Kathy Griffin
Embattled comedienne Kathy Griffin, reeling from the backlash caused by her controversial photo shoot—where she held up a “bleeding head” of Donald Trump—recently held a press conference where she expressed grief over cancelled shows and “death threats” allegedly made by the United States president’s supporters.
Conceptualized with photographer Tyler Shields, Griffin’s image, where she held a ketchup-smeared Trump mask, was met with mixed reactions, the most vocal among them expressing disgust, including Griffin’s friend, news anchor Anderson Cooper.
Griffin immediately apologized in a video, but the damage was done. Soon after, she was fired by CNN from her annual New Year’s Eve hosting gig, and some of her scheduled venues announced cancellations.
Comedian Jim Carrey, however, offered support: “It’s the job of a comedian to cross the line at all times, because that line is not real—we’re the last line of defense,” he told Entertainment Tonight.
Actor Alec Baldwin, who has been impersonating Trump for months in “Saturday Night Live,” likewise defended Griffin and gave advice in a series of tweets. “F**k them all … [no one] believes you meant to threaten Trump. Ignore him. Like the leaders of all the other countries in the world.”
Comic Jerry Seinfeld also empathized with her and told People: “Every comedian tells a bad joke—that’s how we find the good jokes. I don’t understand the big deal.”
Ian McKellen
Ian McKellen protests gay ‘purge’ in Chechnya
Openly gay actor Ian McKellen joined protesters outside the Russian embassy in London to speak against alleged abuses resulting from a crackdown on gay men in the Russian federal republic of Chechnya.
“This is more than an internal affair—this is a principle—that gay people should be treated equally with the rest of society,” McKellen said. “As a friend, neighbor and supporter of all things Russian, I’m here to say, ‘Please do the right thing and understand how cruel you’re being.’”—OLIVER PULUMBARIT