American comedian Kathy Griffin has had emergency surgery for lung cancer just a day after revealing her diagnosis in a shock social media post.
The two-time Emmy and Grammy award-winner announced her illness on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter on Monday.
“I have cancer. I’m about to go into surgery to have half of my left lung removed,” Griffin shared across her platforms.
“Yes, I have lung cancer even though I’ve never smoked!”
The My Life on the D-List star said her doctors were “very optimistic” given they caught the potentially lethal and debilitating disease in its first stage.
She also said the cancer was contained to her left lung, which her doctor’s hoped would be addressed by removing the tissue through surgery.
“Hopefully no chemo or radiation after this and I should have normal function with my breathing,” she said.
“I’m gonna be just fine.”
The 60-year-old used the announcement of her illness to encourage others to keep on top of their health.
“Please stay up to date on your medical check ups. It’ll save your life,” Griffin wrote.
- You can find information on cancer screening and support here.
She also used took the opportunity to remind her fans of a perhaps less considered benefit of being vaccinated against COVID-19.
“Of course, I am full vaccinated for COVID. The consequences for being unvaccinated would have been even more serious,” she wrote.
‘A helluva 4 years’ for Kathy Griffin
Griffin is perhaps best known internationally for her outspoken political views, particularly about ex-President Donald Trump who she said openly called a “Nazi”.
She faced severe backlash in 2017 after posing for gory photos holding what looked like the severed head of the then-president.
The backlash over the image was swift and Griffin lost her New Year’s Eve co-hosting gig with CNN.
The controversial comedian made Australian headlines in the same year, when she clashed with Sunrise co-host Samantha Armytage over the incident.
She took offence to Armytage’s questioning about the photo shoot while being interviewed on the morning show.
“You’re full of crap. Stop this. You know this,” Griffin said.
“Stop acting like my little picture is more important than talking about the actual atrocities that the President of the United States is committing.”
Speaking to The New Daily at the time, Griffin did not appear overly apologetic.
“I got in trouble for yelling at someone named Sam!” she laughed.
“It’s just fun to tell any broadcaster to cut the cr-p.”
But, though she didn’t apologise for the photo or what she said to Armytage, Griffin did share some pretty disturbing details involving her family.
“Trump fans tracked down my sister with cancer, they were leaving hate messages on her phone while she was dying. They even found my 97-year-old mother in her retirement village,” she said.
Kathy lost her older sister Joyce Griffin to cancer in September of the same year.
Griffin referred to the difficulties she has faced in the social media post.
“It’s been a helluva four years, trying to get back to work, making you guys laugh and entertaining you,” she wrote.
As well as Trump-fuelled career hurdles and losing her sister to cancer, Griffin’s mum also died in 2020 after a long battle with dementia.
According to NBC News, a spokesperson for Griffin said the surgery on Monday “went well and as planned.”
“Kathy is now in recovery and resting,” the spokesperson said.
“Doctors say the procedure was normal without any surprises.”
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