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Kathy Griffin Fighting for Her Life After Lung Cancer Diagnosis

The American comedian and actress who never shies away from a fight with A-list celebrities. The controversial politician, Kathy Griffin is now in the fight of her life. Her rival this time is cancer. The 60-year-old comedian was in surgery on Monday 2nd of August to remove a tumor from her lung. This took place two weeks after she received the shocking diagnosis of lung cancer. But what made it even more surprising was the fact that she has never smoked. Join us as we explore this heartbreaking story of Kathy Griffin Lung Cancer diagnosis, surgery, and past adversities she has already overcome in her life.

Kathy Griffin broke the news over social media

Kathy Griffin, a veteran standup comic with an Emmy and Grammy under her belt. She breaks the unfortunate news of her cancer in a social media post. She explains that the doctors are very optimistic as it is stage one and contains her left lung. Adding that she didn’t think she needs chemotherapy or radiation after the operation. She will be up and running as usual in a month or less.

Griffin took part in a bombshell interview with ABC’s Nightline. The interview was secretly recorded the previous week and broadcast on the Monday night of her announcement. Griffin recalled how she felt upon first hearing of her cancer diagnosis, explaining that she was definitely in shock.

Griffin continued in the interview and opened up about how this wasn’t her only battle this year. She revealed that amid her fiery feud with Donald Trump, she became addicted to pills and had thoughts of suicide. These thoughts took her as far as writing a note last year. After being asked for further comments, Griffin’s reps said she in surgery and that there won’t be more updates until she gets out.

Undoubtedly, this unfortunate illness will have rocked an often strong and sturdy Griffin. While it will pose a setback for the often outrageous celebrity, she has already claimed a life and career filled by highs and lows. Join us as we explore this heartbreaking story of Kathy Griffin Lung Cancer diagnosis, surgery, and past adversities she has already overcome in her life.

Kathy Griffin survived childhood sex abuse

Kathy Griffin raised with four siblings in a Chicago suburb. From the age of seven she sexually abused by her oldest brother who was thirty at the time. He later descended into drug addiction before passing away. Once she reached her twenties, Griffin called out her abuser for what he had done in front of her family, he admitted his crimes. She developed a binge eating disorder as a consequence of her ordeal which she still suffers with today, but has learned to deal with it.

Kathy Griffin’s journey in showbiz had humble beginnings

Kathy Griffin began her career all the way back in high school. She started out as an extra in a Midwestern TV commercial, and then performed throughout the 1980s on the LA standup comedy circuit and in The Groundlings improv troupe. It was in the early ’90s that she established her acting career with small roles in shows such as The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, and the 1992 Madonna mockumentary, Medusa: Dare To Be Truthful.

While many may not realize it, she even worked with acclaimed Hollywood filmmaker Quentin Tarantino. She made a brief appearance as a witness to a hit-and-run in Pulp Fiction. What gave her career the boost it needed were her two appearances on the comedy classic Seinfeld, in 1996 and 1998. From 1996 to 2000, she secured a prominent role on the NBC sitcom Suddenly Susan, opposite Brooke Shields. Join us as we explore this heartbreaking story of Kathy Griffin Lung Cancer diagnosis, surgery, and past adversities she has already overcome in her life.

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Kathy Griffin hit big with My Life on the D-List

While the title is certainly self-deprecating, the reality TV series that chronicled Kathy Griffin’s chaotic struggles to climb the Hollywood ladder, did in fact earn the comedian a higher position in the fickle Hollywood pecking order. The show had a successful run between 2005 and 2010 and even earned Emmy nominations for outstanding reality program for every one of its six seasons. Griffin’s star burned especially bright when her show won the coveted award in both 2007 and 2008.

Her 2007 acceptance speech was quick to ruffle a few feathers, particularly that of religious groups. The comedian took to the stage and stated how a lot of people come up and thank Jesus for their award. She continued by saying that no one has less to do with the award than Jesus. It didn’t stop there, however, and added that he didn’t help her a bit. She finished strong with her punchline, “Suck it, Jesus, this award is my god now.”

