Kathy Griffin Reveals Mother’s Struggle With Dementia In Twitter Post
Kathy Griffin revealed that her mother, Maggie Griffin, is suffering from dementia. In a lengthy Twitter thread, Griffin opened up about her mother’s condition, and the devastating impact it’s had on the comedian.
Fans of Griffin will be quick to recognize her mother. Maggie Smith starred alongside her comedian daughter on her reality show My Life on the D-List for six seasons as reported by the Huffington Post. But it seems the 98-year-old’s health has declined rapidly in recent months, leading Griffin to share the news on social media.
Griffin started off by sharing a sweet photo of her and her mother lying in bed together with her mother’s beloved dog Twinkle. While Griffin is all glammed up in a long frilly dress, her mother Maggie is comfortably reclining in pajamas next to her celebrity daughter. It’s a sweet moment — made even more poignant by Griffin’s comments on the image.
“A) As heartbreaking as this is, I feel the need to share some important info about my mom Maggie,” Griffin tweeted. “I’ve always been honest with you all, but this one is really hard. The pic below, taken in September, was the last time I was able to have a proper/coherent conversation with her.”
“B) Since that photo was taken, she has rapidly fallen into the throes of dementia. This is never easy for any child, I know this is a reality that millions of people deal with every year. But when it comes to my mom this is particularly hard because her sharp mind was everything.”
The lengthy thread goes on to explain Maggie’s decline, and how Griffin has been coping. She admits at one point, “In terms of how she is now, at this point she only knows my name and I love you.”
Griffin continued the thread by sharing videos of her mother and Twinkle, events her mother had attended, as well as photos alongside celebrities from Don Rickles to Kim Kardashian. And while Griffin has been a controversial figure in the past, it seemed as though the online community rallied around her following this news. Stars like Jane Lynch and Mark Hamill reached out to Griffin to offer condolences, share memories, and celebrate the life of her mother.
Although best known for her role on her daughter’s television show, Maggie Griffin became a celebrity in her own right. She even published her own book back in 2010 titled Tip It! The World According to Maggie. She was married for 65 years to Patrick Griffin, Kathy’s father who passed away in 2007.
