Zendaya, Giuliana Rancic, and Kelly Osbourne have all weighed in on the so-called joke Rancic attempted to crack about Zendaya's dreadlocks on Fashion Police last month. Comedian Kathy Griffin took her turn Tuesday.
In an email interview with the Chicago Sun-Times, Griffin was asked if it would have been so controversial if she had been the one to utter Rancic's line about thinking Zendaya "smells like patchouli oil… or weed" because of the teen star's hairstyle on the Oscars red carpet. "Probably not," replied Griffin, who replaced the late Joan Rivers as host in January. "But I wouldn't have said the joke in the first place. Some dude wrote it for her."
Realted: Zendaya Responds to Giuliana Rancic's Apology Over 'Fashion Police' Hair Comments
The funny lady also offered some advice for Rancic in the future. "Don't have anyone write you jokes or even suggest jokes for you on 'Fashion Police,'" Griffin said. "You have enough great insider gossip from actually being ON the red carpet. That's what fans want to hear the next day. Just talk and be yourself."
Griffin got serious, though, as she explained her understanding of what's funny and what's not to audiences in 2015. "The show wanted to do a running segment called 'Whore Score.' Um, no thanks. I think we can do better. Look, God knows my — how shall I say — repertoire over all these years on TV and live touring has used some language I wouldn't use today, but people just aren't into that stuff anymore and I get it. Name-calling and alliteration with no comedic context is simply the lowest hanging fruit."
She further explained, "I will make my Miley Cyrus jokes as long as people want to laugh at them. But there is a chasm of difference between making a joke about Miley Cyrus wearing duct tape over her nipples out in public (which I think is totally fair game) and simply looking at a photo of her on a red carpet and saying she is ugly or a bad singer or pathetic or something like that."
However, Griffin couldn't say why Osbourne, one of the Fashion Police panelists, departed from the show days after the scandal blew up.
Related: Kelly Osbourne Quits 'Fashion Police' After Zendaya Controversy
"Jesus, I don't know [why she left]!" Griffin exclaimed. "Sometimes she seemed very upset at the merely seven tapings of 'Fashion Police' we did together. I can tell you this: I adore that family. I've spent the most time with Sharon. She is the real deal. Love her! Kelly came to my house a couple of times when Joan was in the hospital and we were consoling each other. I can tell you there was genuine love there. Oh, and of course, Ozzy is amazing."
The same day Griffin's comments were published, Kelly had nothing but good things to say about her former TV gig as she guest co-hosted on Sharon's show, The Talk.
"Do you know what, it was the five best working years of my life," Kelly said of her time on the show. "I am so grateful for the experience — I can't even — working with Joan Rivers for five years was incredible. I learned so much, and I'm excited for my future now. I want to try new things."
