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A30 PEOPLE & ARTS
Saturday 3 June 2017
Griffin not ‘laying down’ for

Trump, fears career is over

FRAZIER MOORE said. “What she did was promoting his new book,
JOSEPH LONGO wrong and President Trump “Giant of the Senate.”
Associated Press and his family have every “After hearing from many
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Em- right to condemn it.” Minnesotans who were
battled comedian Kathy The California GOP later rightfully offended, I’ve
Griffin says she’s not afraid sent out a fundraising email come to the conclusion
Comedian Kathy Griffin, left, listens as her attorney Lisa Bloom of Donald Trump and plans calling Griffin’s photo shoot that it would be best for
speaks during a news conference, Friday, June 2, 2017, in Los to keep making fun of him disrespectful and obscene. her not to participate in the
Angeles, to discuss the backlash since Griffin released a pho- but maintained that she’s Griffin appeared surprised event we had previously
to and video of her displaying a likeness of President Donald
Trump’s severed head. sorry for a video that de- at the number of cameras scheduled,” the Minnesota
Associated Press picted her holding a like- and reporters in a packed Democrat said Thursday, a
ness of the president’s sev- conference room at her day after he had said she
ered, bloody head. lawyer’s office, her hands was still welcome. “I un-
At a rambling press con- shaking at one point when derstand why Minnesotans
ference Friday, Griffin tear- she took a sip of water. She were upset by this, and I
fully predicted her career switched between con- take that very seriously.”
is over and said Trump triteness to combativeness He said what Griffin did
“broke me.” Since the vid- during the press confer- “was inappropriate and
eo was posted Tuesday, ence, during which she at- not something that should
she has lost her job co- tempted several nervous be anywhere in our nation-
hosting CNN’s New Year’s jokes that drew laughs al discourse.”
Eve special and had five mostly from her attorney, An endorsement deal with
comedy shows canceled. Lisa Bloom. Squatty Potty also ended.
Trump, first lady Melania Bloom said the comedian Though Griffin apologized
Trump and Donald Trump has a First Amendment within hours of the images
Jr. have publicly criticized right to make fun of the appearing online Tuesday,
the video. president. they were met with swift
Griffin, who asserted that “Whether or not you get, or and widespread condem-
she has been contacted like, her artistic expression, nation.
by the Secret Service, said in America, Kathy has the Trump later tweeted that
the Trumps are “trying to right to parody the presi- Griffin “should be ashamed
ruin my life forever.” dent,” Bloom said. “She of herself” for posting the
The Secret Service declined never imagined it would be images.
comment Friday. misinterpreted as a threat New Jersey Gov. Chris
“The president, the first of violence against Trump.” Christie on Thursday called
lady and the Secret Ser- Bloom, a former truTV an- Griffin “disgusting” and said
vice have all made very chor and lawyer Gloria All- the photo was “completely
clear their view on those red’s daughter, has repre- outrageous.”
thoughts,” sented Wendy Walsh, who Even Anderson Cooper,
White House press secre- has accused former Fox her CNN co-host for the
tary Sean Spicer said. News Channel personality New Year’s Eve show, con-
Griffin, 56, repeated her Bill O’Reilly of hurting her demned the images. Grif-
claim that the video was a career after she spurned fin said she has not spoken
parody, meant as a point- his advances. O’Reilly has to Cooper since, and ap-
ed comeback to Trump’s denied the accusations peared visibly upset and
remark last summer that Backlash against Griffin has struggled to speak when
former Fox News Channel continued to grow. Griffin fielding questions about
personality Megyn Kelly said five of her performanc- Cooper.
had “blood coming out of es have been canceled The comic has faced con-
her eyes, blood coming out this week. troversies before for her
of wherever.” Venues in New Jersey, New abrasive humor, but none
“I’m not laying down for York, New Mexico and as widespread as the one
this guy,” she said in one Pennsylvania canceled generated by Tuesday’s
defiant moment. “I’m go- upcoming shows. The images.q
ing to keep making jokes Community Arts Theater
about this guy.” in Williamsport, Pennsylva- Like us on
Republican Party spokes- nia, posted on its website
man Mike Reed called that the show had been Facebook
the press conference a dropped “due to the re-
“desperate attempt” to cent controversy surround-
change the conversation. ing Kathy Griffin and the
“Kathy Griffin’s career was concern for the safety and
over long before she at- security of our patrons and
tempted to make a dis- staff.”
gusting joke about decapi- Sen. Al Franken also dis-in-
tating the President,” Reed vited Griffin from an event facebook.com/bondianoticia