Kathy Griffin Says She Was “Really Hurt” by Exclusion From Rosie O’Donnell’s Jimmy Kimmel Live Week
Photo Credit: Kathy Griffin Instagram
Kathy Griffin said this week that her feelings were “really hurt” after she was not invited to appear during Rosie O’Donnell’s guest-hosting run on ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live.
“It’s embarrassing to say, but I have to tell you guys because we’re friends,” Griffin said in the video.
“My feelings were really hurt that I was not invited to go on Rosie’s week of the Jimmy Kimmel show,” Griffin added.
Griffin said she had told O’Donnell that she would “love to be a guest” while the two comedians were traveling on a recent flight.
She said she became increasingly excited as the week approached, particularly after friends and acquaintances began asking whether she and O’Donnell would appear together in a sketch, interview or surprise segment.
Griffin characterized the moment as complicated rather than presenting it solely as a dispute.
She continued to praise O’Donnell’s performance and urged viewers to watch and support the guest-hosting week.
O’Donnell’s Response
O’Donnell answered Griffin publicly in a comment on Griffin’s Instagram post about the video.
“Kathy — shoulda called me honey — I didn’t choose the guests …,” O’Donnell wrote.
The response indicated that O’Donnell’s role as guest host did not give her final control over the guest lineup, although the available reporting does not identify which producers or executives made those decisions.
Entertainment Weekly reported that O’Donnell’s comment was intended to clarify that Griffin’s omission was not a personal decision by O’Donnell.
Neither the available reports from Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times or The Washington Post identified a public statement from Jimmy Kimmel or ABC explaining the booking decision.
O’Donnell’s Late-Night Return
O’Donnell began a four-night guest-hosting assignment on Jimmy Kimmel Live on Monday, August 17, while Kimmel was away.
The New York Times reported that O’Donnell opened her first episode with a greeting directed at President Donald Trump.
The Washington Post reported that O’Donnell did not say Trump’s name during the opening monologue, despite expectations that she might focus heavily on him.
The contrasting descriptions reflect the emphasis of each report: The New York Times highlighted O’Donnell’s greeting to Trump, while The Washington Post focused on the limited role Trump played in the monologue itself.
O’Donnell’s guest-hosting week was reported as a return to a prominent late-night television platform after her departure from The View and her more recent public commentary about American politics.
The Guest Lineup
Entertainment Weekly reported that guests appearing during O’Donnell’s week included Hannah Waddingham, Ana Gasteyer, Jean Smart and Richard Gadd.
The publication also listed Charlie Day, Janelle James, Shawn Hatosy, Megan Mullally and Nick Offerman among the guests scheduled for the remainder of the run.
Griffin’s comments centered on her expectation that her longstanding friendship with O’Donnell and relationship with Kimmel might lead to an invitation, but she acknowledged that she did not know how much authority O’Donnell had over the booking process.
Griffin also said that appearing alongside O’Donnell would have been meaningful because both comedians have been involved in public controversies connected to Trump.
That political connection formed part of Griffin’s explanation for why she had imagined the appearance as a notable television moment, but neither comedian described the booking decision as a political exclusion.
What the Exchange Establishes
The public record establishes that Griffin wanted to appear, that she expressed disappointment when she did not, and that O’Donnell said she had not selected the guests.
It does not establish that O’Donnell intentionally excluded Griffin, that Kimmel opposed an appearance, or that ABC or the program barred Griffin from the show.
The exchange also does not amount to a confirmed “feud”; the available accounts describe hurt feelings and a clarification between two people Griffin identified as longtime friends.
For now, the most substantiated account is a public misunderstanding surrounding a late-night guest list, rather than evidence of a confirmed rupture between Griffin and O’Donnell.
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