Comedian Kathy Griffin has announced that she has been diagnosed with “complex PTSD.” According to People Magazine, the 62-year-old comedian told TikTok, “Let’s talk about PTSD. Never talked about it publicly… You can laugh or whatever, but I’ve been diagnosed with complex PTSD, and it’s called an extreme case… If any of you know my story, you’ll understand that this really started for me about 5 ½ years ago. Wink.” The brash and opinionated comedian is known for stirring up controversy. However, the specific event she is referring to happened in 2017 when she did a photoshoot holding up a blood-soaked replica of former president Donald Trump’s head. The image offended people on both the right and left, significantly damaging her reputation and career.
@kathygriffin Never talked about this publicly. I have lots of tools, but it is extremely intense. I’ve never experienced anything like this in my life. If you’re someone who also deals with this, I am sending you lots and lots of love. #PTSD#Depression#Anxiety#ComplexPTSD
Comedian Kathy Griffin Has Had Complex PTSD for Over Five Years
While Griffin apologized for the infamous photo, she was still fired from CNN’s New Year’s Eve special, which she annually hosted with Anderson Cooper. The comedian also had several gigs and TV appearances canceled, and she was even investigated by the Secret Service and put on a no-fly list. Griffin claimed that the backlash affected her so intensely that she couldn’t leave her home for months and became dependent on prescription pills. Griffin took back the apology the following year and doubled down on her criticisms of the former president and his family.
Griffin was also diagnosed with stage 1 lung cancer in 2021, which she said in the TikTok video “didn’t help” with her complex PTSD. She underwent surgery to remove part of her lung, and she announced in an interview on Jimmy Kimmel Live that she was cancer free.
Some will argue that Griffin’s actions in 2017 are an example of what Judy Gold recently spoke about when she said that comedians were in a precarious situation in which certain topics were off limits. Jennifer Aniston recently echoed those sentiments, lamenting that comedians could no longer joke freely. However, many failed to see the humor in Kathy Griffin’s picture, which is why the comedian received such backlash for her photo of a mock severed head of an, at the time, sitting president.