Kathy Griffin, who announcement that she’s battling lung cancer and needing surgery is no stranger to controversy – personal, political and, often, viral. She once told Jesus to “suck her off” during an Emmy acceptance speech – that sort of thing. As the self-proclaimed “Mayor of Zero F – ksville”, the actress went through ups and downs on ups and downs, and she held on all the time.

His brash comedy style, signature, red hair, and absolute courage in the face of controversy are closely tied to his legendary 40-year career. During her career, Griffin played the role of a muckraking reporter on “Fresh Prince of Bel-Air”, hosted the Daytime Emmys, turned a stand-up party into an HBO comedy special, starred in his own reality TV series, and last year made its film debut with the concert film “A Hell of a Story”.

She was also banned from multiple talk shows, danced topless in celebration of Paul Manafort’s verdict, faced a potential charge of “conspiracy to assassinate the president” on a controversial piece of art by Trump’s head and today, she announced that she was diagnosed with lung cancer two weeks ago, and will undergo surgery to remove the tumor from her lung.

The Emmy and Grammy-winning actress, New York Times bestselling author and television and film veteran made her debut as a member of the improv comedy troupe The Groundlings, after moving from her native Illinois to Los Angeles to study drama. In the 1990s, she started doing stand-up and appeared in several shows and films, such as “Seinfeld”, “Suddenly Susan”, “Run Ronnie Run!” and “Pulp Fiction” and continued to sprinkle his acting skills in reality TV, music and writing.

UP: Reality Show Success

In 2005, Griffin starred for five years in a Bravo reality television series, “Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List”. In it, she mocked herself and the difficulties of being a self-proclaimed “D-list” celebrity. She captivated audiences as she continued her shocking antics that got into the conversation: she plotted for publicity, took her niece and nephew on crazy adventures, and even got a smear on camera, seated – naturally – by the pool in Beverly Hills. The show’s second season even earned it the 2007 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Reality Program. Then… came the speech.

DOWN: The curse of Jesus causes a backlash

While the show – much like almost anything the comedian does – has sparked a bit of controversy here and there, nothing compared to the comedian’s Emmy acceptance speech in which she sadly told Jesus – yes, Jesus – to “suck it”. Griffin later explained that she was parodying other celebrities who thank Jesus for their various accomplishments. Nonetheless, a backlash did occur and she was dropped by a few appearances, but Griffin took it all in his own hands, with his quick wit and self-assurance.

UP: More glory for the rewards!

In 2008 Griffin was able to redeem himself, in a way, by racking up more accolades and nominations: an Emmy for “My Life on the D-List” and a Grammy nomination for Best Comedy Album for his debut CD. of comedy. , “For your consideration.”

LOW: but also a failed joke

And just like that, Griffin’s career ebbed again, as she was criticized for a swear words-filled joke about Octomom during her routine at the Apollo Theater in New York City. Griffin even said he received a letter forbidding him to attend the scene.

UP (and DOWN): a whole new talk show

In 2012, Griffin had his own late night talk show “Kathy” on Bravo, much to his fans’ delight. Her boisterous personality and down-to-earth humor were on display, as the show was the perfect platform for the actress to discuss anything and everything that comes to her mind, from the equality of women in comedy. to liposuction to celebrity gossip. She even had famous guests, like Jimmy Kimmel, Sharon Osbourne, Anderson Cooper and Jane Fonda. Unfortunately, the series was canceled 12 months later, after only two seasons.

UP (and another DOWN later): The 2015 Fashion Police concert

With 20 comedy specials to his name – which even earned him the Guinness World Record for “Most TV Comedian Stand-Up Specials” at the time – Griffin took over “Fashion Police,” biting him down. , slightly controversial, but light-hearted fashion commentary show directed by the late Joan Rivers, who was also Griffin’s longtime friend. After seven episodes, Griffin announced her departure from the series saying she did not want to “contribute to a culture of perfectionism and intolerance to difference unattainable” in a statement on Twitter.

DOWN: Gory Art About the President freaks everyone out

In what may have been Griffin’s biggest controversy, she posted graphic photos of herself holding a bloodied head, with a strange resemblance to then-President Donald Trump in 2017. Although she apologized on social media and gave a tearful press conference during which she acknowledged the “disturbing” nature of the photos – “I understand how much this offends people … I beg your pardon” – her career took a hit, many – most famous, Anderson Cooper – expressing their disapproval. She has been barred from publicity gigs and television appearances, she and her family have received death threats and have even been investigated by the US Secret Service for a “plot to assassinate” the president. .

UP: But Kathy Griffin bounces back with “one hell of a story“

Much like Griffin, she came back more fearless than ever, repeating her apologies in 2017, saying it was an expression of her free speech. She was on a comeback tour in the cheeky name of “Laugh Your Head Off”, which sold out in less than 24 hours, and in 2019, premiered her first self-funded concert film, “A Hell of a Story.” , based on the backlash she received from the Trump photo controversy.

And now, in the midst of her recent battle with lung cancer, Griffin’s representatives have confirmed that she had successfully undergone surgery to remove the tumor from her lung.

As she said in a 2013 interview, “At some point you have to laugh to survive.”

Which is.