During an appearance on HBO’s ‘Real Time with Bill Maher’ on Friday, the comedian said the first gig is set for Carnegie Hall in New York with the other one at the Kennedy Center, which Griffin joked was her journey to “Trump’s backyard.”

Kathy Griffin is ready to return to the spotlight after making her first major television appearance since her controversial photograph that featured a mock-severed head of President Donald Trump. Joining Bill Maher on HBO’s Real Time Friday night, the comedian discussed her life post-photo scandal and announced that she is officially making her comeback to the U.S. 

 “I’m dipping my toes into touring again even though the Trumps and nobody wants me to work again,” Griffin told Maher, then announcing that she booked two comedy shows in the U.S., her first in the country since the scandal. The first is set for Carnegie Hall in New York with the other one at the Kennedy Center, which Griffin joked was right in “Trump’s backyard.”

Though excited to perform her first shows, Griffin acknowledged the journey has been difficult, failing to receive much support from the public. “Thank you for being one of the first and only people to publicly support me and say what happened is bullshit, publicly,” Griffin was quick to say to Maher, who has been vocal about his support for the comedian.

Griffin sparked controversy, last year, after a photograph of her holding a fake, decapitated Donald Trump head circulated online. After the viral photo, the comedian immediately received death threats from Trump supporters, criticism from the media and Hollywood and threatened to be charged with conspiracy to assassinate the president. Griffin was also fired by CNN where she hosted their annual New Year’s Eve broadcast alongside Anderson Cooper for a decade. 

“You took a very bad selfie. I blame the photographer… it turned out to be very wacky,” Maher said of the incident, further arguing that the country appears to go “bat shit nuts about everything” in today’s climate.  

Finding it difficult to book any jobs in the U.S. post-scandal, Griffin embarked on an international comedy tour of 23 countries and 15 cities, where she revealed the extent of her scandal. “I was detained at every single airport,” Griffin admitted to Maher. “They scan your passport. They put me in a detention room… There were times when they took my devices. When you’re in that moment, you’re at the mercy of the one or two people in that room.”

Griffin also admitted to being on the Interpol list for international criminals, with Maher quipping, “You were on the D-list. Now you’re on the no-fly list.”

Though expressing that she would reconsider taking the photograph if she could turn back time, Griffin jabbed that she would now pose with a decapitated Mike Pence instead. “Just kidding! Ten months I waited to do that joke. Ten months!”

CNN’s Ana Navarro, conservative blogger Erick Erickson, New York Times staff editor Bari Weiss and stand-up comedian Trae Crowder also made appearances on Friday night’s show. 

During an appearance on HBO’s ‘Real Time with Bill Maher’ on Friday, the comedian said the first gig is set for Carnegie Hall in New York with the other one at the Kennedy Center, which Griffin joked was her journey to “Trump’s backyard.”

Kathy Griffin is ready to return to the spotlight after making her first major television appearance since her controversial photograph that featured a mock-severed head of President Donald Trump. Joining Bill Maher on HBO’s Real Time Friday night, the comedian discussed her life post-photo scandal and announced that she is officially making her comeback to the U.S. 

 “I’m dipping my toes into touring again even though the Trumps and nobody wants me to work again,” Griffin told Maher, then announcing that she booked two comedy shows in the U.S., her first in the country since the scandal. The first is set for Carnegie Hall in New York with the other one at the Kennedy Center, which Griffin joked was right in “Trump’s backyard.”

Though excited to perform her first shows, Griffin acknowledged the journey has been difficult, failing to receive much support from the public. “Thank you for being one of the first and only people to publicly support me and say what happened is bullshit, publicly,” Griffin was quick to say to Maher, who has been vocal about his support for the comedian.

Griffin sparked controversy, last year, after a photograph of her holding a fake, decapitated Donald Trump head circulated online. After the viral photo, the comedian immediately received death threats from Trump supporters, criticism from the media and Hollywood and threatened to be charged with conspiracy to assassinate the president. Griffin was also fired by CNN where she hosted their annual New Year’s Eve broadcast alongside Anderson Cooper for a decade. 

“You took a very bad selfie. I blame the photographer… it turned out to be very wacky,” Maher said of the incident, further arguing that the country appears to go “bat shit nuts about everything” in today’s climate.  

Finding it difficult to book any jobs in the U.S. post-scandal, Griffin embarked on an international comedy tour of 23 countries and 15 cities, where she revealed the extent of her scandal. “I was detained at every single airport,” Griffin admitted to Maher. “They scan your passport. They put me in a detention room… There were times when they took my devices. When you’re in that moment, you’re at the mercy of the one or two people in that room.”

Griffin also admitted to being on the Interpol list for international criminals, with Maher quipping, “You were on the D-list. Now you’re on the no-fly list.”

Though expressing that she would reconsider taking the photograph if she could turn back time, Griffin jabbed that she would now pose with a decapitated Mike Pence instead. “Just kidding! Ten months I waited to do that joke. Ten months!”

CNN’s Ana Navarro, conservative blogger Erick Erickson, New York Times staff editor Bari Weiss and stand-up comedian Trae Crowder also made appearances on Friday night’s show.