Kathy Griffin calls Don Cheadle a 'Hollywood movie star phony' for not defending her over Trump controversy
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“Warning, I am on a f***ing tear tonight,” Kathy Griffin tweeted in the wee hours of the morning Tuesday. “I don’t care what time it is. Buckle up.”
She’s wasn’t kidding. Along with several tweets calling out Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa, for his comments about white supremacy, the comedian took aim at “ex friend” Don Cheadle in a rant that left the Oscar-nominated actor asking, “huh?”
Griffin aired her grievances against Cheadle after the Hotel Rwanda and Iron Man 2 star shared a photo of himself wearing a cap in support of Sleeping Giants, a progressive campaign to end bigotry and sexism. Apparently, Griffin found Cheadle’s activism to be at odds with how he treated her after she received backlash in May 2017 for holding up a severed, bloodied mask modeled after Donald Trump.
The Emmy-winning star lost several gigs and was fired by CNN as a co-host of its New Year’s Eve broadcast following a public outcry over the controversial Trump image. Cheadle, she now claims, was among those on the attack by sending a “nasty tweet” about her Trump drama.
Oh GREAT Don. I will never forgive you for your nasty tweet the day my smear campaign started. You know it was a fucking smear campaign and you have never taken a moment to apologize. Some liberal you are. Yes, my memory is long my ex friend. Shame on you. I kept a list. Fear me.
— Kathy Griffin (@kathygriffin) January 15, 2019
According to a commenter, the tweet that sparked Griffin’s ire appears to be this one, in which he wrote “that pic tho” in response to her shocking Trump image. The same tweet, curiously, appears to be defending Griffin from a troll who accused her of voting for Trump, with Cheadle insisting that she didn’t.
Is this what you’re referencing? pic.twitter.com/mblUPYT6dV
— Alex Leo (@AlexMLeo) January 15, 2019
Cheadle responded to Griffin’s attack with a confused “huh?” — prompting her to call him a “Hollywood movie star phony” and a “d***” who didn’t stand by her during the Trump fallout.
You don’t remember? Look up your tweets from May 30, 2017 or May 31. You. Of all people. Just another Hollywood movie star phony. You really had a problem with my photo? U don’t know a smear campaign from the oval office, the tabloids, the actual news, two federal investigations?
— Kathy Griffin (@kathygriffin) January 15, 2019
Huh? You’re a dick in real life, but believe it or not I truly hope what I went through never happens to you. Never. And if it did I would be the first in line to stand up for you, get my ass on television and do everything I could to defend you & the 1st amendment. It’s easy don
— Kathy Griffin (@kathygriffin) January 15, 2019
She went on to call him a “great actor [but] not such a great guy in real life” and told a commenter that she expected more from Cheadle, with whom she “had a good conversation one time.”
Neither did I. We had a good conversation one time. I guess he was just full of shit. Still waiting for someone of consequence to publicly stand up for what I am going through. No one with actual, visual power. You could’ve. Enjoy your new job, & yet I hope this never happens 2 u
— Kathy Griffin (@kathygriffin) January 15, 2019
She also compared the damage to her career to the blacklisting singer Eartha Kitt endured after scolding then-FLOTUS Lady Bird Johnson over the Vietnam War.
What I’ve been through is historic. Literally never happened in the history of the United States. Look it up. Closest case I could come through is the now passed away icon, Eartha Kitt. Don, surely you are familiar with her story
— Kathy Griffin (@kathygriffin) January 15, 2019
“See if he has the balls to reprint [his tweet about her] with an apology,” she added.
But others say Griffin is being overly sensitive over what they see as a harmless tweet Cheadle sent almost two years ago.
He stated that you hate him (true) than added "that pic tho" with a cringe face. Hardly an attack. It was in good humor it seems. You've gotten far worse flack than that. Go after the real haters.
— Mike Marchese (@MMarchese26) January 15, 2019
If this is the tweet she’s talking about, she’s blowing it wayyyyy out of proportion. He did really say anything negative 🤷🏾♀️
— Trauma Queen (@mz_mimi1114) January 15, 2019
I know you have been through awful times lately, truly sorry. Don has as well. In the grand scheme of what is happening right now in our country this seems futile. I am going to believe you are both awesome and Trump is a monster.
— Tracy Cas (@TraLC) January 15, 2019
Wow. Seriously? 🤦🏻♀️ I’m confused as well. Flinging shade over the past solves what, exactly? 🤨
— Laura Says So (@lmschaal) January 15, 2019
Cheadle, who is currently promoting his new Showtime series, Black Monday, responded to Griffin’s beef in a Twitter thread on Tuesday morning.
His reaction seemed to dispute their friendship, and while he agreed that the backlash she’s faced has been “egregious,” Cheadle suggested that she should have known better than to share her “cringe-worthy photo op.” He added that he wouldn’t apologize, but would discuss the issue with her offline.
depict yourself holding the bloody, severed head of the president, evoking daesh, daniel pearl and every other painful, disturbing memory associated with it, your first amendment rights notwithstanding." and had you said, "fkkk you, i'm doing it anyway," i would've said, "well
— Don Cheadle (@DonCheadle) January 15, 2019
3) taking every opportunity to oppose him and support those looking to unseat him, IS defending you albeit not your personal, cringe worthy photo-op. 4) apologize for a tweet!? 😂😂 …5) i'm sorry that you're still dealing with the aftershocks of your actions. it's egregious.
— Don Cheadle (@DonCheadle) January 15, 2019
6) this is six more than necessary answers to your "don's a dick because he didn't go on tv to champion me," tweet. 7) you wanna rap offline, you know how that works. ✌🏿
— Don Cheadle (@DonCheadle) January 15, 2019
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