Source: Encyclopedia Britannica
- Comedian Kathy Griffin has revealed she was diagnosed with an extreme case of PTSD through a Tiktok video.
- The comedian also claimed the condition stemmed from her public estrangement after posting a photo of Donald Trump’s fake severed head in 2017.
Kathy Griffin reveals her complex PTSD diagnosis
Controversial American comedian Kathy Griffin has revealed she suffers from “complex PTSD” in a TikTok video she posted earlier this week.
She said in the video:
“Let’s talk about PTSD. I never spoke about it publicly. You can laugh or whatever, but I was diagnosed with complex PTSD, and that’s called an extreme case.
She also claimed it started after her infamous Donald Trump tweet:
“If any of you know my story, you will understand that it really started for me about 5 and a half years ago. Wink.”
After the photo was released, she didn’t leave her house for months and said she suffered “a wipeout”. Also, since that incident, she also started taking all the prescription pills she could find.
In 2021, she was diagnosed with stage 1 lung cancer which also “didn’t help” with her complex PTSD. She also underwent surgery to remove part of her lung and announced on Jimmy Kimmel Live that she was cancer free.
In the video, she also asked her followers and fans for advice on depression and anxiety and how they deal with it:
“I would like to hear from you about depression or anxiety, that kind of thing, and how you deal with it.”
Following that video, she then posted an update on Friday, claiming to have a panic attack as she walked along the beach.
On Saturday, she posted a third TikTok video speaking directly to the camera. She also thanked her followers for all the support she received and revealed that she woke up fine that day as her PTSD was worse in the morning.
Also read: Surprise! American comedian Kathy Griffin announced her wedding on New Year’s Day to her longtime boyfriend, Randy Bick
Donald Trump photo she posted ‘cancelled’ her
In May 2017, Kathy Griffin shared a photo of herself holding a mask depicting Donald Trump’s severed head. This led to it being “cancelled” or, in his words, “erased”.
In the caption of the photo, she writes:
“I caption this ‘there was blood coming out of his eyes, blood coming out of his…everywhere'”.
Her caption referenced a comment made by the then president about Megyn Kelly.
After facing major backlash for the post, she pulled it, apologized and asked for forgiveness, but it was too late.
The president himself tweeted:
“Kathy Griffin should be ashamed of herself. My kids, especially my 11 year old son, Barron, struggle with it. Sick!”
Her career was disrupted after this scandal as her comedy tour was canceled and she lost her endorsement deal with Squatty Potty.
Additionally, CNN ended her work as co-host of their New Year’s Eve special with Anderson Cooper, and 25 theaters canceled her upcoming shows.
Prior to the scandal, the controversial comedian had performed numerous stand-up shows and management had produced her own program, “Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List,” which aired on Bravo from 2005 to 2010.
Additionally, she said she received thousands of death threats, some of which remained on her mother’s answering machine, and others were called to her sister Joyce’s hospital room.
According to the NY Times, she was investigated by the Secret Service and the Department of Justice after the post.
You might also like to read: Kathy Griffin: Her Donald Trump Beheading Photoshoot, and Its Aftermath: Learn All Here!
