Kathy Griffin Says Industry Won’t Hire Her
Kathy Griffin believes she has quietly been blacklisted from The Tonight Show, and after more than a decade away from the program, she says the silence speaks for itself.
The actress and comedian recently suggested that NBC has effectively barred her from appearing on the late-night show, noting that her last appearance came in 2013 when Jay Leno was still behind the desk. Since Jimmy Fallon took over the program in 2014, Griffin has not returned.
Speaking in a video posted to Instagram, Griffin said that television shows rarely tell guests they are no longer welcome.
"I don't even know. When you're banned from a show—and if you guys know me, I'm banned from most of them—they don't usually tell you you're banned. They just can't seem to find room for you," she said.
Griffin speculated that she is viewed as either too controversial or too inappropriate for the program. Whether that is actually the reason has not been confirmed by NBC or The Tonight Show, but her career has undeniably carried significant controversy over the past several years.
The defining moment came in 2017 when Griffin participated in a photoshoot holding what appeared to be the bloodied, severed head of then-President Donald Trump. The image, created using a prop mask, sparked immediate condemnation across the political spectrum. Republicans criticized it, many Democrats distanced themselves from it, and Griffin was interviewed by the U.S. Secret Service because of the photograph.
The fallout was swift. Comedy appearances were canceled, professional opportunities diminished, and Griffin has frequently spoken about the personal and financial consequences she says followed the incident.
What has surprised many observers, however, is that Griffin has never meaningfully backed away from the stunt.
According to Page Six, she continues to defend it.
"I absolutely lean into it, because I was right, and I was ahead of my time," Griffin said this year.
That remark has generated fresh criticism from those who believe the image crossed a line that should never have been approached, regardless of political affiliation. Others argue the photo represented protected political expression, even if they found it offensive.
Griffin's recent Instagram comments also took aim at Jimmy Fallon himself.
She criticized Fallon for hosting former UFC champion Conor McGregor, incorrectly referring to him as a "convicted rapist." McGregor was found civilly liable in a civil case in Ireland, not convicted in a criminal prosecution.
Griffin also revisited Fallon's widely discussed 2016 interview with Donald Trump, during which Fallon playfully tousled Trump's hair.
"It kind of reminds me of when Fallon had Trump on and he petted his hair," Griffin said. "That didn't sit well with me."
The comments reflect Griffin's longstanding criticism of both Trump and media figures she believes have treated him too favorably.
Whether Griffin has actually been banned from The Tonight Show remains unknown. Television bookings are influenced by a wide range of factors, including promotional schedules, audience appeal, network priorities, and public image. Neither NBC nor the show's producers have publicly stated that Griffin is prohibited from appearing.
Still, the timing of her complaints has renewed discussion about whether the consequences she continues to face stem primarily from industry politics or from the 2017 photograph itself.