While some are going to argue that Americans are generally forgiving and everyone except OJ Simpson can ultimately have a comeback, fans and non-fans remain upset about Kathy Griffin's controversial photoshoot with photographer Tyler Shields depicting the bloodied, decapitated head of President Trump. And while Griffin, 56, will probably have to take some time rebuilding her career, which depends in part on a rigorous schedule of live appearances, a handful of those appearances that were on the calendar for the next several months have already been canceled, with at least one venue claiming they could not plan for adequate security in light of this controversy.
That venue, as the LA Times reports, is the Veterans' Hall in Grass Valley, California, and the Grass Valley Center for the Arts, which booked the event, issued a statement saying, "We wholeheartedly support free speech, but in light of this situation, our first priority must be public safety, and we feel it is in the best interest of the community we serve to cancel this event."
Meanwhile, the St. George Theatre on Staten Island in New York City said, "Ms. Griffin's recent actions have severely inhibited our ability to fulfill our mission as a non-profit theatre serving the Staten Island community."
Also, as the LAT notes, Senator Al Franken issued a statement telling Griffin "it would be best" if Griffin did not make a planned appearance at his book party on July 7 at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts in Beverly Hills.
Napa's Uptown Theatre had two shows scheduled with Griffin in mid-June, and KRON 4 reports that those have been canceled as well. The announcement on their Facebook page came with no further explanation, the theater said, "Ticket holders will receive a full refund at place of purchase." The post from Friday has garnered over 1,000 comments both praising and condemning the cancelation.
The appearance by Griffin the day before the Napa gig, on June 16, in Grass Valley was canceled, according Center for the Arts spokesperson Julie Baker, was canceled after a Nevada-based conservative group called The Deplorables planned a significant protest if the event went on. Baker tells The Union newspaper, "Unfortunately, due to recent actions for which [Griffin] has publicly apologized, we have received hundreds of angry and threatening emails and phone calls, including threats to the Vets Hall building and our community."
TMZ further reports that Griffin's entire current tour, dubbed "Celebrity Run-Ins," has now been canceled, with Napa's Uptown Theatre being the last to cancel, following Griffin's public apology last week. Shows have also been scrapped at the Route 66 Casino in Albuquerque, and the State Theatre in New Jersey.
Meanwhile, Alec Baldwin, who has had his share of public controversies over the years, came to Griffin's defense on Friday, via Twitter. Referring to a 1998 Conan O'Brien appearance in which he joked about stoning Rep. Henry Hyde to death and killing the wives and children of Republicans during the Clinton impeachment hearings, and was chastised by Republicans. "No 1 believes u meant 2 threaten Trump. Trump is such a senile idiot, all he has is Twitter fights," Baldwin wrote. "Ignore him. Like the leaders of all the other countries in the world. Ignore him."
1- Dear Kathy Griffin,
— AlecBaldwin (@AlecBaldwin) June 3, 2017
Kathy....baby...I've been there.
The whole Henry Hyde thing w Conan, where we bring out an oxygen mask at the end?
2- a joke. That's what I thought. That's what we intended. No one walked out of the studio and said, "No! We're serious!"
— AlecBaldwin (@AlecBaldwin) June 3, 2017
No one.
3- but all your gutless, weasels in the GOP insisted that I actually threatened Hyde. They played the victim beautifully.
— AlecBaldwin (@AlecBaldwin) June 3, 2017
4- Kathy...fuck them. Fuck them all. No 1 believes u meant 2 threaten Trump. Trump is such a senile idiot, all he has is Twitter fights.
— AlecBaldwin (@AlecBaldwin) June 3, 2017
5- ignore him. Like the leaders of all the other countries in the world. Ignore him.
— AlecBaldwin (@AlecBaldwin) June 3, 2017
Similarly, Jim Carrey weighed in last week via Entertainment Tonight, saying that "Comedians are the last line of defense" against Trump.
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