Kathy Griffin Claims She’s ‘Banned’ From Jimmy Fallon’s ‘Tonight Show’ for Being ‘Too Controversial’

Kathy Griffin believes that she was effectively barred from making any future appearances on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.

“I have not done the Jimmy Fallon show since it was on at 12:30 Eastern and Pacific [time],” Griffin, 65, claimed in a Tuesday, June 30, Instagram video, referring to Fallon’s show’s former timeslot on NBC. “I guess I’m banned from the Fallon show [for being] inappropriate or too controversial. I don’t even know. When you’re banned from a show … they don’t usually tell you [that] you’re banned. They just can’t seem to find room for you.”

Griffin, who alleged that she is “banned” from several talk shows, asserted that she has no qualms with Fallon, 51, himself. (Neither Fallon nor The Tonight Show have addressed the accusations. Us Weekly reached out for comment.)

“I like Jimmy Fallon. I’ve met him a few times, and when I used to do his later show, he was always super nice to me,” Griffin noted. “I do think it was a bad call for him to have convicted rapist Conor McGregor on.”

McGregor, 37, was accused of sexual assault in 2023. The MMA athlete vehemently denied the claims at the time, calling the report “false.”

“I think Fallon folks made a mistake by having Conor McGregor on. I think it sends yet another message to women and marginalized folks everywhere that we’re not equal and you can do anything to us,” Griffin alleged. “The perpetrators are still gonna be out there being glorified. It kind of reminds me of when Fallon had [President Donald] Trump on, and then he petted his hair. That didn’t sit well with me.”

She continued, “I think it’s time we make up our minds about who we’re gonna cancel and who we’re not. Take it from the most canceled celebrity in history! … As the kids say, do better.”

Griffin is no stranger to making waves in Hollywood, previously fostering widespread backlash on multiple occasions.

“I’m so used to being a bit of a rebel outsider in Hollywood,” she exclusively told Us Weekly in 2025. “They gave me an award, and it’s about resilience. I’m laughing because now I’m the face of resilience because I’ve been through so much s*** that it’s crazy. … I may not be your favorite comic, but I’ve done more specials than any other comedian, male or female, living or dead, and damn it, that’s something.”

According to Griffin, she just “[goes] harder” when faced with adversity or criticism.

“I’m going to say double down,” she told Us of her advice for others in similar situations. “The only thing I regret out of that whole experience was apologizing.”