Meghan McCain said her heart goes out to Kathy Griffin after the comedian revealed she has lung cancer, but said she’s “never going to like her” and accused her of bullying.
“First I just want to say it’s terrible and very scary to be diagnosed with cancer,” the co-host shared on “The View” on Monday, according to Decider.com.
“It’s very tragic to hear of her having an opioid addiction,” she added. “Both things have hit my family very hard, and it’s just horrific to go through as someone who’s a bystander, let alone actually going through it yourself. My heart goes out to her in that way, and I hope for a very speedy recovery.” (RELATED: ‘I’m Just Going To Rip The Band-Aid Off’: Meghan McCain Announces She’s Leaving ‘The View’)
WATCH:
KATHY GRIFFIN REVEALS LUNG CANCER DIAGNOSIS: After mostly keeping out of the spotlight since her controversial photo shoot with a depiction of then-Pres. Trump, the comedienne opened up about her drug addiction and cancer diagnosis – the co-hosts discuss. https://t.co/LRxaWZYgro pic.twitter.com/t4LV6mKEGy
— The View (@TheView) August 2, 2021
McCain then highlighted one of the reasons that Griffin was allegedly “canceled” — a photoshoot in which the comedian held up a “severed bloody head” of former President Donald Trump. The host suggested those on the panel would have been “a lot less reticent to have forgiveness” had a conservative comedian held up the head of a liberal politician like Vice President Kamala Harris, President Joe Biden or former President Barack Obama. (RELATED: Kathy Griffin Blames Trump For Samantha Bee’s Apology: ‘Comics Held To Higher Standards Than The President’)
“And I don’t like her because I don’t like seeing pictures of severed heads of anyone, any place, because it reminds me of what ISIS does to our soldiers,” she added.
The former Fox News host also talked about her friend and singer Clay Aiken, claiming that she didn’t like the comedian because “she made very, very, very cruel and homophobic jokes about him before he was out of the closet.”
“I think he’s lucky he didn’t end up becoming an opioid addict, given the degree of bullying that happened to him when he was still struggling to come out of the closet,” she alleged.
“I would love to hear an apology, if she’s doing this kind of soul-searching, for what could’ve happened with my good friend,” McCain continued. “I don’t like her, I’m never going to like her for all the jokes she made about Clay.”
Clay Aiken has since sent well wishes to Griffin, calling the comedian “selfless and gracious.”
Love and prayers for a speedy recovery to my dear friend @kathygriffin!
Selfless and gracious, she even hosted a fundraiser for my congressional campaign years ago.
Get well soon Kathy. I miss your jokes! pic.twitter.com/dR7NY4FzJD— Clay Aiken (@clayaiken) August 2, 2021
“Love and prayers for a speedy recovery to my dear friend,” Aiken tweeted. “Selfless and gracious, she even hosted a fundraiser for my congressional campaign years ago. Get well soon Kathy. I miss your jokes!”
Updated: The original story has been updated to reflect Aiken’s comments.