Kathy Griffin Pitches Bold New Show with Rosie O’Donnell and Stephen Colbert — “The Only Thing Trump Can’t Cancel”… If They Can Just Name It
Comedian Kathy Griffin is never one to shy away from controversy, and now she’s got a bold new idea: teaming up with Rosie O’Donnell and Stephen Colbert to create a show she claims “Trump can’t cancel.” The only challenge, Griffin jokes, would be coming up with the perfect name.
But beneath the humor, Griffin still harbors deep resentment toward Colbert over a 2018 interview on CBS’s *The Late Show*, which she describes as a “bulls– ambush” that left her in tears. In a candid YouTube video titled “Stephen Colbert made me cry!”, Griffin opened up about the infamous experience—one that forever changed her opinion of the late-night host.
The 2018 “Ambush” That Changed Everything
Griffin’s appearance on *The Late Show* came about 18 months after her notorious 2017 photo shoot holding up a prop resembling the severed, bloodied head of then-President Donald Trump. The image sparked national outrage, led to professional backlash, and even landed Griffin under federal investigation for alleged threats against the president.
Ahead of the 2018 interview, Griffin says she requested that Colbert avoid the Trump photo topic, and a producer agreed. But just before she took the stage, she was told Colbert would, in fact, bring it up. Determined to steer the conversation elsewhere, Griffin was nevertheless caught off guard by the host’s relentless questioning.
“It was a line of questioning where I remember thinking, ‘Wow, he has way more of a bias against me and my right to take that photo than I imagined in my worst-case scenario,’” Griffin recalled. Comparing the experience to being grilled on *60 Minutes*, she said she fought back tears to avoid breaking down in front of the audience.
Accusations of Misogyny and “Punching Down”
Griffin didn’t hold back in her critique of Colbert, accusing him of using his platform to “punch down” at a “D-list” celebrity and calling the ambush “laced with misogyny.” She insisted that a male comic wouldn’t have faced the same treatment.
“For him to be coming at me that way and to see me almost lose it…I have such a low opinion of Stephen Colbert right now,” Griffin said bluntly. “What a d—.”
The Interview: A Heated Debate Over Free Speech
During the nearly 10-minute segment, Colbert pressed Griffin on the backlash from the Trump photo, questioning whether her actions crossed a line protected by the First Amendment. Griffin defended her right to free speech, arguing, “It was a mask. A Halloween mask with ketchup. Where would I get a severed head?”
Colbert pushed back: “It looks like a severed head. It has blood on the neck.”
Griffin recounted how the controversy devastated her career, with “60 million Americans [thinking] I was a member of ISIS.” She also revealed that she was the subject of a federal investigation for conspiracy to assassinate the president—a claim that underscores the gravity of the backlash she faced.
Moving Forward: An Unstoppable Team?
Despite her fraught history with Colbert, Griffin now envisions a new show with him and Rosie O’Donnell—one that would be immune to political interference. The biggest challenge, she quipped, would be finding a name everyone could agree on.
CBS did not respond to requests for comment on Griffin’s allegations.
As the dust settles, one thing is clear: Kathy Griffin remains undeterred by controversy, and her willingness to speak out—no matter the cost—continues to set her apart in the world of comedy and beyond. Whether or not her dream show ever materializes, Griffin’s voice won’t be silenced anytime soon.
