How an Angry Ellen DeGeneres Made Kathy Griffin Cry

In her new book, Kathy Griffin’s Celebrity Run-Ins: My A-Z Index, the outspoken comedian included a not-so-blind item about a “beloved daytime talk show host” with short blonde hair and “a mean streak that all of Hollywood knows about.” While promoting the book, which hit shelves Nov. 22, Griffin let it slip that the section was indeed about Ellen DeGeneres, who, as it turned out, did not appreciate the ink. 

“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 revealed to The Hollywood Reporter on Dec. 7 on the white carpet before THR’s Women in Entertainment breakfast presented by Lifetime. “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.”

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Griffin is also not immune to emotions. “We kind of got into it, and I’m not going to lie, after I hung up, I sobbed like a baby. I admire her and, you know, it was a difficult conversation. But hey, it came with the territory,” she explained.

Other stars who are name-checked in Griffin’s book are Leonardo DiCaprio, Cher, Woody Allen, Britney Spears, Taylor Swift and even President-elect Donald Trump.

See Griffin’s full interview below.

This story first appeared in the Jan. 6 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. To receive the magazine, click here to subscribe.