Actress and comedian Kathy Griffin SOPA Images

Kathy Griffin announces lung cancer diagnosis: 'The doctors are very optimistic'

By Megan Armstrong | Last updated Aug 2, 2021 2:08 PM ET

Kathy Griffin is using her unfortunate circumstances to promote regular medical checkups.

The 60-year-old actress and stand-up comedian revealed in a statement posted Monday morning (Aug. 2) that she has been diagnosed with stage 1 lung cancer and will soon surgically have "half of my left lung removed":

pic.twitter.com/XoqoudcIK1
— Kathy Griffin (@kathygriffin) August 2, 2021

Griffin further discussed her diagnosis with ABC News correspondent Juju Chang for an episode of Nightline scheduled to air at 12:35 a.m. EST:

The interview also explores the professional and personal consequences she has been dealing with since she was controversially photographed holding up a bloodied Donald Trump mask. Griffin admitted she developed a pill addiction and eventually attempted suicide in June 2020.

#KathyGriffin says she was continuously told she'd shamed the comic industry and, along with her growing addiction to prescription pills, she began to contemplate suicide: https://t.co/X6GgEm8zmv pic.twitter.com/TCOkPgEXWn
— On The Red Carpet (@OnTheRedCarpet) August 2, 2021

"The irony is not lost on me that, a little over a year ago, all I wanted to do was die," Griffin told Chang. "And now, all I wanna do is live."

Megan Armstrong

Megan Armstrong (@megankarmstrong) is a writer whose work has appeared in places such as Billboard, GQ, Esquire, Bleacher Report, Uproxx, and others. Megan has also produced various podcasts and hosted a daily radio show at Mizzou. She grew up obsessed with sports — impressing adults by memorizing NFL statistics as a kindergartner — and grew into an obsession with music

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