R.I.P. Maggie Griffin, wine enthusiast and mom of Kathy Griffin

By Patrick Gomez  |  March 18, 2020 | 5:41am
Aux Features kathy griffin
R.I.P. Maggie Griffin, wine enthusiast and mom of Kathy Griffin
Kathy Griffin and Kathy Griffin in 2018 Photo: David Livingston

If you have a glass of wine, tip it for Maggie Griffin, who died Tuesday at 99.

“My Mom, the one and only, Maggie Griffin, passed away today,” comedian Kathy Griffin posted late Tuesday night. “I am gutted. My best friend. I’m shaking. I won’t ever be prepared. I’m so grateful you guys got to be part of her life. You knew her. You loved her. She knew it. Oh, and OF COURSE she went on St Patrick’s Day.”

Maggie Griffin—who, for the record, was a first-generation Irish-American—became a household name when she became a mainstay on her daughter reality series Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List, which launched on Bravo in 2005. Known for her catchphrase “tip it,” Maggie was seemingly never without a glass of wine. After the series ended in 2010, Maggie continued to attend events with Kathy through 2018. In January last year, Kathy took to Twitter to reveal her mother had “rapidly fallen into the throws of dementia.”

“My mom is 98 and up until this past couple years she was so sharp she always kept me on my toes. Her mind was so naturally quick, funny, and smart. No one could get anything past her. Watching that slip away so fast has been devastating,” Kathy continued in a stream of tweets. “I want to assure you all that she is not in pain and she is getting the best 24-hour care. In terms of how she is now, at this point she only knows my name and I love you.”

In July 2019, Kathy shared another update on her mother’s 99th birthday.

Maggie worked at a hospital cashier while raising her four kids with husband John. She is survived by two of her children, Kathy and John.

 
Join the discussion...