Kathy Griffin on Demi Lovato Feud, Comedy Pay Gap & NYE With Anderson Cooper
Celebrities should know by now not to come after Kathy Griffin. Step to her and, chances are, you’ll end up in her act (and it won’t be…flattering). “Demi Lovato is now a full chunk of my act because [her fans] the Lovatics have come at me in a way that is life-threatening,” Griffin reveals in this episode of I Yahoo’d Myself.
Aside from this feud, the comedian also sounds off on Hollywood’s gender pay gap. “When it comes to standup comedy, it’s the most sexist of all of the entertainment industries,” she tells host Nick Axelrod. Even outside of comedy, Griffin believes she’s earning far less than her male peers, including her CNN New Year’s Eve Live co-host Anderson Cooper: “I’m getting paid a lot less than Anderson Cooper for New Year’s Eve. I mean, yeah.” That won’t stop her from testing Cooper’s limits on-air, or pissing off CNN executives with her antics (and getting fired “every year”). Could this be why she was passed over for all of the late-night hosting gigs in favor of dudes like Trevor Noah, Stephen Colbert, and James Corden? Regardless, Griffin is still angling for a spot: “I’d like to host a show because I think I’ve finally earned it after two Emmys and a Grammy!”
Check out our interview above for updates on Griffin’s wine-loving mom Maggie, and more!
Watch Griffin and Cooper go at it live on CNN starting Dec. 31 at 8pm.