Kathy Griffin's mother Maggie dies at 99: 'I am gutted' (original) (raw)
Published on March 18, 2020 01:41AM EDT
Photo: FilmMagic
Kathy Griffin's mother Maggie has died at age 99.
"My Mom, the one and only, Maggie Griffin, passed away today," the comedian tweeted Tuesday night, along with a photo of her and her mom at the pool. "I am gutted. My best friend. I’m shaking. I won’t ever be prepared. I’m so grateful you guys got to be part of her life. You knew her. You loved her. She knew it."
Griffin maintained a sense of humor despite this tough news, ending her message with, "Oh, and OF COURSE she went on St Patrick’s Day."
Many of her fans and friends, including Chrissy Teigen and Suzanne Somers, replied with messages of support.
Last June, the comedian rang in her mom's 99th birthday while sharing the news that Maggie's dementia was worsening. She also posted a photo of the two on the red carpet "to celebrate happier times."
In January 2019, Griffin first opened up about her mother's ailing health.
“As heartbreaking as this is, I feel the need to share some important info about my mom Maggie. 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,” she said then. “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.”
Griffin's mom Maggie appeared on her Bravo reality series My Life on the D-List from 2005 to 2010. In her January Twitter thread, the comedian also talked about what it meant for viewers to learn about her mom on the show.
"What I am most proud of when it comes to My Life On The D List is that show gave me the opportunity to show the world how naturally funny my parents were. When people tell me they feel like they know my mom, I always respond 'you do!'" she wrote.
The comedian has gone through a lot in the last few years; she lost both her older siblings, Gary and Joyce, to cancer, in 2014 and 2017, respectively. One positive development, however, came earlier this year when Griffin married her longtime boyfriend, Randy Bick, with Lily Tomlin officiating.
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