CNN announced it has terminated its agreement with Kathy Griffin to host its New Year’s Eve program after she posted a photo with a fake bloody severed head resembling President Donald Trump.
Griffin has previously hosted the annual special with Anderson Cooper.
Griffin has since apologized for the photo, but that hasn’t stopped the wave of backlash.
“I sincerely apologize,” she said in a video message Tuesday evening. “I went way too far.”
Trump said the photo was upsetting to his children, especially his youngest, 11-year-old Barron Trump. First Lady Melania Trump said it “makes you wonder about the mental health of the person who did it.” She also said in a statement that the photo is “simply wrong.”
CNN has terminated our agreement with Kathy Griffin to appear on our New Year's Eve program.
— CNN Communications (@CNNPR) May 31, 2017
Even some of Trump’s opponents have also criticized the photo. Chelsea Clinton tweeted “This is vile and wrong. It is never funny to joke about killing a president.”