Kathy Griffin has her voice back!
When a magnitude 4.7 earthquake struck near Malibu on Thursday morning, many in Southern California felt the tremor, including Kathy Griffin.
“This is so Malibu, I was on my way to Pilates and I had to stop, can you imagine?” she joked to KTLA 5’s Jeremy Parsons. “Pilates was late because of the darned earthquake.”
The actress and comedian sold her house in Bel-Air and moved to the seaside escape four years ago.
“I’ve moved to Malibu and I have all new celebrities to torture,” she joked to Parsons on the KTLA 5 Morning News. “Gary Busey, I’m coming for you!”
Griffin was in good spirits as the past few years have been described as “hell and high water.”
“Seven years ago was the Trump photo, which everyone knows about, but that investigation was real. I was on the no-fly list, I was on the Interpol list, you know, all that stuff,” she explained.
In 2017, she was highly criticized and received “death threats” after controversial images were released showing the comedian holding up a bloody head resembling that of former President Donald Trump.
Following that incident, she battled an addiction to prescription pills, which she called “sort of funny, because who becomes a junkie at 57? Me.” Griffin proudly proclaimed that she is in recovery now.
“I get sober, and then I get diagnosed with lung cancer, even though I’ve never smoked or had a cigarette, so they took out half my left lung,” she explained in her usual joking manner.
While battling cancer, she underwent surgery, which caused her to lose her voice. However, thanks to modern medicine and science, it’s returned!
“So as recently as a few weeks ago, I have had an implant in my left vocal cord. I’m a walking marvel of modern science. I have my voice back,” she ecstatically announced. “I know this sounds dramatic, but that’s I think what led to me being suicidal. I really thought, ‘Who am I if I’m not out there making people laugh?’ It really is my identity. I do love my job that much.”
Amid all that, she filed for divorce from ex-husband Randy Bick in December 2023.
The Emmy and Grammy-award-winning comedian credited humor for helping her through those very difficult times.
“People say tragedy plus time equals comedy. I don’t know about that, but if you can just think at those moments for one second, okay, maybe I can’t laugh yet. Maybe I can’t laugh now. When I tried to take my life, I woke up in bruises and lacerations and blood. And even then, I sort of had the presence of mind to say, ‘Someday, I’m going to laugh at this,'” she explained.
Griffin is using that humor and her voice to forge ahead for a comeback standup tour.
“If you can just listen to that little voice saying, ‘Find the humor.’ It’s so human to find humor, and please be willing to laugh at yourself,” she continued. “So make fun of yourself. Let your friends make fun of you. I certainly don’t hold back on celebrities or myself, and I think the key is really keeping that humorous perspective. I really believe in it.”
In October, she’s set to hit the stage at Carnegie Hall for a record-breaking sixth time by a solo female comedian. The record was previously set by the late Joan Rivers.
“(My) dear departed friend. She was my dear friend and mentor and we would joke about it,” she explained. “She played Carnegie Hall by herself. No other opening acts, five times and I got to play it five times.”
Before that, the “My Life on the D-List” star will be performing in Los Angeles. She’ll stop at the Wiltern on Sept. 18.
“Do you know that Los Angeles is the hardest city to sell tickets in the world? We’re jaded here. You’re used to seeing somebody from TV around. So here I am, come see me at the Wiltern and then I’m going to several other wonderful cities after that.”
For tickets and more information go to kathygriffin.net.
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