Comedian Kathy Griffin says she ‘went too far’ with image of bloody, severed Trump head
Comedian Kathy Griffin said Tuesday night that she would take down an image of her holding a bloodied, severed prop head to look like President Donald Trump and apologized for going “way too far.”
“I sincerely apologize. I am just now seeing the reaction of these images. I’m a comic, I cross the line. I move the line, then I cross it. I went way too far. The image is too disturbing. I understand how it offends people. It wasn’t funny. I get it. I’ve made a lot of mistakes in my career. I will continue. I ask your forgiveness. Taking down the image, going to ask the photographer to take down the image and I beg for your forgiveness. I went too far, I made a mistake and I was wrong,” she said in an Instagram video posted Tuesday night.
Griffin drew condemnation from many on social media after posting the original video on Twitter earlier in the day.
“Tyler and I are not afraid to do images that make noise,” Griffin said in a behind-the-scenes video posted by photographer Tyler Shields.
Many on social media called for Griffin to be jailed or the Secret Service to investigate the comedian. The Secret Service, in a pair of tweets, seemed to indicate it would be looking into it.
“We have to move to Mexico today because we’re going to go to prison, federal prison,” Griffin said to Shields. “... because we’re not surviving this.”
Griffin earlier defended the video shoot on Twitter, saying “I caption this ‘there was blood coming out his eyes, blood coming out of his ... wherever.’ ” Griffin said she was “mocking the Mocker in Chief.”
The reference is to a quote Trump said about former Fox News host Megyn Kelly after she asked him a question at a Republican presidential debate in August. Many interpreted the quote as referring to her menstrual cycle.
In a follow-up tweet, Griffin said the does not “condone ANY violence by my fans or others to anyone, ever!”
1/ I caption this "there was blood coming out of his eyes, blood coming out of his...wherever" Also @tylershields great Photog/film maker. pic.twitter.com/eKqr44NOl6
— Kathy Griffin (@kathygriffin) May 30, 2017
2/ OBVIOUSLY, I do not condone ANY violence by my fans or others to anyone, ever! I'm merely mocking the Mocker in Chief.
— Kathy Griffin (@kathygriffin) May 30, 2017
But before her apology, the negative reaction poured in from across the political spectrum.
This is vile and wrong. It is never funny to joke about killing a president. https://t.co/zIiuKoMyFw
— Chelsea Clinton (@ChelseaClinton) May 30, 2017
Disgusting but not surprising. This is the left today. They consider this acceptable. Imagine a conservative did this to Obama as POTUS? https://t.co/QdghcbIjS7
— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) May 30, 2017
Our politics have become too base, too low, & too vulgar, but Kathy Griffin's post descends into an even more repugnant & vile territory.
— Mitt Romney (@MittRomney) May 30, 2017
.@kathygriffin I'm sorry but that is totally inappropriate and so very offensive. And I have to believe you're smart enough to know better.
— Alyssa Milano (@Alyssa_Milano) May 30, 2017
For those asking, I said on air that I thought the beheading imagery by Griffin about the president was disgusting and inappropriate.
— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) May 30, 2017
Griffin has won two primetime Emmy Awards for her comedy specials. She is also known for hosting CNN’s New Year’s Eve coverage.
This story was originally published May 30, 2017 at 6:46 PM with the headline "Comedian Kathy Griffin says she ‘went too far’ with image of bloody, severed Trump head."