Comedian Kathy Griffin stated on her podcast "Talk Your Head Off" that she was "really hurt" by not being invited to appear on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" while her friend Rosie O'Donnell was guest hosting. Griffin expressed her disappointment, noting her close relationship with both O'Donnell and Jimmy Kimmel.
O'Donnell began guest hosting "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" on Monday and is scheduled to continue through Thursday. Kimmel had announced O'Donnell's guest hosting role earlier in the year, describing it as a "special treat" for President Donald Trump, whom O'Donnell has frequently criticized.
Griffin, who considers O'Donnell a close friend, described their relationship as being like sisters. She shared that she learned of O'Donnell's guest hosting duties and thought it would be a positive development, particularly given Kimmel's perceived leaning towards a more liberal audience.
Griffin also referenced the controversial 2017 photograph in which she held a fake blood-covered mask resembling President Trump. She stated that she expected support from her community, including Hollywood and the stand-up comedy scene, after the backlash from the photo, but experienced the opposite.
She mentioned that O'Donnell had recently made comments on a podcast that were not supportive of Griffin's decision to post the Trump-like photo, which had upset her. Griffin recounted speaking with O'Donnell on a recent flight, where she expressed a desire to be a guest on the show.
Griffin suggested that she and O'Donnell share a unique commonality due to their outspokenness and public controversies involving President Trump. Griffin detailed that while her experience was more extreme, it was unusual for two women who have been so vocal about political figures to have faced similar, albeit different, levels of public scrutiny.
Rosie O'Donnell responded to Griffin's comments on Instagram, stating, "Kathy — shoulda called me honey — I didn’t choose the guests ".
Griffin acknowledged that O'Donnell, as a guest host, may not have had control over the guest booking process. She encouraged continued support for O'Donnell and viewership of "Jimmy Kimmel Live!"
O'Donnell has focused her opening monologues on President Trump, referring to him with nicknames such as "Mango Mussolini" and "President Oompa J. Loompa." She has sarcastically credited him with her return to television and made light of his administration's policies.