The Skinny Confidential Him & Her Podcast - 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

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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 along for the ride. Get ready for some major realness. Welcome to the skinny confidential, him and her. I was saying to Don, well, sometimes doing two shows on one night is 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 standup 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, 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. 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 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. She is exactly who you see on the television and in her book. In this episode, we are going to talk about the picture 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, 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 of 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 that, I mean, because I've had

anti-gay protests at my shows for decades and I'm kind of used to it. And my audience is 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 if 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 it get 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 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. 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 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 and 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 there'll be like Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene or Lauren Boebert 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 you know 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 libbed 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 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 still is 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 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 Griffin 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. 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 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 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 oh

many times yeah I would assume because when I was at if you had met him many times. Oh, many times. Yeah, I would assume you crossed. Because when I was at Bravo, it's 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 a day.

So, yeah, we know each other. But I just thought he was kind of this kooky character because he also even 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 improv at the Groundlings, Strasburg theater 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 hellbent 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 wig heads, 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 Rhoda Phyllis because until then it had been really I Love Lucy was really the biggest female driven stand-up com 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 when 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 Castellaneta, he was in my class. 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 fuck and do it. 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 later 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 Moonves, 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 their

board 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, you know, 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 wow 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 like 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 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 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. Like you pick on a city or whatever. Oh, 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 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 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 it's it's so interesting when you describe the styles because i think we hear stories of those comedians that they like they get on the mic 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 oh 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 rles. One time, I'm really bragging, but I had a dinner party and Sidney Poitier was my guest of honor. And Rickles was there. And Sidney said about Don, this man has been making me laugh for decades. And I love that Sidney was this big movie star, but Rickles could say anything to him and Sidney 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 he pushed that line and that's what I found exciting about him because you really never

knew what Don Rickles was gonna say I think he's one of the funniest people to ever walk the planet 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 in one night really 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-fashioned way, no writers, you know, just their instincts. I was saying to Don, well, sometimes doing two shows on one night is 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 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 a way time. There's so much attention. It's like. The burden of my fame.

Yeah. It's like, well, you know, look at the other side. Like, what if we just took it all away right now? You know. 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, OK, the stigma is going to be gone. No, no one is following. Yeah, no one. She stands alone. She stands alone. 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,

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It's crazy to me that it happened 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 meetings. Right? Don't Zoom me. No. With a video. No. First of all. And don't FaceTime me because I'm not picking up.

I don't really want to FaceTime you. 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 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. Yeah. 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 stop right there. I said, 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 cart 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 his reaction he just looked at 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 like 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 it's like a signature shake oh i didn't there must be some place in Calabasas 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 iced tea on the side. Better than the Hailey Bieber Air One smoothie? Different. Okay, okay.

Different. I don't want trouble. I don't want trouble. 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 did. 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'd 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 pantyhose? Yeah, or like the thong. It was kind of strange too, because 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... That's getting cheaty. I had to kind of like maybe only look down to not look. That's what you should have done.

This was like a family, like there was like kids and families and they were just charging around the hotel like a spectacle. Were there paparazzi following? No, it was in Santa Barbara. So it was their crew. How many people were in their posse 10 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 just like random people taking pictures no because i think you know in that area people in montecito they're a little snooty yeah they're like we have harry

and megan here yeah they're like we do not right we don't lower ourselves yeah I would have taken a picture they go out of the way you you probably have pictures from when your neighbors with them you don't even need I was like achoo click yeah achoo oops yeah I will tell you one time Kanye went in the backyard and just was yelling like ah and that was really fun really fun. Wow. Yeah. 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. Cause he's so centered. Um, 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 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 Karkashian 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 to live with. And it was, he ended up 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. Oh, 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 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, he was just a very heavy presence in my life ever since I was a kid. And he was a singer in a cover band. So it was also weird because he was the only one in my family that was leaning toward the entertainment field. So it was such a horrible thing to try to process as a kid. Also, just to be told as a 10-year-old, oh, by the way, your brother molests 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 he went to prison and then he died he overdosed of crack he was a 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 pedophiles. That is 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? 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 51-50 cycle for three days at Cedars-Sinai. You know why this is going to be quite an interview, which was 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. Welcome to meeting 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 tried to take my life. I take like a hundred 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 liter. 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 a lung 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 fan also. Yes, Jerry Seinfeld is the devil. Yeah, exactly. It's a Seinfeld thing.

