What comedian posed with the head of Donald Trump?

Kathy Griffin posed with a fake severed head resembling Donald Trump. The photograph was created during a 2017 shoot with photographer Tyler Shields and quickly became an international political and media controversy.

The prop was a blood-covered model of Trump’s head, not the real person. Griffin, a comedian known for provocative celebrity satire, initially defended the image as political performance art but soon apologized and said she had gone too far. The photograph drew condemnation from Trump, members of his family and figures across the political spectrum.

The controversy had professional consequences. CNN ended Griffin’s participation in its New Year’s Eve broadcast, and other commercial relationships were affected. The U.S. Secret Service also said it was examining the image because Trump was a protected person. The episode is often remembered as a photograph of Griffin “holding Trump’s head,” but describing it as a real head is incorrect: it was a realistic prop or mask used for the shoot.