Kathy Griffin Sounds Off On 'The Tonight Show' For Banning Her While Allowing Conor McGregor As A Guest In Viral Rant

On June 16, MMA fighter and accused rapist Conor McGregor appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, where he discussed his return to the UFC, a time he knocked someone out in 13 seconds, and the origin of his nickname, "The Notorious."

Fallon, of course, left out any questions regarding McGregor being found liable in a sexual assault case stemming from allegations made by Nikita Hand.

Well, Fallon’s silence isn’t going unnoticed.

Comedian Kathy Griffin called out what she sees as an industry double standard while sharing her theory that she has effectively been banned from Fallon’s show, while McGregor was welcomed as a guest.

In a video posted to her Instagram page on Monday, Griffin reflected on her long absence from Fallon’s show:

“Now, I have not done the Jimmy Fallon show since it was on at 12:30 Eastern and Pacific, so I guess I'm banned from the Fallon show, or inappropriate, or too controversial, I don't even know.”

Whether Griffin is actually banned is up for debate, but there’s no question her standing in Hollywood changed after the infamous 2017 Trump photo controversy. Nearly 15 years have passed since her last appearance on Fallon’s NBC platform, when she appeared on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon in November 2011.

With that said, Griffin joked that television bans are rarely made official:

“I don’t even know. When you’re banned from a show—and if you guys know me, I’m banned from most of them. You’re welcome, America and Indonesia. They don’t usually tell you you’re banned. They just can’t seem to find room for you.”

The fallout from the Trump photo was swift. CNN terminated Griffin’s contract, ending her decade-long run as co-host of the network’s New Year’s Eve broadcast alongside Anderson Cooper. Multiple performing arts centers and casinos also dropped scheduled stand-up appearances.

Griffin then turned her attention to McGregor’s controversial appearance on the show:

“I do like Jimmy Fallon… But I do think it was a bad call for him to have convicted rapist Conor McGregor on…”

For those unfamiliar with the case, McGregor was found liable in a civil sexual assault case brought by Hand. In November 2024, a jury found that he assaulted her in a Dublin hotel room in December 2018 and awarded her damages.

Among the evidence presented was Hand’s testimony that McGregor pinned her to a bed and left her with extensive bruising and abrasions. A paramedic who treated her later testified that they had not seen “someone so bruised” in a long time.

For Griffin, the issue extends beyond McGregor himself:

“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, and the perpetrators are still going to be out there being glorified.”

McGregor denied Hand’s allegations and maintained that their encounter was consensual. After hearing eight days of evidence, jurors deliberated for more than six hours before finding that he had assaulted Hand and ordering him to pay approximately €248,000 (about $257,000 at the time) in damages.

Before ending her commentary, Griffin compared the situation to one of Fallon’s most criticized interviews:

“It kind of reminds me of when Fallon had Trump on, and then he petted his hair.”

The comment referenced Donald Trump’s September 2016 appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, when Fallon playfully tousled the future president’s hair. The moment sparked widespread criticism, with many arguing that Fallon helped normalize a deeply divisive political figure.

You can watch Griffin’s Instagram post here:

Online, many viewers rallied behind Griffin’s argument, questioning why she remains a controversial figure years after her scandal, while McGregor continues to receive high-profile media appearances despite the civil verdict against him.

You can view the reactions here:

@lovea.ham/Instagram

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Griffin wasn’t the only public figure to weigh in.

Last week, actor Christina Ricci shared a popular Instagram post criticizing Fallon to her Instagram Story. While opinions on Griffin remain divided, many of the reactions echoed her broader point: that the entertainment industry often appears willing to move past some controversies while continuing to punish others.