Kathy Griffin recently revealed that she once turned down a $1.4 million offer to co-host the hit ABC talk show The View.
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In a video on her YouTube account, the comedian opened up about the proposal and how the late Barbara Walters wasn’t happy with her decision to reject the offer.
“I really respect those women for going on that show day in and day out because they know there’s blowback,” Griffin said. “And by the way, to this day, The View is one of the most buzzworthy shows on television or anywhere.”
She further stated, “People still get up in arms online talking about who said what on The View, so it’s always been a high-stakes show.”
Griffin then said that she has co-hosted on The View around 27 times. She was offered a permanent co-host gig in the mid-2000s. The comedian recalled having to fly from Los Angeles to New York City for various appearances on the show.
While she was getting paid to appear on The View, Kathy Griffin said wardrobe, hair, and makeup were not included.
“Eventually I said to my agent, ‘OK, tell them if they’re going to offer me a permanent chair, please tell them to just offer me the chair or not,” she said.
After The View auditioned several new hosts and still flew her in for several more appearances, Griffin asked if she would be offered the job.
“So they made me an offer and the offer was for $1.4 (million),” she explained. “And I am just going to be honest, I had to turn it down.”
Kathy Griffin Reveals Why She Decided to Turn Down The View Offer
While continuing to speak about The View, Kathy Griffin revealed why she decided to turn down the talk show’s offer.
“Because at the time between doing [the reality show] My Life on the D-List and touring, I was making about $10 [million] a year. I had to turn down The View because I would have had to uproot my whole life.”
The comedian was taking care of her parents when she received the offer.
“I remember when they offered me the job, Barbara Walters said backstage one time before we were about to go out and do the live show, ‘They say we have chemistry, I don’t really see it, but they say we do.’ And I loved that,” Griffin continued. “I said, ‘Of course we do, Barbara, people love when I give you s—.’ And then she just rolled her eyes.”
Before she gave her official answer to the offer, Griffin said she pulled Walters aside. She told her what her response would be.
“[I said] I want you to know why I’m going to say ‘no,'” Griffin said. “It’s not that I think I’m too good for this show, it’s the opposite. This show is too good for me.”
She also told Walters about how much she made and showed her the tax returns. The comedian said Walters was not a fan of her declining the offer.
“She didn’t care. They didn’t up their offer by a penny. I think I might have said something like, ‘Can you meet me halfway?’ And they didn’t. But there’s the real story.”