Dear Chelsea: “Life on the PTSD List with Kathy Griffin”

Podcast: Dear Chelsea (iHeartPodcasts)
Episode Air Date: August 28, 2025
Guest: Kathy Griffin
Theme: Surviving scandal, resiliency, aging, friendship, and advice for the aimless

Episode Overview

Chelsea Handler and co-host Catherine Law welcome comedian Kathy Griffin to discuss her new special, "Life on the PTSD List," and what it means to survive personal and professional upheaval. From candid talk about plastic surgery and cancel culture to deep dives into loneliness, recovery, and forging new connections, this episode blends biting humor with unflinching honesty. Listener calls add additional layers of real-life challenges and off-the-cuff advice.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Chelsea’s Housing Limbo and Bandwidth (02:20–06:00)

• Chelsea shares her ongoing saga of living as a guest during her home renovation, highlighting feelings of instability and reduced emotional “bandwidth."
  • “My ability and bandwidth has shrunk totally. I don't have any time for any bullshit or anyone else’s problems.” (04:51, Chelsea)
  • Catherine draws a parallel to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs: “You don’t have the safety of somewhere to go home at night … so you don't have that extra to be giving. That makes total sense to me.” (05:35)

2. Kathy Griffin on Plastic Surgery—Owning It (06:02–17:10)

• Kathy reveals she’s five weeks post-facelift and dives into all things cosmetic surgery, including the social pressures, pain, and industry inside stories.
  • On her neck lift: “It is someone cutting the back of your neck open, pulling it as hard as you could.” (06:39, Kathy)
  • Discusses surgical trends, like the “million dollar ponytail facelift.”
  • On being candid about procedures as a feminist: "As a hardcore feminist, I paid a man to sew my mouth shut." (15:13, Kathy)
  • Chelsea and Kathy joke about their aversion to over-the-counter pain relief: “Anyone who says to me, acetaminophen at 800, I’m like, don’t talk to me like that. … I want pure pills, thank you.” (09:55, Chelsea)
• Notable moment: Kathy encourages being open about plastic surgery rather than hiding it, poking fun at celebrities (e.g., Sia and Kris Jenner's alleged million-dollar surgeon).

3. Hell of the Trump Scandal and Aftermath (17:10–36:03)

• Kathy details the life-altering consequences of her viral Trump photo scandal.
  • Professional blacklisting: "I was out of work for six and a half years." (19:43, Kathy)
  • On being put on government watch lists: “No one would hire you for six and a half years.” (19:46, Chelsea)
  • Personal toll: death threats, friends abandoning her, substance abuse, suicide attempt, lengthy psych hold, and recovery (including lung cancer, vocal cord paralysis).
  • The role of resiliency: “A lot of the resilience is just not quitting.” (23:32, Kathy)
• The irony of public and private responses: “Nobody’s been like, ‘Sorry, that was kind of an overreaction.’ And now it’s so clear because we see Trump and his machine do this to [other women]…” (23:52, Kathy)
• Critique of U.S. political/media culture and the ongoing impact of MAGA-based conspiracy theories.

4. Purpose & Survival in Comedy (32:17–36:03)

• Kathy’s ‘calling’ is now as much about free speech and expression as it is about making people laugh.
  • “If I have a purpose, my number one purpose, hopefully is to make people laugh… now my purpose is to be able to tell people what the First Amendment really is.” (33:36, Kathy)
  • Discusses never losing a lawsuit from post-scandal defamation cases but the overwhelming legal costs and stress.
  • On returning to stage: "Every show was a gift…When I even mentioned the Trump photo as a reference point, the audience spontaneously burst into applause, and I almost welled up." (35:24, Kathy)

5. Women in Comedy & Industry Respect (36:04–39:02)

• Kathy expresses frustration at lacking respect from male comics due to her storytelling style, not traditional joke setup/punchline delivery.
• Tells story of intense grilling by Stephen Colbert over the Trump photo: “I walked off stage and I really did burst into tears the minute I was in the wings.” (37:04, Kathy)

6. Men, Independence, and Romantic Exhaustion (39:02–42:45)

• Both Chelsea and Kathy reflect on disinterest in, or even allergy to, men and romantic relationships.
  • Chelsea: “I haven't met a man in the last six months that I have felt like I wanna fuck this guy. … I'm having an allergic reaction to men right now.” (39:53)
  • Kathy: “I am trying to get to the done with men stage… I think women are leveling up right now… I was a serial monogamist… but I’m getting there.” (38:27)
• The freedom of sleeping alone, traveling alone, and not being responsible for anyone else’s energy.

