Holly to Bolly: Donald Trump stunt gets comic Kathy Griffin fired and more

Plus: Grease star Olivia Newton-John fights cancer.

Comedian Kathy Griffin. Danny Moloshok/ Reuters

Donald Trump stunt gets comic Kathy Griffin fired

American comedian Kathy Griffin may have hoped to make art by holding up a prop depicting Donald Trump’s bloodied, severed head. But the stunt cost her a job with CNN.

The president castigated the comedian on Wednesday, saying she “should be ashamed of herself” for the grisly looking photograph.

“My children, especially my 11-year-old son, Barron, are having a hard time with this. Sick!” he tweeted.

The outspoken Trump critic and award-winning performer had already apologised and asked celebrity photographer Tyler Shields to remove the picture from the internet, but it wasn’t enough to save her job.

“CNN has terminated our agreement with Kathy Griffin to appear on our New Year’s Eve programme,” the network’s communications division announced.

CNN had earlier called the picture “disgusting and offensive”, and said it was “evaluating” its annual New Year’s Eve coverage, which Griffin co-hosted for a decade with Anderson Cooper. The CNN anchor slammed the image as “completely inappropriate.” – AFP

Olivia Newton-John fights cancer

Singing great Olivia Newton-John revealed this week a return of breast cancer, 25 years after her first successful battle.

The British-born star said she was obliged to postpone a tour of the United States and Canada following her new diagnosis.

The 68-year-old said she will undergo a short course of radiation, as well as natural therapies, on the advice of specialists at a cancer research centre named after her in her adopted home of Melbourne, Australia.

The singer “is confident she will be back later in the year, better than ever, to celebrate her shows”, said a statement by her management.

Newton-John has been a chart-topper since the 1970s, but she became best-known for starring in the 1978 musical comedy Grease alongside John Travolta.

She was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 1992, forcing her to halt her schedule. The experience had a major impact on Newton-John, who became an advocate for research into cancer and for early detection.

She has dedicated a series of albums and concerts to the fight against cancer and other charities and raised funds to build the health centre in Melbourne.

Newton-John had earlier postponed the first half of a North American tour complaining of back pain.

After consulting doctors, she learnt that the pain was connected with the return of breast cancer, which had spread to the sacrum bone in her back. – AFP