Kathy Griffin would like to reiterate that she’s not sorry for her outrage-stoking promo image featuring President Donald Trump’s severed head as a prop. (It also apparently shattered Barron Trump’s understanding of reality.) In fact, she’s not only unapologetic about the artistic choice, the comedienne stresses that she knew what she was doing when photographed with the commander-in-chief’s faux head in hand.
Griffin, who has previously declared that she was taking back her tearful initial apology, spoke about the Fox News riling subject on Wednesday. Appearing on the BBC World News program HardTalk, Griffin gave her viewpoint and took aim at her critics in the process.
“I’m not sorry. I take the apology back 1,000 percent,” she said. “The reason I made the apology is when the image went out, I thought people would just think, ‘That’s Kathy doing another shocking image.’ I’ve done many throughout my entire career, and I’ve done many shocking things. When I won my first Emmy I said, ‘Suck it, Jesus, because this award is my God now!’ And you know, the conservatives took ads out it the papers. That’s what they like to spend their time and money on. So yes, I knew what I was doing.”
According to Griffin, she was urged to issue the apology on the advice of fellow comedian and Trump adversary Rosie O’Donnell. The reason why Rosie would encourage an apology doesn’t have to do with Trump, but rather murdered journalist Daniel Pearl.
“She said, ‘What if Daniel Pearl’s mother saw this?’” relayed Griffin. “When she said that, I thought, ‘Oh my gosh.’ I’ve never apologized for a joke. I get it.”
That apology is now rescinded and that makes it a lot easier to go on the road for something cheekily titled Laugh Your Head Off world tour. Speaking of which, Griffin has a date in Ireland tonight, followed by shows in England, Scotland and the Netherlands.