Kathy Griffin Slammed for Using Dead Mother’s Twitter After Suspension

Kathy Griffin has been slammed for using the Twitter account of her late mother, after she was suspended from her own account for impersonating the platform’s new owner, Elon Musk.

The comedian, 62, who has ramped up her criticism of Musk since he took over the platform in October, was banned from Twitter on Sunday after changing her screen name to that of the billionaire’s, violating the terms of service on impersonating others.

“Going forward, any Twitter handles engaging in impersonation without clearly specifying ‘parody’ will be permanently suspended,” South African-born Musk explained as part of a series of tweets on the matter.

Kathy Griffin is pictured left on June 12, 2022, in Los Angeles, California. Her mother, Maggie Griffin, is pictured on December 16, 2010, in Universal City, California. Kathy Griffin has been criticized for using her late mother’s Twitter account after her own one was suspended on Sunday. Michael Kovac/Getty Images for the Critics Choice Real TV Awards;/Joe Scarnici/WireImage

After her account was suspended, Griffin started using the account of her late mother, Maggie Griffin, who passed away in 2020. The account, which had been inactive since 2019, was controlled by Kathy Griffin when her mother was alive.

She responded to Musk’s tweet about impersonators being banned by writing from her mother’s account: “I’m back from the grave to say… #FreeKathy #TipIt.”

As she resumed use of her mother’s account, the Suddenly Susan star tweeted “#FreeKathy,” a hashtag that she added to other tweets and one that was shared by a host of supporters, including Star Wars actor Mark Hamill.

Kathy Griffin also confirmed that she was the one using the account, as she wrote to journalist Kara Swisher, who counted herself among the star’s supporters, that she was “tweeting from my dead mother’s account. She would not mind.”

In what appeared to be an explanation as to why her account was suspended, she responded to a since-deleted tweet: “I honestly think it’s because it’s me, and because the tweets I was trying to write in his voice were pro democrats and had hashtags like #VoteBlueToProtectWomen and #voteblueand pro @BetoORourke etc.”

But while “#FreeKathy” moved its way up the trending list, showing what appeared to be widespread support for the TV personality’s account to be reinstated, she also faced backlash from a number of detractors for using her mother’s account.

Jeremy Redfern, who is Florida Governer Ron DeSantis’ deputy press secretary, tagged Musk as he said: “This is called ban evasion, @elonmusk. It’s also called narcissism to use your own deceased mother’s account to tweet message of support for yourself.”

Another mocked Illinois native Kathy Griffin for being “reduced” to using her late mother’s account as they shared a mock-up photo of Musk victoriously posing by a tombstone marked with the comedian’s name.

“Wow, gross. Kathy got suspended for violating TOS so she’s using her deceased mother’s account. Which is another TOS violation,” commented another.

When Benny Johnson, chief creative officer at conservative organization Turning Point USA, tweeted that Griffin had been “permanently suspended from Twitter for impersonating @ElonMusk, Musk himself got in on the commentary, as he quipped: “Actually, she was suspended for impersonating a comedian.”

Kathy Griffin didn’t take kindly to Musk’s attempt at comedy, shooting back: “I mean… you stole that joke, you a******. People have been posting that joke for hours, you hack. Look, please do a better job running this company. It used to mean something. This is KG btw.”

“But if she really wants her account back, she can have it,” Tesla CEO Musk late wrote, adding: “For $8,” in reference to the controversial new charges that he plans to implement for verified accounts on the platform.

In March 2020, Kathy Griffin announced on social media that her mother had passed away at the age of 99 after living with dementia.

“My Mom, the one and only, Maggie Griffin, passed away today. I am gutted. My best friend. I’m shaking. I won’t ever be prepared,” Griffin tweeted at the time. “I’m so grateful you guys got to be part of her life. You knew her. You loved her. She knew it. Oh, and OF COURSE she went on St Patrick’s Day.”

Griffin first acknowledged that her mother’s health was declining in a January 2019 tweet, in which she shared that her mom was struggling with dementia.

The comic’s mother appeared on both of Griffin’s TV series, My Life on the D-List and Kathy. Her mother also made appearances in the TV specials Kathy Griffin: A Hell of a Story and Kathy Griffin: 50 and Not Pregnant. In the January thread, Griffin called her mom “the bigger star.”

Newsweek has reached out to representatives of Twitter and Kathy Griffin for comment.

Kathy Griffin and her mother Maggie Griffin are pictured together on May 8, 2013, in Beverly Hills, California. Maggie Griffin passed away in March 2020. Barry King/WireImage