Kathy Griffin said she spent $218,000 on her most recent facelift, revealing the cost and her reasons for undergoing the procedure during an appearance on the “Good Guys” podcast released Monday.
“It was not cheap,” the 65-year-old performer said, adding jokingly, “You know how many d**k jokes I have to tell for $218,000? I have to do at least two shows.”
Griffin, who has been open about previous cosmetic surgeries, explained that while her operation carried a steep price, some Beverly Hills surgeons charge far more.
She said she had heard of “six or seven” doctors who price facelifts at up to $1 million.
She said her own procedure was performed by Kris Jenner’s former surgeon, Dr. Ben Talei, not Dr. Steven Levine, who conducted Jenner’s more recent “ponytail” facelift.
“Not the million ponytail, because they do this thing now called the ponytail where they — I don’t know if they shave your head on top — but they pull your whole face up, as if you were putting yourself in a high ponytail,” Griffin said. “And that one’s called the ponytail and that’s what Kris got.”
Griffin had first confirmed the facelift on her “Talk Your Head Off” podcast in August, where she also named Talei as her surgeon.
“Got the facelift, I’m gonna be honest, it’s painful,” she said. “So these b***es that are like, ‘It’s like getting a tooth filled! It’s nothing!’ No, it’s painful.”
She said she chose Talei after being impressed by singer Sia’s results from a similar procedure.
According to Griffin, Sia personally contacted the doctor to help her secure an appointment.
The comedian described receiving multiple treatments, including “stitches in my eyelids,” a “cat eye stitch” to lift the corners of her eyes, and an additional stitch in her chin, though she did not specify whether the latter was part of the facelift itself.
On the “Good Guys” podcast, Griffin reflected on the decision to go under the knife and her views on aging in entertainment.
“I’m so vain for no reason,” she said. “No one has ever gone to a Kathy Griffin show to see her beautiful, youthful face. You come to hear my jokes, which is what I want.”
She also discussed the pressures faced by women in comedy, saying that constant scrutiny of appearance has long affected her industry.
“I actually think when you’re a chick comedian, they just go for your looks,” Griffin said. “I think that’s probably why Joan (Rivers) did so much. Because she was really pretty.”
Griffin added that persistent comments from agents and industry professionals shaped her own early decisions about cosmetic surgery.
“I’m from a generation where these agents thought nothing back in the day of saying stuff like, ‘Yeah, they loved your audition, but they’re going to go attractive, sorry,'” she recalled. “Or “With a nose job, you might have a chance.’ So I went and got a nose job.”
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