the better. But in my experience, it's, I have found that most guys have an issue with me having some money, which I've earned some money over the years, and me kind of being in the spotlight. And I'm a balzy chick, you know, I'm an acquired taste. You need someone that lets you shine and doesn't want to dole that to make himself feel better, someone who's quietly confident. Right. That's what I like. That's the, that's why I'm confidence. The quiet confidence is so hot. I agree. Yeah, it's hard to find. I know, but that's that's kind of my type. Like if you were going to say, like, quiet and confident and secure, I'm going to be lucky. And not threatened by your career. Yeah. Because, look, I am on the road a lot,

and I come home in between shows, so I've never gone for that long and come with me sometimes. It's fun. And, you know, we'll see who's game. I'm going to put it out there the next time you come on this podcast, you're going to find a quietly confident guy who's comfortable in himself that can last longer than three minutes. Sorry, Taylor. Kathy, where can we go watch you on tour? Where can we get a ticket? Tell us all the things where we can follow you, TikTok, everything. Oh, please follow me on TikTok. Please go to Kathy Griffin.com for tickets. I am coming to a town near you. 40 cities on this leg. And then I'll be doing more cities in the fall. So check me out and come with an open heart and an open mind. Can I ask one request? Yes. Can you write another book? Because there's a lot of stuff that

like I feel like we talked about that needs to be a book. Yes. So I haven't had any offers, but that's something that I would like to do because like I said, the Trump thing alone with the DOJ investigation, it has so many like layers. And I would love to write about that stuff in a way that is relatable to folks and hopefully makes them giggle too. So I wouldn't write a serious book. I would make it like half funny. Why don't you self-publish? David Goggin self-publishes book? I might, but I made a movie called Kathy Griffin a hell of a story, and it cost me about a million dollars, and then nobody distributed it.

So it's actually on Amazon. You can see it for free, and I'm very proud of it. It got really good reviews, but people were kind of still afraid of me. So I don't know if I want to self-publish, but we'll see. We'll see. I'm open. I love another book. Okay.

Kathy, thank you so much for coming on. Thank you guys. What a delight. That was so fun. We are giving away three bottles of the caffeinated sunscreen, all you have to do is tell us your favorite part of this episode with Kathy on my latest post at Lauren Bostick and make sure you're following at the Skinny Confidential on Instagram. And don't forget, we have a 20% off anniversary sale where you can also grab the

caffeinated sunscreen at shop skinnyconfidential.com.