Griffin to launch comeback in Canada

TORONTO — Beleaguered comedian Kathy Griffin is launching her North American comeback on the stages of Canada.

The insult comic and celebrity gossip hound — who became embroiled in controversy after posing in a photo holding a fake severed head that shared a likeness with U.S. President Donald Trump — has picked Toronto to open her “Laugh Your Head Off” North American tour on May 25.

She’ll follow that with three more Canadian dates, Kitchener, Ont., (May 26), Calgary (May 31) and Vancouver (June 2), before moving south the United States.

Griffin will perform in San Francisco, Seattle, Boston and New York’s Carnegie Hall in June, with further dates to be announced later.

In a release for the tour, Griffin promised to tell “the whole story” about the Trump photo, including her “interrogation by the feds,” and her thoughts on her neighbours Kim Kardashian and Kanye West.

The performances come as Griffin tries to reclaim her comedy throne after the Trump photo shoot led to a backlash and the cancellation of several tour dates last year. She also lost her longtime New Year’s Eve hosting gig on CNN.

Unable to tour in the United States, Griffin went overseas to perform dates in various places, including London, Stockholm, Singapore and Australia.

Initially, Griffin apologized for the photo that appeared last May, taken by photographer Tyler Shields.

But she later said she was no longer sorry, because the reaction had gotten so out of hand.