Kathy Griffin has a book coming out tomorrow called Kathy Griffin’s Celebrity Run-Ins: My A-Z Index. Since Kathy is known for her acerbic comedy, nobody expects nice, heart-warming stories of like-minded friendships. It sounds like she slams everyone from Jon Hamm before he went to rehab to Demi Lovato fans who targeted her. One of her chapters covers an unnamed talk show host who has a mean streak. Kathy doesn’t say who it is in the book but when the first person asked, Kathy identified her as Ellen DeGeneres. According to Kathy, the ‘nice’ Ellen we see on her show is just a veneer.
Even when celebrity dish machine Kathy Griffin says she’s not going to name names, it doesn’t take a ton of arm-twisting to get her to spill it.
In her new book, “Kathy Griffin’s Celebrity Run-Ins: My A-Z Index,” she offers one tale she won’t attach a name to, about a “daytime talk show host” with a “mean streak that everyone knows about” who she’s convinced had her kicked out of the backstage dressing room at the Emmys.
Yes, she’s talking about Ellen DeGeneres, Griffin confirms.
“I can’t prove it,” Griffin told us. “I heard she got me kicked out.”
Griffin also claimed in 2006 that DeGeneres had “banned” her from “The Ellen DeGeneres Show.” The 56-year-old Emmy and Grammy winner told us that instead of such sniping, she wishes there was more of a sense of solidarity between female comics of her generation.
“My issue with Ellen is simple,” she said. “You know, the guys in comedy are so good about sticking together. I feel sad that women don’t support each other the way the guys do. Joan (Rivers) and I would talk about this all the time. Patriarchy pits us against each other.”
According to Griffin, the new wave of funny ladies may be onto something.
“You look at the younger women like Amy Schumer and Lena Dunham,” she said. “They’ve got production companies, and they’re getting stuff done.”
I don’t doubt for a minute that Ellen has a mean streak. I think we’ve seen it in both Iggygate and the way she handled the poor relator’s request to not use her information. Plus there are rumors that Ellen doesn’t treat her staff well. I haven’t read Kathy’s book (obviously, since it’s not out yet) so maybe that’s the problem, but I’m having trouble with everything Kathy is saying here. I don’t know what her point is with her last comment, Ellen has her own production company and is supporting others on her online channel, ellentube.com. Kathy has been banned from several talk shows because she is an unpredictable guest who disrobes and swears too much. The reasons given for her ban from Ellen was she used to make mean jokes about the other guests appearing on the same show. I can understand that from a host’s point of view. Plus, she’s been on Ellen’s show since 2006. She appeared November 2007 and Ellen aired a pre-recorded message by Kathy on bullying in 2010. So what’s her point? She got banned but it was lifted, just as Letterman, The View and Today did.
The story from the book that is getting the most play right now is one in which Kathy tells about meeting Woody Allen. She said that not only did he introduce Soon-Yi Previn as his “child bride” and deliver some creepy thoughts on Hannah Montana but he lamented having to watch his “friend Bill Cosby get railroaded.” Ugh, there isn’t a shower hot enough to scrub off that ick.
Photo credit: Flatiron Books and Fame/Flynet Photos
Um yeah, Ellen does have her mean moments. I remember her first interview with Jim Parsons, she was so uninterested.
Also, she can be borderline racist at times too.
Yeah, she’s kind of…
She strikes me as someone who has a lot of contempt for her audience, which makes me kind of sad because my mum watches her.
She was suuuuuuuuch a brat in that segment with Michelle Obama when they went to CVS…I felt so bad for michelle because you could tell she was annoyed.
I came here to say the same thing. She was so irritating with the serment where she went to a drug store with Michelle Obama. She behaved like a small spoiled child which is a poor choice for being funny or doing comedy. At one point she woke a baby of another custumer. If I was the mom I would punch her. After that segment I watched some interview she did with one of her guests and i noticed that behavior was not so uncommon for her. Which points to her either being rude to guest or self aborbed. Or simply lacking in comedic talent.
Creepy thoughts on Hannah Montana?! Didn’t Miley Cyrus just do a show with him? Oh Lord…
He had creepy thoughts about his daughter, that he acted on, so i’m thinking this is just par for the course.
To be so loud about your predation though, it’s crazy. Like who are these men (the president elect, woody) who think it’s ok to talk about young girls as sex objects? Does no one tell them they are gross and wrong?
Nope, no one does. That’s part of the problem. 🙁
Woody Allen is so freaking gross. I don’t know how anyone can stand to be near him. Just reading about him makes my skin crawl.
Also, Woody Allen doesn’t think he did anything wrong! That is the problem with pedo’s….they think the horror they do is “love”…
Imagine having to play nice with Woody to be considered professional.
And then he drops something about his ‘child bride’.
What would you do? Would you go ham on him with your purse? Give him the high five he probably wants? Tear him a new one verbally? I can’t imagine tbh.
…presumably shes applying for the vacant spot on fashion police…who actually thinks any talk show host is “nice”…theres a reason why so many have dependency issues…ellens an actress you know…
But Kathy Griffin already hosted the Fashion Police, a role she campaigned for ruthlessly after the demise of Joan Rivers and then abandoned after not even a month because she claimed the comments from others on the show were too personal to be funny and borderline bullying? Did I. Just imagine all that or is she trying for a second go round?
