2019 LitFest Special Guest: Kathy Griffin

Photo by Mike Ruiz

Kathy Griffin is a two-time Emmy and Grammy award-winning comedian, a towering figure on television, on tour and in publishing. She is known globally with her universally recognized brand of pull-no-punches comedy. In 2019, Kathy completed her “Laugh Your Head Off” World Tour, which featured sold out performances across the globe including North America, Europe, Australia, and Singapore. This worldwide exposure led to her first docu-comedy feature film, Kathy Griffin: A Hell of a Story, which debuted in over 700 theaters nationwide on July 31, 2019. The film has been featured in numerous film festivals such as SXSW (Austin), 51Fest (New York), OutFest (Los Angeles), and Traverse City Film Festival, receiving critical acclaim. Kathy Griffin: A Hell of a Story is now available for digital download on Apple, Amazon, or wherever movies are sold around the world.

Kathy’s unrivaled style of humor and prolific comedy pedigree makes her one of television’s go-to hosts for premier live events. Kathy drew huge worldwide audiences to CNN’s New Year’s Eve special, which she co-produced and co-hosted with Anderson Cooper for 10 years. Kathy co-hosted The Billboard Music Awards LIVE three years in a row, the 41st annual Daytime Emmy Awards LIVE, and AARP’s Movies for Grownups Gala. Griffin’s sure-fire hosting success led to her own LIVE late-night talk show, Kathy. Griffin won two Primetime Emmy Awards for her hit reality series, Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List, which aired for six years on Bravo. It was nominated every single year of its run. The show also won the GLAAD Media Award for Best Reality Program.

Griffin’s influence can also be found in publishing. Her boisterous and revealing memoir, Official Book Club Selection: A Memoir According to Kathy Griffin, debuted at #1 on the New York Times Bestseller List. Griffin’s much-anticipated second book, Kathy Griffin’s Celebrity Run-Ins: My A-Z Index, was also a New York Times Best Seller. Griffin has been prominently featured on the covers of The Hollywood Reporter, Adweek, and The Advocate, as well as in-depth profiles in Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, New York Magazine, and Forbes.

In addition to performing, writing, and producing, Ms. Griffin is a renowned speaker and has taken her empowering messages of equality through activism and humor all over the country. Ms. Griffin’s passionate advocacy for women, the LGBT community, and other disenfranchised groups have been displayed through numerous candid and intimate conversations with award-winning journalists and moderators from the Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, the Hudson Union Society, 92Y, Oxford Union, as well as tech giants Google, AOL, Yahoo!, and BuzzFeed.

Griffin’s other awards and honors include: The Human Rights Campaign’s Ally for Equality, GLAAD’s Vanguard award, The Trevor Life Award from the Trevor Project, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America’s Leadership in Entertainment honor, the Harvard College Distinguished Service Partner Award, Veterans Tickets Foundation Distinguished Donor Award, the Lambda Legal Liberty Award, a two-time Ladies’ Home Journal “Funny Ladies We Love” Recipient, and a Gracie Award for Outstanding Female Lead.

From penning New York Times best-selling books to filling the country’s biggest concert halls on her comedy tours, Griffin has cemented herself as one of the most powerful figures in comedy and a warrior for the First Amendment. Unfiltered, unafraid, and utterly hilarious—she is a must-see for any stand-up fan.

“Every era gets the Lenny Bruce it deserves—ours is Kathy Griffin.” —New York Times

“There’s nothing like experiencing Kathy Griffin live.” —Los Angeles Times 

“Enormously Funny.” —The Hollywood Reporter

“Must-See Viewing.” —The Daily Beast