CNN fires comedian after Trump stunt
NEW YORK: US comedian Kathy Griffin may have hoped to make art in holding up a prop depicting Mr Donald Trump's bloodied, severed head.
But the stunt cost her a job with CNN and achieved the unthinkable - uniting conservatives and liberals in outrage.
The US president castigated the comedian on Wednesday, saying she "should be ashamed of herself" for the grisly-looking photograph.
"My children, especially my 11-year-old son, Barron, are having a hard time with this. Sick!" he tweeted.
The outspoken Trump critic and award-winning performer had already apologised and asked celebrity photographer Tyler Shields to remove the picture from the Internet. But, it was not enough to save her job.
"CNN has terminated our agreement with Kathy Griffin to appear on our New Year's Eve programme," the network's communications division announced.
CNN had earlier called the picture "disgusting and offensive," and said it was "evaluating" its annual New Year's Eve coverage, which Ms Griffin co-hosted for a decade with Mr Anderson Cooper. The CNN anchor slammed the image as "completely inappropriate."
First Lady Melania Trump also criticised Ms Griffin, who has twice won Emmys for her reality show, My Life on the D List.
"As a mother, a wife, and a human being, that photo is very disturbing," said Mrs Trump in a rare statement. "When you consider some of the atrocities happening in the world today, a photo opportunity like this is simply wrong and makes you wonder about the mental health of the person who did it."
The Secret Service also said it would look into the incident. - AFP
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