Conan o Brien is genuinely nice
Yep! I stopped watching her show because of the condescending way she talks down to a lot of her guests. I’ve always thought Ellen seemed mean. If you really watch the show after a while you can’t help but notice all the little snarky things she says especially to the non-celebrity guests.
Yeah, her meanness really comes across in the show, not just occasionally but almost all the time. I think many people don’t notice because the show itself is so bright and upbeat and completely un-controversial.
It’s like with a lot of morning TV hosts. A lot of them are pretty clearly unpleasant people, but they’re restrained enough by the format that most viewers won’t notice it enough to care.
But anyway, there’s always been really strong rumours that Ellen was a very mean, controlling person.
My mother in law says i shouldn’t worry about my gay daughter’s rights under Trump because everyone loves Ellen. Seriously. I totally believe this, I’ve never been able to warm to Ellen. I like Kathy Griffin because she seems to just tell things like she sees them, and doesn’t ass kiss celebs.
I’m with you. There’s something about Ellen that I just can’t ever get on board with. I think it’s the same thing I have with Jimmy Fallon.
I’d rather watch someone like Griffin who seems to hit everyone equally with her snark, than someone who ass-kisses celebrities.
Yeah, I defenitaly get the “mean” vibes from her show. Which sucks, because I can’t watch her without seeing it, and I do think she’s funny. I feel bad for her wife. I have never been able to root for them because I always wonder what goes on behind closed doors. I get the feeling that Ellen would be horrible to live with.
I feel really bad for Portia. She seemed like she had gotten to a great place just before Ellen came on the scene, and then very quickly she started getting extremely thin again, got a ton of plastic surgery and started sounding very anxious and insecure. When she goes on the show it’s so clear that Ellen has all the power in that relationship.
This is just a repeat of the Rosie situation. Both gave off the queen of nice on air but reality was a lot different. I don’t doubt for a minute that Ellen is a mean girl off air. She has millions at her disposal and can do what ever she wants. Honestly I think she’s always been jealous of how Ophra has gotten so big and powerful and she still hasn’t got that kind of pull or fame.
I am sure Ellen is not as warm and fuzzy as she appears but I am sick of Kathy Griffin throwing anyone under the bus for cheap publicity. Just because Ellen is not your BFF ( and who could blame her) does not equal horrible person or woman hater. give me a break. Kathy roles out this shtick everytime she has something to sell. these shows are in the business of being celeb friendly. So if you bash the product you are not going to be a hot commodity. 7-11 has not shoes, no shirt, no service… Hollywood has the Talent is King. it is that simple.
Bingo,
I seriously thought maybe I was imagining things but 100% agree. I actually cringe sometimes, how is that show still on air??
Does she have some kind of talk show host tenure Lool ?
She’s horrible to the crew and won’t interact with them except through her team of Dementors, I mean executive producers, and that interaction is solely for the purpose of demeaning and demoralizing them. All that warm fuzziness is reserved for the guests she likes. Otherwise she just stays holed up in her dresssing room. The show is an awful, awful working environment. The many good souls employed there hate it, and hate her.
Do you have more details on this? I have never heard this before & I’m intrigued….
I love Kathy. Have a hold on this book at the library.
While I dont doubt is Ellen is not warm and fuzzy as she is on TV, is there any TV host thats truly a nice guy?? We saw the fit Kelly Ripa pulled when Strahan was leaving and she wasn’t forewarned.
I used to be the biggest Kathy Griffin fan when she had her DList reality show and her cute elderly mom. After the Fashion Show debacle, I really lost respect for her. From campaigning for the job while Joan was in a coma to complaining to E channel’s execs that she doesn’t do “old timey” humor (ala Joan River’s humor) (after Joan’s death) and then quitting the job 6 wks later.
First of all you knew what the job entailed. Granted Joan has prepared one liners and Kathy is more off the cuff person but something about that situation made me see in her in a different light.
Craig Ferguson! I haven’t heard anything bad about him and I can’t imagine that what you see is a front. He’s Scottish, we have no barriers, haha.
I always liked Portia De Rossi. Ever since she was on Ally McBeal. I feel that she is stuck in hell living with Ellen from many of the things I have heard. Mostly that Ellen doesn’t want her to work & be away from her. Control freaks like that tend to have quite deep mean streaks.
As for Kathy I find her humorous & I like that she is an equal opportunity insulter. Plus am madly jealous over her friendship with Anderson Cooper
I love Kathy Griffin. Ellen is the worst. She is so friggin fake on her show. I can’t even watch it. She just seems like she s miserable.
This has been known for years. I used to watch when her show was new, and I think she’s changed a lot since then. She’s just so fake. And not funny.
I don’t trust any celebrity with the goody goody nice guy/girl image. 😂
My husband and I met a man in Cabo who used to work for her and he said she was a class A bitch…horrible to work for.
If I remember correctly years ago Kathy had a joke about Portia in her stand up. It was when Ally McBeal was big and it was about how Portia is a made up name and she’s taken on a pretentious identity. That may contribute to the bad feelings as well?
In Kathy’s defense I think a solid argument can be made she personally is singled out for banning for “bad behavior” little different from what male comics get away with regularly. And so being banned from Ellen and The View is women not really closing ranks around their own, but rather punishing Kathy. We can name a dozen male comics whose jokes and behavior are atrocious. I think she found a good ally in Joan Rivers who also struggled with one foot in the boy’s club of comedy and being held to a different and higher standard than her contemporaries.