Her success continued, between 2008 and 2013, Griffin’s stand-up comedy albums were nominated six consecutive years for the Grammy Awards. She walked away with a win in 2013 for Calm Down Gurrl. Join us as we explore this heartbreaking story of Kathy Griffin Lung Cancer diagnosis, surgery, and past adversities she has already overcome in her life.

Kathy Griffin suffered a few flops

Kathy Griffin launched her late-night talk show, Kathy, on Bravo in 2012 with great fanfare. But after 12 months and two seasons, the series was canceled. Griffin took the cancellation hard. In a 2019 interview, she was quick to blast the Bravo producer Andy Cohen, who was an executive at the network during the time of the chat show. Griffin claimed that Cohen treated her like a dog. She labeled him one of the worst bosses she’d ever had, and alleged that he had not been very kind. Cohen responded with the claim that she had made up a lot of things about him.

Griffin had another short-lived gig in 2015 as part of the panel of E’s The Fashion Police. She was brought in as the comic replacement for the late Joan Rivers. It took the filming of just seven episodes before she quit. Body-shaming was the reasoning for her departure and she made a statement on Twitter about the situation. While she admitted that she’s no saint, she went on to express that she did not want to use her comedy to contribute to a culture of unattainable perfectionism and intolerance towards difference.

Kathy Griffin thrives on feuds

It will come as no shock that Kathy Griffin has had more than her share of bust-ups, especially when you consider that she built her career lampooning celebrities. Such bust-ups have frequently resulted in offense being taken by her targets. Over the years, Griffin has claimed to have been banned from various talk shows because of her no-holds-barred humor.

Other claims of Griffin’s include being told by producers of Ellen that they cannot have her trashing celebrities. She was also scolded for a joke she made in 2005 on E! about then-11-year-old actress Dakota Fanning. The joke was of Fanning entering rehab, which the network apologised for.

Griffin’s feuds are even with politicians as she confronted Republican congresswoman Michele Bachmann in 2010 about her view that homosexuality is environmental. Griffin is a longtime LGBTQ advocate and called out Bachmann asking if she was born a bigot or did she just grow into it? Griffin even has a longtime feud with Vice President candidate Sarah Palin, who branded her a bully back in 2011.

Kathy Griffin’s career took a nosedive after a stunt aimed at President Trump

It was in 2017 when Kathy Griffin’s biggest controversy took place. Graphic photos appeared of her holding a severed, bloodied head, which was an unmistakable likeness to Donald Trump. Griffin later issued an apology on social media and during a press conference where she stated that the image is too disturbing, and that she understood how it offends people. She begged people for their forgiveness. But it was too late, the damage was done.

It led to her being investigated by the US Secret Service and Trump was more than happy to come for her guns blazing. He claimed that his son had been particularly disturbed by the photo and stated that Griffin should be ashamed of herself. But this was just the start of it. Within a week, she lost her advertising deal with Squatty Potty and was then fired from her job as co-host of CNN’s New Year’s Eve show alongside Anderson Cooper.

Griffin felt particularly hurt by the lack of support from Cooper, who in a May 2017, stated that he was appalled by Griffin’s photo shoot. The incident caused a knock-on effect within Griffin’s career, causing her to struggle to find work. While most of her gigs dried up, she even admitted to begging for a speaking role in the TV series You. Three years later, however, Griffin retweeted the severed head photo in November 2020 when Trump was defeated.

Kathy Griffin came close to suicide

Kathy Griffin has also spoken out about her devastating addiction to pills, including amphetamines, Ambien and painkillers. All in the wake of the Trump drama. Last year, while suffering with her habit, she thought about ending her life. She stated that she began to think about suicide more and more and it became an almost obsessive thought.

Her husband and doctor were able to help her get treatment and Griffin began her recovery. She went through months of detox, enduring tremors and uncontrollable sweat. Griffin said that, despite staying sober for just over a year and getting back to work on a TV show after months of unemployment, she will always consider herself an addict.

What details of Kathy Griffin’s story do you find the most shocking, her lung cancer diagnosis despite never being a smoker, or one of the other many intense aspects of her life?

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Written by Alex Carson

Alex Carson is a seasoned writer and cultural historian with a passion for the vibrant and transformative decades of the 1960s and 1970s. With a background in journalism and a deep love for music, film, and politics, Alex brings a unique perspective to the ever-evolving landscape of entertainment.

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