Kathy Griffin Reveals Her Beloved Mother Has "Rapidly Fallen" Into Dementia

The comedian's friends and followers showered social media with tributes to Maggie.

By Samantha Schnurr Jan 04, 2019 4:17 PMTags
Kathy Griffin, Maggie GriffinJeff Kravitz / Getty Images

Kathy Griffin has some heartbreaking news. 

On Thursday, the comedian publicly revealed to friends, fans and followers that her beloved 98-year-old mother Maggie Griffin has dementia. 

"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," the star announced. "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."

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As Griffin continued on Twitter, "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."

While it has been difficult for the devoted daughter, the star assured anyone reading that Maggie "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."

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Fortunately, as the former reality star acknowledged, their life together had been documented for six seasons on Griffin's former Bravo show, My Life on the D-List, on which Maggie was a fixture—and quickly became a fan favorite. 

"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 never put on a show, she was the show," Griffin tweeted.

As a result, she had many famous admirers. "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," Griffin shared. 

In her honor, the devoted daughter made a special request for anyone and everyone to share their favorite photos and videos of Maggie. "While the reality for Maggie is different now, I want to remember the woman all of you fell in love with," the comedian explained. 

Sweet posts poured in, including from Mark HamillKristen Johnston and more.

"We all felt we knew Maggie through your Twitter posts & now we all share your pain as you lose a part of her," the Star Wars actor tweeted. "Sending her love & warm wishes."