Kathy Griffin, Post-Surgery: 'I Think I'll Be OK'

Comedian shares update after having part of a lung removed because of cancer
By Newser Editors,  Newser Staff
Posted Aug 5, 2021 1:20 PM CDT
Kathy Griffin, Post-Surgery: 'I Think I'll Be OK'
Comedian Kathy Griffin in 2019.   (Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP, File)

Earlier this week, comedian Kathy Griffin revealed that she had cancer and needed to have part of a lung removed. Now, a rep confirms to People that the surgery is already over, and Griffin herself is providing a candid but ultimately optimistic update. "To be honest, this cancer surgery was a little more than I had anticipated," the 60-year-old wrote on Instagram Wednesday, per Yahoo Entertainment. "Tonight will be my first night without any narcotic pain killers." She noted that the "last night I was in a hospital was in June 2020 when I tried to take my life and overdosed on prescription pills," an experience that has given her perspective on her cancer recovery.

"With over a year clean and drug free, I now know I can do this and anything I want without those devil pills," she wrote. "Y'know what? I fear drugs and addiction more than I fear cancer. So, I think I'll be OK." In an earlier interview with ABC News, Griffin revealed that she first got hooked after being prescribed Provigil, similar to Adderall, by a doctor. Then came Ambien to help her sleep, along with painkillers for a series of injuries, culminating in her suicide attempt last year. (More Kathy Griffin stories.)

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