Kathy Griffin 'still hurt' over losing Anderson Cooper as a friend: 'I really loved him'

Nearly two years after a graphic joke about President Trump derailed her career and personal life, Kathy Griffin is still mourning some of the relationships she lost.

Perhaps most notable is her now-dead friendship with Anderson Cooper, her former co-host on CNN's annual New Year's Eve broadcast.

"I was devastated," Griffin, who has a self-produced film debuting this week at SXSW, told Variety. "It still hurts. I mean, I really loved him."

The comedian added, "I don't have a punchline for that one."

Cooper is far from the only famous face by whom Griffin feels betrayed. In January, she publicly called out "ex-friend" Don Cheadle for posting a "nasty tweet" about her in 2017, declaring, "I will never forgive you." (Cheadle was confused by the allegation, writing back, "Huh?")

Griffin's new film, which documents her last tour performance, is titled "Kathy Griffin: A Hell of a Story," She self-financed the entire project from start to finish.

"I mean, honestly, at this moment, I don’t have one single day of paid work ahead of me for the rest of my life," Griffin told Variety. "When I say it in the film, you can tell the audience is imagining how that would feel if it was their situation."

She recalled a particularly painful conversation when asked why Netflix hasn't signed a stand-up comedy deal with her.

"If nothing else, this tale is historic and one of a kind," Griffin said, citing her two Emmys and Grammy Award. "I can tell you a little story, which is a friend of mine called a partner in one of the big agencies and said, 'How would you feel about taking Kathy Griffin?' And this was maybe six months after the Trump situation. And he said, 'Life's too short.' So hearing that is pretty devastating."

Despite the negative responses from those within the industry, Griffin's fans haven't lost interest. Her 2018 tour took her to 15 countries and brought in $4.4 million.