Arts & Entertainment
Kathy Griffin spills ‘scandalous gay tea’ on ex-friend Anderson Cooper
the comedian wears Donald Trump mask in stage return
(Screenshot via Twitter.)
Kathy Griffin made her stand-up comedy comeback at the Best in Drag fundraiser in Los Angeles over the weekend where she wore a Donald Trump mask, blasted Harvey Weinstein and spilled “gay tea” on Anderson Cooper.
“I’m going to spill the f*cking tea,” Griffin says in her first stand-up routine since the Trump photoshoot controversy. “I was part of an international scandal, under federal investigation for two months, my sister died, my dog died, and my mother turned on me. My mother took Sean Hannity’s side. She was a little drunk. She goes, ‘Kathleen, I was watching my Fox News and do you know not one of those guys took your side. Not once.’ I said, ‘Yes.’ I got letters from them saying they wanted to shoot me in my cu*t.”
Griffin addressed her former friendship with Anderson Cooper who called her Trump photoshoot “disgusting and completely inappropriate.” She has said that she severed ties with the CNN host for his lack of support.
“I’m going to leave you with a cup of tea, honey. This is a cup of gay tea that is f*cking scandalous and it involves Anderson Cooper,” Griffin says. “For some reason this gay sent me a letter and sent a copy to Anderson. It’s so heinous and so over-the-top horrible that I admit it made me laugh out loud.”
Griffin continues, “Dear Anderson, from one homo to another, you’re a fickle faggot. Really? Not supporting and backing Kathy Griffin after she had your back for years. Even to talk about your c*ck-sucking in her comedy back when you were still a closeted queen. And another thing, Anderson: Homo rule 101, you always back your fag hag.”
“I’m going to leave you with a cup of gay tea…and it involves @andersoncooper.” @kathygriffin reads letter they both received. ☕️ pic.twitter.com/VxqETeiKXO
— Chris Gardner (@chrissgardner) October 9, 2017
The comedian went on to address the recent controversy of sexual assault and harassment allegations against film producer Harvey Weinstein.
“The Weinstein thing is just f—ing unbelievable, but I’m not afraid to say anything because I don’t appear in movies ever and no one will ever put me in one,” Griffin says. “That guy seems to be what’s called a rapist. I’m using it as a broad term. There’s a lot of them, and they are everywhere. So it’s time we started to f—ing look out for each other because this s— has been going on for way too long.”
While making light of death threats, @kathygriffin addresses Harvey Weinstein story; uses word rapist, says “they’re everywhere” in H’wood pic.twitter.com/ll6DOvC2Cc
— Chris Gardner (@chrissgardner) October 9, 2017
The fourth annual Equality Prince William Pride was held at the Harris Pavilion in Manassas, Va. on Saturday, May 17.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
The Washington Blade held its 18th annual Summer Kickoff Party in Rehoboth Beach, Del., on Friday, May 16. Delaware Gov. Matt Meyer spoke along with State Sen. Russ Huxtable, CAMP Rehoboth Executive Director Kim Leisey, Blade Editor Kevin Naff, and Clear Space Theatre Managing Director Joe Gfaller. The event raises funds for the Steve Elkins Memorial Fellowship in Journalism, which was awarded to AU student Abigail Hatting.
(Washington Blade photos by Daniel Truitt)
In some fowl fiction foreshadowing, a gay-owned chicken joint has come home to roost on U Street, taking a page from the chicken window subplot on the HBO show “Looking.”
Last Friday, Lucky Pollo – much more than just a takeout window – stretched its wings atop the busy nightlife corner of 14th and U Streets NW.
Behind the poultry production place is Zach Renovátes, a D.C.-based nightlife operator and managing partner of LGBTQ venues Bunker and District Eagle, as well as the LGBTQ event production company KINETIC Presents.
Renovátes opened Bunker in February 2023 and District Eagle in January of this year. Lucky Pollo is the third in his growing gay empire, though this time there are noshes.
“Lucky Pollo was meant to be fun and a little provocative,” Renovátes said.
Based around its Peruvian-style rotisserie chicken, Lucky Pollo is a quick-service restaurant boasting a small menu of poultry and sides. Renovátes says that the dishes are deeply rooted in Peruvian culinary tradition, “a playful experience alongside seriously good food.”
Lucky Pollo’s signature chicken is steeped in a dozen-plus-spice marinade for 24 hours. The meat is then slow-roasted, rotisserie-style, over oak-wood charcoal. Chicken options include quarter, half, and whole.
Helming the kitchen at Lucky Pollo is Chef Luis Herrera, who brings Peruvian recipes passed down through three generations, including his grandmother Laura’s original creations.
Beyond the full bird, the menu features Peruvian-inspired sides like yuca fries (“I personally love these,” says Renovátes) and fried plantains, as well as comfort classics such as mac and cheese and mashed potatoes, and bowls, wraps, and salads. Herrera oversees development of the multiple sauces (including staff favorite, the “secret green sauce”), crafted in-house using traditional Peruvian ingredients.
Lucky Pollo, in its streetside perch, is an independent concept from District Eagle, open to the public and staying open late (3 a.m. on weekends) to serve both nightlife guests and the wider U Street crowd hungry for late-night bites. However, just beyond the kitchen, tucked in the back lies a vintage 1950s candy machine—labeled “Out of Order,” which serves as the door leading to subterranean District Eagle.
Renovátes notes that when District Eagle is open, security staff will maintain a strict two-line policy, ensuring that those seeking meat to eat will not get entwined with those looking to gain access to District Eagle.
Lucky Pollo unites the need for sustenance with the idea of a bit of fortune, given its motto, “Get Lucky” and the whimsical brand mascot: a leather-booted chicken perched on a horseshoe. Renovátes and his District Eagle business partner had always been interested in opening a restaurant, and the Lucky Pollo space was indeed lucky: It already came with a functional kitchen. Plus, he says, the nearby fast-casual places around 14th and U streets “don’t offer a lot of quality options,” so opening the chicken spot “was a no-brainer.”
The space, designed by NYC creative Jasin Cadic, blends theatrical street-art-style vibes with Keith Haring-inspired wall prints, neon signs, and ceiling-hung chicken figurines —”some edgy, some sweet,” says Renovátes —creating an immersive, playful atmosphere. Lucky Pollo and District Eagle maintain separate amenities for their respective customers.
Lucky Pollo opened last week with a competition to devour a whole rotisserie chicken in the fastest time, with the winner earning $1,000 and a framed spot on the restaurant’s “Wall of Fame.” The opening also featured other games and prizes, and a full crowd spilling out the door.
“We want it to be a great place to eat, but also serve as a playful front for something completely unexpected.” Renovátes says.
On weekends especially, he jokes, the motto will be, ‘Come for the chicken, stay for the cock.’”
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