'I went way too far': Kathy Griffin apologizes for photo shoot that featured bloody Trump head
(Kevork Djansezian/Getty)
Hours after comedian Kathy Griffin raised eyebrows with a photo shoot that featured her holding a decapitated and bloody mock head that resembled President Donald Trump, Griffin issued an apology, saying that she "went way too far."
"I sincerely apologize," Griffin said in a video posted Monday evening. "I am just now seeing the reaction of these images."
"I'm a comic, I crossed the line, I move the line ... I went way too far," continued Griffin. "I made a mistake, and I was wrong."
Griffin also stated that she would ask the photographer to "take down the image."
The comedian, who is known for off-color humor, initially defended the photo shoot, saying "OBVIOUSLY, I do not condone ANY violence by my fans or others to anyone, ever! I'm merely mocking the Mocker in Chief."
WATCH: @kathygriffin has never apologized for anything in her career...until now. And no, it's not because of her bottom line. pic.twitter.com/pQbsSSnjQ8
— Yashar Ali (@yashar) May 31, 2017
TMZ leaked the photo and reported that Griffin posed for it during a shoot with the photographer Tyler Shields. The outlet also posted a video of the shoot.
The photo quickly trended online, and Griffin began to gain heat on social media.
Kathy Griffin is the embodiment of the average American liberal A psychotic lunatic who has more in common with ISIS than with the U.S. pic.twitter.com/5zlBwRv245
— Mark Dice (@MarkDice) May 30, 2017
I hope people realize the new precedent Kathy Griffin has set, this is madness. Call CNN advertisers & everyone shes affiliated with ASAP. pic.twitter.com/BKlhnbkgZh
— Irma Hinojosa (@irmahinojosa_) May 30, 2017
Kathy Griffin is the new face of the Democratic party and the newest member of ISIS. The Secret Service should investigate immediately. pic.twitter.com/KKD2Aibume
— Steve Hirsch (@Stevenwhirsch99) May 30, 2017
Representatives for Griffin and Shields did not immediately respond to Business Insider's request for comment.
Hours after TMZ posted its story, the US Secret Service touted on Twitter its "robust protective intelligence division that monitors open source reporting & social media to evaluate threats."
"Threats made against Secret Service protectees receive the highest priority of all of our investigations. #ProtectionNeverRests," the agency said in a follow-up tweet.
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