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Comedy Clash: Kathy Griffin and Ellen DeGeneres’ Decades-Long Feud Explored
The world of comedy and television has witnessed its share of rivalries, but few are as enduring and publicly discussed as the discord between comedic personalities Kathy Griffin and Ellen DeGeneres. While Griffin acknowledges DeGeneres’ comedic talent, describing her as “very naturally funny,” this apparent respect is overshadowed by a deep-seated animosity that has spanned decades. This article delves into the history of the Kathy Griffin Ellen DeGeneres feud, examining key moments that fueled this long-standing conflict between the two TV stars.
Genesis of the Grudge: The 1990s Sitcom Set
The roots of the Griffin-DeGeneres friction trace back to 1996, during Griffin’s guest appearance on DeGeneres’ 1990s sitcom, Ellen. Griffin recounted in a YouTube video that DeGeneres recognized her from a Kenmore Stereos commercial. In the advertisement, Griffin delivered the lyrics to “Play That Funky Music” by Wild Cherry in a deadpan manner. DeGeneres, at the table read for the episode, reportedly insisted Griffin reprise the commercial performance.
Griffin characterized the request as lacking “a fun spirit,” adding, “If that was me and I was the star of the show, I just wouldn’t do that to somebody who’s like the day player…I felt like she was saying ‘dance, b****, dance.” Despite feeling uncomfortable, Griffin reluctantly performed the bit. However, the humor fell flat without the visual context of her outfit and backup dancers from the commercial. An awkward silence filled the room, with Griffin sensing that others, unfamiliar with the commercial, didn’t understand the intended joke. She perceived DeGeneres’ reaction as dismissive, stating, ” [Ellen] then also kind of looked at me like, ‘what are you doing?’” Griffin concluded that this initial encounter set a frosty tone for their future interactions, noting, “She never was friendly after that. It was just rough.”
Talk Show Tension: The 2007 “Ban” Dispute
Years later, in a March 2007 interview featured in W Magazine, DeGeneres addressed Griffin’s assertion that she had been prohibited from appearing on DeGeneres’ daytime talk show. DeGeneres refuted these claims, stating, “I know she had a big thing about wanting to be on the show, and we didn’t book her. She did a whole thing that I banned her from the show. I didn’t ban her from the show, because first you have to be on the show to be banned.”
Despite this denial, Griffin did eventually appear on The Ellen DeGeneres Show later in 2007. However, Griffin felt slighted when DeGeneres reportedly labeled her as “mean” during her opening monologue. Griffin expressed feelings of betrayal to Us Weekly at the time, lamenting, “I was in the dressing room like, ‘S**t! You’re another woman comic, c’mon!’”
Joan Rivers and a Tribute Refused: 2014
The friction escalated further following the death of Joan Rivers in 2014. According to Griffin, DeGeneres harbored a dislike for Rivers’ comedic style, deeming it “too vulgar.” After Rivers’ passing, Griffin reached out to DeGeneres, hoping to persuade her to participate in a tribute to the late comedian.
Griffin recounted a 2018 Variety story where she explained her appeal to DeGeneres: “I just called her and I just said, ‘Look, woman to woman, comic to comic, I think you need to let go of your hatred for Joan Rivers. She’s passed away, just do a f—ing tribute, be cool,’” However, DeGeneres reportedly declined, allegedly stating a distinction “between mean and funny,” a response that ignited Griffin’s anger.
“That f***ing set me off,” Griffin admitted. “So we had a fight in which I used inflammatory words like, ‘Look you f***ing untalented hack.’ … You know when you’re fighting with someone and you can kind of laugh at a point? Yeah, not that day.” Griffin has claimed she later attempted to apologize to DeGeneres but received no reply.
Dressing Room Drama and a Book Recount: 2016
In 2016, Griffin’s book, Celebrity Run-Ins: My A-Z Index, included an anecdote that seemed to describe an incident involving DeGeneres at the Emmy Awards. Griffin wrote, “I’m almost positive a certain beloved daytime talk show host once had me kicked out of a backstage dressing room at the Emmy Awards.” She further characterized the unnamed individual: “I can’t prove it, but this person, who has short blonde hair, has a mean streak that all of Hollywood knows about.”
Following the book’s publication, Griffin told the Hollywood Reporter that she received an angry phone call from DeGeneres. “The only angry call I got was from Ellen DeGeneres, which is, by the way, not fun to get when you’re like, a female comic who loves her and her accomplishments,” Griffin stated in a December 2016 interview. “She was extremely upset, and I think she had a thought that she was going to, like, put me in my place, or whatever, but as you know I’m not shut-uppable.”
Griffin revealed the intense emotional aftermath of the conversation, admitting, “We kind of got into it, and I’m not going to lie, after I hung up, I sobbed like a baby,” Despite their conflict, Griffin maintained a degree of admiration for DeGeneres, adding, “I admire her and, you know, it was a difficult conversation. But hey, it came with the territory.” The feud between these comedy figures continues to be a notable chapter in their respective careers.