Kathy Griffin shared sad news with her fans Thursday, saying that her 98-year-old mother Maggie — who was regularly featured on Griffin’s reality show “My Life on the D-List” — has “rapidly fallen into the throes of dementia.”
In a long series of tweets, Griffin shared a photo of herself with Maggie from September, which Griffin said, “was the last time I was able to have a proper/coherent conversation with her.”
“Since that photo was taken, she has rapidly fallen into the throes of dementia,” Griffin continued. “This is never easy for any child, I know this is a reality that millions of people deal with every year. But when it comes to my mom this is particularly hard because her sharp mind was everything.”
Griffin added that, until the past couple of years, the elder Griffin was “so sharp she always kept me on my toes … Watching that slip away so fast has been devastating.”
Griffin went on to assure fans that her mother “is not in pain and she is getting the best 24-hour care,” but that “at this point she only knows my name and I love you.”
The comedian added, “I know many of you know what that reality is like…I’m still grappling with it.”
Griffin continued that the proudest part for her about her reality show was that it “gave me the opportunity to show the world how naturally funny my parents were. When people tell me they feel like they know my mom, I always respond ‘You do!’ She never put on a show, she was the show.”
Griffin added, “I’m so lucky that I have six seasons of My Life On The D list to look back on and enjoy moments of my mom being herself…the Maggie you all came to know and love. Remember the ‘Faceplace’ (aka Facebook) moment?”
Read Griffin’s tweets below.
A) As heartbreaking as this is, I feel the need to share some important info about my mom Maggie. I’ve always been honest with you all, but this one is really hard. The pic below, taken in September, was the last time I was able to have a proper/coherent conversation with her. pic.twitter.com/oqBcQTEDAB
— Kathy Griffin (@kathygriffin) January 3, 2019
B) Since that photo was taken, she has rapidly fallen into the throes of dementia. This is never easy for any child, I know this is a reality that millions of people deal with every year. But when it comes to my mom this is particularly hard because her sharp mind was everything.
— Kathy Griffin (@kathygriffin) January 3, 2019
C) My mom is 98 and up until this past couple years she was so sharp she always kept me on my toes. Her mind was so naturally quick, funny, and smart. No one could get anything past her. Watching that slip away so fast has been devastating.
— Kathy Griffin (@kathygriffin) January 3, 2019
D) I want to assure you all that she is not in pain and she is getting the best 24-hour care. In terms of how she is now, at this point she only knows my name and I love you. I know many of you know what that reality is like…I’m still grappling with it.
— Kathy Griffin (@kathygriffin) January 3, 2019
E) A big reason I’m sharing this news with you is that so many of you have asked why I haven’t posted a video of Maggie & her beloved dog Twinkle in the past few months. Now you understand why we haven’t been able to share anything, here is a moment between them from this summer pic.twitter.com/IWdzoGAHTW
— Kathy Griffin (@kathygriffin) January 3, 2019
F) What I am most proud of when I comes to My Life On The D List is that show gave me the opportunity to show the world how naturally funny my parents were. When people tell me they feel like they know my mom, I always respond “you do!” She never put on a show, she was the show.
— Kathy Griffin (@kathygriffin) January 3, 2019
G) If you ever met my mom and asked for a photo, you should know it was a pleasure as much for her as it was for you. She loved making people happy and making people laugh. And trust me, I know she was the bigger star…here she is at my LA show in June greeting her many fans! pic.twitter.com/loWSzKckGG
— Kathy Griffin (@kathygriffin) January 3, 2019
H) I can’t tell you how many invites I get addressed to Maggie and me. @GloriaEstefan once joked that I wasn’t allowed to come to her concert unless I brought Maggie! Here is a sweet video of @sharonstone meeting Maggie at my house. I’m so grateful these moments were captured. pic.twitter.com/xuTna345vB
— Kathy Griffin (@kathygriffin) January 3, 2019
I) One of the many perks of being in show business is having the ability/resources of being able to capture amazing moments. When I brought @shanedawson‘s mom @TeresaYaw backstage at my show in LA, I had Teresa teach Maggie about Youtube…or as Maggie called it U2 pic.twitter.com/Gxjs8KUH1i
— Kathy Griffin (@kathygriffin) January 3, 2019
J) I’m so lucky that I have six seasons of My Life On The D list to look back on and enjoy moments of my mom being herself…the Maggie you all came to know and love. Remember the “Faceplace” (aka Facebook) moment? pic.twitter.com/A6b24NvaPg
— Kathy Griffin (@kathygriffin) January 3, 2019
K) I would love it if you would respond to this thread with a video clip of your favorite Maggie moments or if you had the honor of meeting her a photo. While the reality for Maggie is different now, I want to remember the woman all of you fell in love with.
— Kathy Griffin (@kathygriffin) January 3, 2019
L) Could any photo sum up Maggie more than this one? Glass of wine in one hand (from the box, naturally) and her favorite daughter Twinkle in the other.
TIP IT!!
P.S. Those sunglasses were mine…she may have stolen them…allegedly! pic.twitter.com/6QSX3Ahghi
— Kathy Griffin (@kathygriffin) January 3, 2019
M) I will never forget how kind so many of you were to her. People ask why I’m friends with @KimKardashian. It’s simple, moments like these…when Maggie was depressed, Kim cheered her up by bringing her kids Saint and North to the house. It made Maggie’s day. pic.twitter.com/cPzyOUfdaE
— Kathy Griffin (@kathygriffin) January 3, 2019
N) My amazing mom and me…. pic.twitter.com/7DIJDe0ksA
— Kathy Griffin (@kathygriffin) January 3, 2019