7. Tour Life & Finding Support (42:45–43:49)

• Kathy describes bringing a “babysitter”—a friend or gay companion—on every tour leg for mutual support, especially post-PTSD diagnosis.
  • “It just helped tremendously because… Both of my husbands, I made them my tour manager. … And then you didn't learn the first time you did it again?” (42:55)
• On financial survival: years of prudent saving and conservative investing, echoing advice from her “Depression parents” and Suze Orman.

8. Listener Advice Calls

a. Diego: The Aimless, Lazy Millennial (53:47–68:17)

• Diego, 34, wants to “retire” despite a huge student loan, a background of law school dropouts, and a penchant for Xanax, vaping, and video games.
  • Chelsea, deadpan: “You really are a lazy fuck. How old are you?” (54:54)
  • Kathy offers to marry Diego, joking about her pattern of “marrying idiots.”
  • Multiple wry suggestions: work in a retirement community (where he prefers older company), get into sales (i.e., “sell air conditioning units in Europe”), or install AC units in U.S. retirement homes.
  • Final advice: “Stop talking about how lazy you are… That’s going to have a deleterious impact on everything you do. … People want to be around people that are ambitious.” (61:58, Chelsea)

b. Dina: Making Friends Later in Life (72:55–79:43)

• Dina, 63, has lost close friends and struggles to build new connections, daunted by the 200-hour "rule."
  • Chelsea: “The pattern of people that have been in our lives doesn’t necessarily resemble the pattern of people that are going to be in our lives. … Don’t lose hope.” (73:58)
  • Kathy: “Sometimes you get to see someone’s life so much [on social media] that if you’re comfortable DMing them … it can actually get you a friend that doesn’t take 200 hours.” (78:01)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Plastic Surgery Realness:
  • “As a hardcore feminist, I paid a man to sew my mouth shut.” – Kathy Griffin (15:13)
• On the Trump Scandal’s Toll:
  • “I was out of work for six and a half years.” – Kathy Griffin (19:43)
  • “A lot of the resilience is just not quitting.” – Kathy Griffin (23:32)
• On Addiction and Survival:
  • “I became addicted to pills… I tried to overdose… [A] psych hold… got me into AA… I got lung cancer even though I’ve never smoked… paralyzed my left vocal cord…” (21:35, Kathy)
• On Respect in Comedy:
  • “No, I don't. I feel like a lot of the guys don't think I'm a real comic because I don't tell traditional jokes with like a setup and punchline. I tell stories…” – Kathy Griffin (36:11)
• Chelsea on Modern Men:
  • “I like to be alone. I wanna sleep alone. I don’t wanna hear you breathing. I don’t wanna smell you, and I don’t want breath coming towards me…” (39:12)
• On Making Friends:
  • “You should always look at what types of people haven’t you been… Think about like opening your spirit more and opening the way that you look at friendships in a different way because you’re at a different stage in your life and you really never know who is going to come into your life.” – Chelsea Handler (73:58)
• Kathy’s Goal:
  • “I have a bucket list, and I would like to be a beaver hunt champion.” (52:54)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Chelsea’s Housing & Emotional Bandwidth: 02:20–06:00
• Plastic Surgery Deep Dive: 06:02–17:10
• Kathy’s Trump Scandal Backlash: 17:10–36:03
• Purpose, Free Speech, and Comedy: 32:17–36:03
• Respect in Comedy: 36:04–39:02
• Rant on Men & Independence: 39:02–42:45
• Listener Call: Diego—Apathy & Advice: 53:47–68:17
• Listener Call: Dina—New Friendships After Loss: 72:55–79:43

Tone & Style

• Honest, Humorous, and Unfiltered:
  • Chelsea’s sharp wit and irreverence remain, but a sincere, empathetic streak underscores even the wildest jokes.
  • Kathy matches in candor, self-effacing while dropping truth bombs about fame, failure, and survival.
• Dark Humor & Vulnerability:
  • Banter around drugs, mental illness, and social rejection are made palatable by their open, almost therapeutic comedy.
  • Listener calls balance humor with genuine advice, and no topic is off-limits.

Useful Takeaways

• Embrace transparency about cosmetic changes, aging, and vulnerability.
• For those weathering public or personal storms: resiliency is born from not quitting, humor, and sometimes changing your role or mission.
• Making friends and finding purpose are lifelong processes—loss and loneliness at any age can be overcome by openness and stretching habitual boundaries.
• Recovery from trauma, addiction, or professional exile is possible—Kathy's journey exemplifies how even seismic setbacks can yield new direction and activism.

Episode Links

• Kathy Griffin’s Special: Life on the PTSD List (YouTube)
• Kathy Griffin’s Weekly YouTube Show: Kathy Griffin Talk Youk Head Off

Final Notes

This episode is a must-listen for anyone fascinated by celebrity culture, cancel culture, aging ungracefully (and proudly), and the real meaning of “starting over.” The humor is biting, but the underlying message is inspiring: life never stops offering you new lists—or new chances to get back on one.