And 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 or? 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 have 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 minute 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 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. 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'm 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 Kathie 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 QAnon. The QAnon 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 adrenochrome, which is a made-up word where they think I was harvesting baby parts with Hillary Clinton in the basement. Taylor, get my tinfoil 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 through 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 back since. But the voice stuff is hard for me to get adjusted to because I'm self-conscious about it. No, don't. But I shouldn't because the audiences don't really care. No, no. I don't think you should be self-conscious about it. No, don't. But I shouldn't because the audiences don't really care. No, no. I don't think you should. But 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 the first thing you recognized like, okay, I've got to break here? Because comedy is so hard to break. You know what? When I was on a TV show, because I did everybody's student film for free, everybody's play for free.

But when I was on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, 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. Episode five of the entire series.

That's so cool. Isn't that wild? That's iconic. And getting on Se 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 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. This iconic, you know, group of people that were national treasures. Sally Weaver. I was Sally Weaver. That was my character's name. Seinfeld is one of my all-time favorite shows.

And you can watch it anytime. I still watch it. It's a go-to. I've never watched it. Well, you've got to watch the Sally Weaver episodes. I will can watch it anytime. I still watch it. It's a go-to. I've never watched it. Well, you've got to watch the Sally Weaver episodes. I will go watch the Sally Weaver episodes.

Is it that good though? Do I need to watch it? Like go back? It's kind of addicting. I think you might like it. Better than Curb? 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 holds Seinfeld does hold up think Seinfeld holds up. You can go back and watch Seinfeld right now.

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 traditional situation comedy plots. And it was kind of just about little things. And I think that's why it holds up. It's very lifey. Yeah. I think I need to go back and watch it. We're huge fans of Larry David.

Me too. But I think I could say that I like... I mean, Seinfeld maybe holds up longer, but then also it's 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. coffee but you never got on that i think he thinks because i improvise i'm not like a real comic because jerry really writes his act he's a true like a computer and he like i said he the commas are in place he takes it very seriously yes and i think he thinks like oh she just kind of like makes stuff up which i 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. 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 we shot some of the stuff in downtown LA, some of the stuff out on the west side. And it was 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 & 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 guested on? What was like the one? I mean, just the ones we talked about. Seinfeld was incredible. ER back in the day was a really big show and i was seeing with george clooney 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 done so much i've kind of been i'm one of those people i've 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 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. I loved it. There was no, nobody pitched ideas. They just followed my life around, hoping I would say funny shit. And I would purposely schedule standup 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 are 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 like 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 BetterHelp. 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.

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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's 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 cushioned. 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 plantar fasciitis and these are amazing for that. Both the Indie 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 relax is with my shows. And there is a new fun reality

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run over 35 restaurants and a boutique hotel. And now she's a household name. Obviously, we all know who she is, and 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 that's in an old world setting, but 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 Hulu. That's Vanderpump Villa every Monday now on Hulu. You know what's so interesting? Lauren and 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 so you know like 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 I like Kim Kardashian though.

Yes, she's out with it. She'll say, I've always wanted to be famous. Right. And she was asked like, 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, oh, I want to use it as a platform for my charity work. Yeah. Oh, BS. They grateful I'm famous. But it's always some weird 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. What's the most 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? I don't 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 watched the D-list with their parents or have nostalgic feelings

about the D-list 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. 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. My mom was a natural. She kind of 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 or will you just keep going? 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. And even like I just did a show in Vancouver as part of the Just for Laughs 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 standup 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 bit in the D-list 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. 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 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 vacations with Chuck and Camilla. I call them 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 Rob? 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 is 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 wall. 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 MAGA 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, yeah. 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 where people can say and do whatever the hell they want. But in order to sometimes create that environment, 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 did she just say that but as as a comedian don't you feel like there was a 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 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 years ago. Like, seriously. I'm sure I would be horrified if I looked at some of my old 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 because 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 not a swiper. I'm too famous. Can't be going on Raya. There's some pretty famous people on Raya.

Who? Tell me famous people. How do you fucking know? John Mayer's on it. He's a whore. John Mayer's a whore. Well. some pretty famous people on Raya. Who? Tell me famous people. How do you fucking know? John Mayer's on it. He's a whore. John Mayer's a whore. 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. We've got six guys that are. Fantastic. I find that the gender politics is still a real thing. And what what I 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 in the front row with his dad, like fist bumping.

I mean, you talk about the greats like Cher or Stevie Nicks 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. Cher. 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 ballsy 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. Quiet confidence. The quiet confidence is so hot. Agree. Yeah, it's hard to find.

I know. But 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 that 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

kathygriffin.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 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 Goggins 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'd love another book okay Kathy thank. Kathy, thank you so much for coming on the show. 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, or you can also grab the caffeinated sunscreen at shop skinny confidential.com. Thank you.