Arts & Entertainment
Andy Cohen says pretending not to know Kathy Griffin was ‘dumb’
the talk show host says he didn’t think his joke would backfire
(Screenshot via YouTube.)
Andy Cohen admitted that pretending not to know Kathy Griffin was “so innocuous and dumb.”
When approached by TMZ reporters at Los Angeles International Airport, Cohen was asked if he had talked to Kathy Griffin about replacing her on CNN’s New Year’s Eve special.
“Who? I don’t know her,” Cohen replied in a nod to Mariah Carey’s now classic line about Jennifer Lopez.
On his SiriusXM radio show, “Andy Cohen Live,” Cohen explained that he decided to “quote the great Mariah Carey, which is funny in my mind.”
“And stupid,” Cohen continued. “Something that is so innocuous and dumb, so it’s the classic ‘I don’t know her.’
“Usually with TMZ, you’re walking and you say your thing and you get in your car. Well, my driver parked on the second level of the parking lot. So we’re standing there all that time waiting for the elevator, and that’s why it kept going on and on,” Cohen went on. “And I didn’t really know how to pivot in the conversation. Like, ‘What, what, I don’t know.’ So I failed my Mariah impression.”
Shortly following Cohen’s on-the-street interview, Griffin released a 17-minute video calling out Cohen and TMZ’s Harvey Levine. On his SiriusXM show, Cohen says he didn’t think his Mariah Carey joke would backfire the way it did or that Griffin, as a comedian, would be so offended.
“So I didn’t land that ‘I don’t know her’ [joke],” Cohen says. “But can I ask you a question? If you were a comedian and someone said, ‘I don’t know you,’ and it was obvious, like, aren’t there much more important things? How offensive is that in the galaxy?”
2025 D.C. Trans Pride was held at Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Library on Saturday, May 17. The day was filled with panel discussions, art, social events, speakers, a resource fair and the Engendered Spirit Awards. Awardees included Lyra McMillan, Pip Baitinger, Steph Niaupari and Hayden Gise. The keynote address was delivered by athlete and advocate Schuyler Bailar.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
a&e features
Looking back at 50 years of Pride in D.C
Washington Blade’s unique archives chronicle highs, lows of our movement
To celebrate the 50th anniversary of LGBTQ Pride in Washington, D.C., the Washington Blade team combed our archives and put together a glossy magazine showcasing five decades of celebrations in the city. Below is a sampling of images from the magazine but be sure to find a print copy starting this week.
The magazine is being distributed now and is complimentary. You can find copies at LGBTQ bars and restaurants across the city. Or visit the Blade booth at the Pride festival on June 7 and 8 where we will distribute copies.
Thank you to our advertisers and sponsors, whose support has enabled us to distribute the magazine free of charge. And thanks to our dedicated team at the Blade, especially Photo Editor Michael Key, who spent many hours searching the archives for the best images, many of which are unique to the Blade and cannot be found elsewhere. And thanks to our dynamic production team of Meaghan Juba, who designed the magazine, and Phil Rockstroh who managed the process. Stephen Rutgers and Brian Pitts handled sales and marketing and staff writers Lou Chibbaro Jr., Christopher Kane, Michael K. Lavers, Joe Reberkenny along with freelancer and former Blade staffer Joey DiGuglielmo wrote the essays.
The magazine represents more than 50 years of hard work by countless reporters, editors, advertising sales reps, photographers, and other media professionals who have brought you the Washington Blade since 1969.
We hope you enjoy the magazine and keep it as a reminder of all the many ups and downs our local LGBTQ community has experienced over the past 50 years.
I hope you will consider supporting our vital mission by becoming a Blade member today. At a time when reliable, accurate LGBTQ news is more essential than ever, your contribution helps make it possible. With a monthly gift starting at just $7, you’ll ensure that the Blade remains a trusted, free resource for the community — now and for years to come. Click here to help fund LGBTQ journalism.
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)
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