Kathy Griffin’s unexpected hard launch didn’t last long, as the comedian soon revealed it was all part of a social experiment meant to highlight society’s double standards.
On July 9, the 65-year-old comedian shared an Instagram photo of herself holding hands with an unidentified young man, simply captioning it: “He’s 22. Have at it, internet.” The post quickly sparked a wave of reactions, prompting Griffin to reply, “I AM DYING AT THESE COMMENTS.”
A day later, she set the record straight. The man featured in the photo wasn’t her boyfriend at all — he was actually a member of her security team.
“You Guys! Thanks to all those who participated in my social media sociological experiment! No, I’m not dating this 22 year-old. He was helping me with security during my trip to NYC. But …what if I were? The reactions were fascinating,” Griffin explained in a follow-up post.
According to Griffin, the responses varied significantly depending on the platform. She said Instagram users were “mostly positive,” with comments such as “Get it, gurllll!” and “He’s so good for you!” In contrast, she said Threads users reacted far more negatively, with “a whole lot more slut-shaming, accusations of ‘grooming,’ and debates about how ‘gross’ it would be for a 65-year-old woman to date a younger man.”
That difference was exactly what Griffin hoped to spotlight. One commenter on her follow-up post summed it up by writing: “I love the double standard…If it’s a man and his third wife is 30 years his junior not a word is said.”
Griffin echoed the sentiment herself, pointing to several famous couples with notable age gaps. “Older men have been dating younger women since the beginning of time…just ask Luke Wilson, 54, who just had a beautiful baby with his 24 year-old girlfriend or Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones, Harrison Ford and Calista Flockhart, Jay-Z and Beyonce…some of the most long-lasting beautiful relationships in my beloved (though ageist and sexist) industry,” she wrote.
The playful stunt also reflected a personal experience Griffin shared previously. In an essay published in The Cut last December, she revealed that she had “accidentally fell in love with a 23-year-old” after separating from her ex-husband, Randy Bick.
“Because of his age, he didn’t have the usual sexism, misogyny, and biases that guys my age tend to have,” she wrote. “He seemed to see me.” Griffin ultimately ended the relationship, explaining that she believed he was still too young to know what he truly wanted in life.
She wrapped up her reveal post by reassuring fans that it was all in good fun, writing: “Relax… just a little harmless fun with you guys with an IG post.”
