Rosie O’Donnell Responds After Kathy Griffin Says She Was ‘Really Hurt’ Over Jimmy Kimmel Live Snub

Rosie O’Donnell has responded after longtime friend and fellow comedian Kathy Griffin publicly admitted that she was “really hurt” about not being invited to appear on Jimmy Kimmel Live during O’Donnell’s week as guest host.

O’Donnell, who is temporarily filling in for Jimmy Kimmel, addressed Griffin directly after the comedian posted about the situation on Instagram. According to O’Donnell, the omission was not personal — and more importantly, it was not her decision.

“Kathy – shoulda called me honey – I didn’t choose the guests…,” O’Donnell wrote in the comments.

The brief response appeared intended to clear up a misunderstanding that Griffin had discussed at length earlier in the week, when she revealed that she had hoped to appear on the late-night program alongside O’Donnell.

Kathy Griffin Says Her Feelings Were Hurt

Rosie O’Donnell and Kathy Griffin.

Griffin explained her side of the story in a YouTube video titled “If Rosie Would’ve Called, I Would’ve Jumped.”

In the video, she acknowledged that she was disappointed when she realized she would not be appearing during O’Donnell’s run as guest host.

“My feelings were really hurt that I was not invited to go on Rosie’s week of the Jimmy Kimmel show,” Griffin admitted.

The situation carried extra emotional weight because Griffin considers both O’Donnell and Kimmel longtime friends.

“I love Jimmy so much. He’s one of my oldest friends,” Griffin said. “I love Rosie, she’s one of my oldest friends.”

Given those relationships, Griffin apparently believed that joining O’Donnell on the show could have created a memorable television moment.

Griffin Says She Had Already Expressed Interest

According to Griffin, she had previously made her interest clear directly to O’Donnell.

The two comedians recently happened to be on the same flight, and Griffin said she told O’Donnell that she would “love to be a guest” during her week hosting Jimmy Kimmel Live.

However, Griffin said O’Donnell did not make any promises.

“She didn’t say anything about me being a guest,” Griffin recalled.

At the time, Griffin recognized that O’Donnell might not have complete control over the show’s booking process.

“And I thought, ‘Well, she’s the guest host, she may have no say in it,’” Griffin explained.

She also acknowledged that she still did not know exactly how much authority O’Donnell had over choosing guests.

“As far as I know, she could or could not,” Griffin said. “I really… How would I know, right?”

That uncertainty did not stop Griffin from becoming increasingly hopeful as O’Donnell’s hosting dates approached.

Friends Made Griffin Think an Appearance Might Be Happening

Griffin said people in their mutual social circle began contacting her and assuming she would appear on the show.

Some apparently asked which night she would be on, while others wondered whether Griffin might make a surprise appearance or participate in a comedy sketch.

“As it was coming closer that she was gonna do the show, I started getting more correspondence and just friends calling me that know me and know the two of us to be friends,” Griffin recalled.

People asked questions such as, “Which night are you doing?” and whether the two comedians might perform a surprise segment together.

Those conversations made Griffin increasingly enthusiastic.

“I admit I was kind of getting excited,” she said. “Like, yeah, this could be a really cool moment.”

But as O’Donnell’s hosting week arrived, no invitation came.

“Then that moment passed,” Griffin said. “And kept passing.”

Why Griffin Thought Their Reunion Would Be Significant

For Griffin, the idea was about more than simply appearing on a major late-night television show.

She believed that sharing the stage with O’Donnell would carry cultural and political significance because both women have previously been involved in highly public controversies connected to Donald Trump.

O’Donnell’s clashes with Trump stretch back many years and became one of the most widely discussed celebrity feuds associated with his public life.

Griffin, meanwhile, became the center of an enormous controversy in 2017 after posing for a photograph involving a prop made to resemble Trump’s severed head. The backlash significantly affected her career at the time, resulting in canceled appearances and intense public criticism.

Because of their separate histories, Griffin apparently thought having the two comedians together on a late-night show could have been especially compelling.

Still, her disappointment appears to have been rooted primarily in friendship rather than professional resentment.

Griffin Continued Supporting O’Donnell

Despite saying she was hurt, Griffin made clear that she was not trying to undermine O’Donnell’s hosting opportunity.

In fact, she encouraged her own followers to watch and support her friend.

“She’s doing a great job and will continue to,” Griffin said.

“If I have one call to action, it’s that you guys watch the show and support her.”

Griffin admitted that doing so came with complicated emotions.

“I just think it’s a tricky situation because I’m having all kinds of the feels,” she explained.

Nevertheless, she said she planned to continue watching.

“I will watch every night and cheer her on, of course.”

That distinction was important: Griffin was disappointed about not being invited but still wanted O’Donnell to succeed.

O’Donnell Says She Wasn’t Responsible for Booking Guests

O’Donnell’s Instagram response appears to resolve one of Griffin’s biggest unanswered questions.

According to O’Donnell, she simply was not choosing the guests.

“Kathy – shoulda called me honey,” O’Donnell wrote before explaining, “I didn’t choose the guests…”

The comment suggested that Griffin’s absence from the lineup was not an intentional rejection by O’Donnell.

Guest hosts on late-night programs generally work alongside established production teams that handle booking, scheduling and promotional considerations. O’Donnell’s comment indicates that Jimmy Kimmel Live producers, rather than O’Donnell herself, controlled those decisions during her hosting stint.

Whether Griffin and O’Donnell have discussed the matter privately since the public exchange has not been disclosed.

Rosie O’Donnell hosts ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live’.

A Packed Guest List During O’Donnell’s Week

O’Donnell’s guest-hosting run has included appearances by several prominent actors and comedians.

Guests already featured during the week have included Hannah Waddingham, Ana Gasteyer, Jean Smart and Richard Gadd.

Additional scheduled guests include Charlie Day, Janelle James, Shawn Hatosy, Megan Mullally and Nick Offerman, among others.

The lineup reflects the usual mix of television, film and comedy personalities associated with Jimmy Kimmel Live.

Griffin was ultimately not among them — despite the expectations she said had developed among mutual friends.

No Major Feud Appears to Be Developing

Although Griffin’s initial remarks could have suggested tension between the two longtime comedians, O’Donnell’s response significantly changes the context.

Griffin herself repeatedly acknowledged that she did not know whether O’Donnell had booking authority, while O’Donnell has now explicitly stated that she did not select the guests.

There is also little indication that either woman wants the situation to develop into a feud.

Griffin continued praising O’Donnell’s performance and encouraging viewers to support her, while O’Donnell’s affectionate use of “honey” in her response suggested familiarity rather than hostility.

The episode appears instead to be a case of mismatched expectations between longtime friends.

Griffin had expressed interest, mutual acquaintances began assuming an appearance was coming, and she allowed herself to imagine what she believed could have been a memorable moment.

When no invitation arrived, she felt personally disappointed.

O’Donnell’s explanation, however, suggests the decision was never hers to make.

For now, the situation appears less like a celebrity feud and more like an awkward misunderstanding played out in public — one that may have been avoided, as O’Donnell herself suggested, with a simple phone call.