Anderson Cooper and Kathy Griffin may have had their differences, but they are still pals.
During an appearance on Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen Tuesday night, the CNN journalist confirmed to a fan caller that he and the comedian are still friends despite her recent scandal involving President Donald Trump and subsequent firing from CNN's New Year's Eve special.
"Yeah, we're still friends," he answered. "Look, I said what I said about…I didn't think what she said was appropriate." For those who missed it, back in late May, Griffin shared images of herself holding up a bloodied, severed prop head meant to represent President Trump. She was immediately met with backlash and criticism, including from the president himself, First Lady Melania Trump and Cooper.
"For the record, I am appalled by the photo shoot Kathy Griffin took part in," he publicly denounced at the time. "It is clearly disgusting and completely inappropriate."
Griffin quickly issued an apology, stating she went "way too far" and asked for the public's forgiveness. However, it wasn't enough to prevent many venues from canceling her upcoming shows or to stop CNN from firing her from her recurring gig as co-host of the network's New Year's Eve special with Cooper.
"CNN has terminated our agreement with Kathy Griffin to appear on our New Year's Eve program," a tweet from the network read less than 24 hours after the scandal erupted.
By the end of that week, she held a press conference, during which she tearfully shared her side of the story and took a stand for her first amendment rights. She has kept a low profile in the two months since, but Cooper is optimistic.
"I wish her the best. I hope she bounces back," he added. "She's incredibly funny and a lot of people love her and I think she'll bounce back from this."