CNN ‘Evaluating New Year’s’ Show After Kathy Griffin’s ‘Disgusting and Offensive’ Trump Photos

“I am appalled by the photo shoot Kathy Griffin took part in. It is clearly disgusting and completely inappropriate,” Anderson Cooper also says

Anderson Cooper Kathy Griffin

After Kathy Griffin apologized for photos depicting President Trump’s decapitated head, CNN released a statement regarding the actions of its frequent on-air contributor who has co-hosted the network’s New Year’s Eve coverage with anchor Anderson Cooper in Times Square for the last decade.

“We found what she did disgusting and offensive,” a spokesperson for the network told TheWrap Tuesday night. “We are pleased to see she has apologized and asked that the photos be taken down. We are evaluating New Year’s Eve and have made no decisions at this point.”

Anderson Cooper also tweeted his feelings on the outcry, saying: “For the record, I am appalled by the photo shoot Kathy Griffin took part in. It is clearly disgusting and completely inappropriate.”

In 2007, Griffin first joined Cooper on CNN’s “New Year’s Eve Live” from Times Square in New York City. The pair had instant chemistry which led to what has become an annual holiday tradition.

Earlier on Tuesday, the comedian expressed her regret for a politically charged photo shoot for photographer Tyler Shields in an emotional video via Twitter. “I sincerely apologize — I am just now seeing the reaction of these images,” she said. “I’m a comic, I cross the line — I move the line, then I cross it. I went way too far. The image is too disturbing. I understand how it offends people.

“It wasn’t funny — I get it. I’ve made a lot of mistakes in my career. I will continue,” she went on to say in the video message. “I asked your forgiveness, [I’m] taking down the image, going to ask the photographer to take down the image, and I beg for your forgiveness. I went too far. I made a mistake, and I was wrong.”

kathy griffin
Photo: Tyler Shields

Among those condemning the images were CNN’s own Jake Tapper. “For those asking, I said on air that I thought the beheading imagery by Griffin about the president was disgusting and inappropriate,” Tapper tweeted.

Many other Twitter users demanded that Griffin be removed from the popular New Year’s Eve show.

https://twitter.com/toddstarnes/status/869638649033482247

The founders of Squatty Potty, a line of toilet stools and Unicorn Gold bathroom products for which Griffin was a spokesperson for, has also distanced itself from the TV personality.

“We were shocked and disappointed to learn about the image Ms. Griffin shared today, it was deeply inappropriate and runs contrary to the core values our company stands for,” the Utah-based company said in a statement to TheWrap. “In response, Squatty Potty has suspended its ad campaign featuring Ms. Griffin. We have acted swiftly and decisively to demonstrate our commitment to a culture of decency, civility, and tolerance.”

The images of Griffin holding up a bloody head were posted to photographer Tyler Shields’ blog on Tuesday.

In a behind-the-scenes video about the shoot, Griffin praised Shields as “wildly talented,” and said that they “are not afraid to do images that make noise.”

Itay Hod contributed to this report.

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