‘I Was Right’: Kathy Griffin Feels ‘Vindicated’ Years After Trump Photo Scandal

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Kathy Griffin‘s career has rebounded in the years since her controversial 2017 photoshoot, which featured a fake, bloodied Donald Trump head and led not only to a Secret Service investigation but also to years with no work as a comedian. Now, nearly a decade later, the 65-year-old says she’s vindicated.

Kathy Griffin Says The Response To The Trump Photo Has Changed Over The Years

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Griffin appeared on an October 2026 episode of “The Tangle with Kyle Ridley” podcast where the host asked if she felt “vindicated” in the more than nine years since the controversial photo of Trump. The comedian, who did the interview virtually, leaned into the camera and said, “You know what, I feel kind of vindicated.”

She explained, “Because now, way more people come up to me and think I’m a freaking hero and think it was the greatest picture and tell me it’s their screensaver on their phone,” in comparison to what she experienced from the public years ago, stating, “When people were still saying I went too far.”

The “Suddenly Susan” alum continued, stating that even at medical appointments, people will tell her, “Good for you. I’m glad you took that picture,’ in an elevator full of people.” She also stated that on one occasion, “everybody else in the elevator went like this [clapping].”

Griffin added, “I mean that’s a big change.”

The Comedian Recalled How Dark Her Life Became Amid The Scandal

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In discussing what her life was like amid the scandal regarding the Trump Photo, Griffin stated, “Because the FBI was coming to my house like twice a week to tell me about ‘credible death threats.'” She then described how the agents would “bang” on her door so often that she knew them by name.

Griffin then recalled one instance, saying, “They told me that there was a death threat on me for a live show that I had that night, which I was also taping for another independent special.” She then highlighted that the special, “Kathy Griffin A Hellva Story,” is available to stream on Prime Video.

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Kathy Griffin Apologized Early In The Scandal

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Griffin and the photographer behind the infamous photo, Tyler Shields, released it on May 30, 2017. The picture of the fake, bloodied head of Trump drew immediate backlash, leading the comedian to issue a statement the same evening.

Per ABC News, among other responses, she said, “I went too far. The image is too disturbing.” Griffin also asked Shields to delete the photo from social media. Griffin also suffered professionally, losing an ad campaign with Squatty Potty and being fired from CNN’s New Year’s Eve special, which she’d co-hosted with Anderson Cooper for 10 years.

According to Time, Griffin held a press conference with Lisa Bloom in June 2017, where her attorneys confirmed that the Secret Service had contacted her. At the press conference, she also said, “I don’t think I’m going to have a career after this.”

She was exonerated by the end of July and later retracted her apology in August. Griffin then began touring again, including with shows at Carnegie Hall and later the “Laugh Your Head Off Tour.”

Kathy Called Herself ‘Uncanceled’ In February

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Griffin interviewed with NPR’s WUSF in February 2026 and updated listeners on her life and career since the photo. She said, “Oh, I think I’m uncanceled, which is a miracle to me because I didn’t think I would ever be uncanceled.”

Griffin continued, “I didn’t work for seven years, and then when I went back on tour last time, which I made a special out of, which is free on YouTube, it’s called ‘Kathy Griffin My Life on the PTSD List.’ It’s more special now that I’m not canceled, for me to go back to Tampa because I haven’t played Tampa in a really long time.”

On how she sees that time in her life today, the actress said, “Now, I really own it, and I absolutely lean into it, because I was right, and I was ahead of my time.”

She’s Currently On Tour

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Griffin is currently on tour with the “New Face, New Tour,” with dates extending until January 2027.

After that, the comedian will begin her first residency, “Can You Handle This Heat,” at the Plaza Theatre in Palm Springs. The residency consists of three dates: January 31, February 26, and March 26.

The ‘I Was Right’: Kathy Griffin Feels ‘Vindicated’ Years After Trump Photo Scandal first appeared on The Blast