ENTERTAINMENTKathy Griffin Claims Barbara Walters 'Banned and Unbanned' Her From 'The View' Many Times
Comedian Kathy Griffin confessed that the late Barbara Walters 'banned and unbanned' her 'many times' from appearing on 'The View.'
Dec. 30 2025, Published 6:00 a.m. ET
Kathy Griffin claimed the late Barbara Walters kept changing her mind about having her on The View.
“I’ve been banned and unbanned [from The View] many times,” Griffin, 65, explained during the Monday, December 29, episode of the “On Par with Maury Povich” podcast.
Kathy Griffin Confessed Barbara Walters 'Banned' Her From 'The View'
Kathy Griffin made the confession while speaking to Maury Povich.
When host Maury Povich asked about her current status on the daytime show, she replied, “I think I’m unbanned, but you never know — Barbara has come back from the dead. The ghost of Barbara never leaves me.”
Earlier this year, the comedian explained that she was offered a permanent host role on the show in the mid-2000s, which she declined due to scheduling issues.
Kathy Griffin appeared on the December 29 episode of Maury Povich's podcast.
Kathy Griffin Was Offered a Permanent Host Role on 'The View'
Kathy Griffin revealed that she was offered the role of permanent host on 'The View' in the early 2000s.
“So they made me an offer, and the offer was for $1.4 [million], and I am just going to be honest, I had to turn it down because at the time, between doing My Life on the D-List and touring, I was making about $10 [million] a year,” she explained in a June video posted to her YouTube channel.
Griffin "really respected" the hosts of The View, admiring how they handle the backlash they often receive for sharing their views. “And by the way, to this day, The View is one of the most buzzworthy shows on television or anywhere," she continued.
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Kathy Griffin Told Barbara Walters She Loved Giving Her 'S---'
Barbara Walters reportedly rolled her eyes when Kathy Griffin told her that people love when she gives her 's---.'
Walters served as The View’s creator, producer and co-host from its debut in 1997 until 2014. She died several years later in 2022.
“I remember when they offered me the job, Barbara Walters said backstage one time before we were about to go out and do the live show, ‘They say we have chemistry, I don’t really see it but they say we do,’” Griffin recounted in the social media video. “And I loved that. I said, ‘Of course we do Barbara, people love when I give you s----.’ And then she just rolled her eyes.”
Kathy Griffin Explained Why She Declined 'The View'
Kathy Griffin said 'The View' was 'too good' for her.
At the time, Griffin made sure to emphasize to the 20/20 creator that her saying "no" to the offer wasn’t due to her thinking she was too successful for the show.
“I want you to know why I’m going to say no,” Griffin recounted telling Walters. “It’s not that I think I’m too good for this show, it’s the opposite: this show is too good for me.”
