Kathy Griffin has publicly stated that she feels "hurt" and "embarrassed" because her longtime friend Rosie O'Donnell did not invite her to appear on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" during O'Donnell's week as a guest host. O'Donnell is filling in for Kimmel, who is on summer vacation, for four nights this week.
Griffin, 65, shared her feelings in a video posted to Instagram on Tuesday. She explained that she believed O'Donnell, 64, might have invited her to be a guest, especially given their shared history and public opposition to former President Trump. "I'm just going to come out and say it. Are you ready? It's embarrassing to say, but I have to tell you guys, because we're friends: my feelings are really hurt that I was not invited to go on Rosie's week of the Jimmy Kimmel show," Griffin confessed in the video.
She noted that she and O'Donnell have been friends for decades, both rising to prominence as comedians in the 1990s. Griffin mentioned that she had spoken with O'Donnell about her guest-hosting gig and had expressed interest in appearing on the show. "But she didn't say anything about me being a guest," Griffin stated, adding that she was unsure if O'Donnell had any control over the guest bookings.
Griffin emphasized that she and O'Donnell are not fighting and described their relationship as being like sisters. "Like I said, we're good pals. We're like sisters, and everybody knows sisters fight. Sisters and brothers fight. Best friends fight. Relatives, co-workers fight. And we're not even fighting. I'm just being honest," she said.
Griffin also shared that friends had been asking her which night she would be appearing on the show, which contributed to her initial excitement. "I admit I was kind of getting excited," she conceded. "Like, yeah, this could be a really cool moment. You know? Then that moment passed and kept passing, and I didn't want to call Rosie."
Despite her disappointment, Griffin stated that she would still support O'Donnell and encouraged her followers to watch the show. "I will watch every night and cheer her on. Of course. If I have one call to action, it’s that you guys watch the show and support her. Support comedy. Support women in comedy. Support bold people in comedy because we don’t get rewarded very much. We usually get fired."
O'Donnell responded to Griffin's video in the comment section of her Instagram post. "Kathy- shoulda called me honey - I didn't choose the guests …," O'Donnell wrote. Griffin had not yet responded to O'Donnell's comment at the time of the report.
Earlier this week, Griffin had posted on Instagram expressing excitement about O'Donnell's guest hosting role, sharing a photo of the two of them and writing, "So excited to watch my pal, the brilliant @rosie O'Donnell subbing in all week for the equally brilliant and all around great guy @jimmykimmellive." She also commented on Kimmel's remark that O'Donnell's appearance was a "special treat for Donald Trump."
O'Donnell is scheduled to interview guests including Charlie Day and Janelle James during her remaining nights as guest host.