Kathy Griffin launched a racially tinged attack on fellow stand-up comic Kevin Hart in a new interview, calling him a "pussy" for not mentioning President Donald Trump in his routines despite being black.
Griffin spoke with USA Today ahead of her "Laugh Your Head Off" comedy tour beginning Thursday in San Francisco. The title of the special is an unsubtle reference to the infamous photo of her last year holding a severed, bloody head resembling Trump. That story has kept the self-proclaimed "D-list" celebrity in the news ever since.
She said she relishes being a "whistle-blower" as a comedian and then took a shot at Hart, who is not known for injecting politics into his routines.
"I do feel like this is such an anxiety-ridden time for everyone that there is a thirst for all kinds of comedy," Griffin said. "And look, if you want to not hear about Trump at all, go see Kevin Hart. He doesn't even mention Trump. I personally think that's a pussy move because he's a black man. But I guess he's selling more tickets than I ever will."
USA Today omitted the expletive in its story but confirmed to the Free Beacon that's what Griffin called Hart. Griffin appeared to suggest Hart had a responsibility to attack Trump because of his race.
For his part, Hart was asked about Griffin's photo controversy last year and attributed it to "comics being comics."
"You’re just looking at comics being comics. We always take risks, but sometimes it can be distasteful," he said on ABC's "The View."
Griffin added to USA Today she has a "hell of a story to tell" in her new special.
"One of the things that's great about being a comedian is you really do get to be a whistle-blower. I like to do it through comedy," Griffin said. "People love to hear these stories, so I'm not going to walk away from it."
Griffin is trying to launch a comeback after a disastrous 2017 following the photo and then an ill-advised, tearful press conference alongside celebrity attorney Lisa Bloom. Griffin also lost her gig co-hosting CNN's New Year's Eve coverage with Anderson Cooper.
Although she was initially apologetic for the picture, she has since said she's no longer sorry about it. Griffin recently said of Trump specifically: "F--- him."