In Heartbreaking Series of Tweets, Kathy Griffin Reveals Her Mom, Maggie, Has Dementia
Today saw comedian Kathy Griffin, beloved by the LGBTQ community for her longtime support, reveal through a series of tweets that her mother, Maggie Griffin, is suffering from dementia and has been since September 2018.
“As heartbreaking as this is, I feel the need to share some important info about my mom Maggie,” Griffin began on Twitter. “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.”
A) 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. pic.twitter.com/oqBcQTEDAB
— Kathy Griffin (@kathygriffin) January 3, 2019
Maggie Griffin starred alongside her daughter on Kathy’s Bravo reality TV series My Life on the D-List and became many viewers’ favorite part of the show.
Here’s the rest of what Kathy said about Maggie Griffin and her struggle with dementia:
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.
My mom is 98 and up until this past couple years she was so sharp she always kept me on my toes. Her mind was so naturally quick, funny, and smart. No one could get anything past her. Watching that slip away so fast has been devastating.
I want to assure you all that she is not in pain and she is getting the best 24-hour care. In terms of how she is now, at this point she only knows my name and I love you. I know many of you know what that reality is like…I’m still grappling with it.
A big reason I’m sharing this news with you is that so many of you have asked why I haven’t posted a video of Maggie & her beloved dog Twinkle in the past few months. Now you understand why we haven’t been able to share anything, here is a moment between them from this summer
What I am most proud of when I 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 never put on a show, she was the show.
If you ever met my mom and asked for a photo, you should know it was a pleasure as much for her as it was for you. She loved making people happy and making people laugh. And trust me, I know she was the bigger star…here she is at my LA show in June greeting her many fans!
I can’t tell you how many invites I get addressed to Maggie and me. @GloriaEstefan once joked that I wasn’t allowed to come to her concert unless I brought Maggie! Here is a sweet video of @sharonstone meeting Maggie at my house. I’m so grateful these moments were captured.
One of the many perks of being in show business is having the ability/resources of being able to capture amazing moments. When I brought @shanedawson‘s mom @TeresaYaw backstage at my show in LA, I had Teresa teach Maggie about Youtube…or as Maggie called it U2
I’m so lucky that I have six seasons of My Life On The D list to look back on and enjoy moments of my mom being herself…the Maggie you all came to know and love. Remember the “Faceplace” (aka Facebook) moment?
I would love it if you would respond to this thread with a video clip of your favorite Maggie moments or if you had the honor of meeting her a photo. While the reality for Maggie is different now, I want to remember the woman all of you fell in love with.
Could any photo sum up Maggie more than this one? Glass of wine in one hand (from the box, naturally) and her favorite daughter Twinkle in the other. TIP IT!! P.S. Those sunglasses were mine…she may have stolen them…allegedly!
I will never forget how kind so many of you were to her. People ask why I’m friends with @KimKardashian. It’s simple, moments like these…when Maggie was depressed, Kim cheered her up by bringing her kids Saint and North to the house. It made Maggie’s day.
O) So many wonderful memories…thank you from the bottom of my heart. pic.twitter.com/VKueCT7NTE
— Kathy Griffin (@kathygriffin) January 3, 2019
