Kathy Griffin holds news conference to respond to 'bullying from the Trump family'

LOS ANGELES -- Comedian Kathy Griffin and her attorney Lisa Bloom held a news conference on Friday to explain the controversial image and what they called "bullying from the Trump family she has endured."

The sharp-tongued comic apologized earlier this week for the video and photos that showed her toting a severed likeness of President Donald Trump’s head.

The president and his wife denounced the graphic images, saying that she “should be ashamed of herself” and “a photo opportunity like this is simply wrong,” respectively.

During the news conference, Griffin said the first family is “personally trying to ruin my life forever…you guys know him, he’s never gonna stop.”

"I've had everybody turn on me and I just want to make people laugh...I screwed up."

" never imagined that it could be misinterpreted as a threat of violence ... that was never what she intended," her attorney, Lisa Bloom, said.

CNN, which had called the images “disgusting and offensive” after Griffin posted the video on Tuesday, announced Wednesday it would not invite her back this year for the Times Square live New Year’s Eve special she had co-hosted annually since 2007 with CNN’s Anderson Cooper.

“Regarding the image that I participated in, that apology absolutely stands. I feel horrible," said Griffin.

She went on to say: "I'm not afraid of Donald Trump. He's a bully. I've dealt with older white guys trying to keep me down my whole life."

"I'm gonna make fun of the president...I'm not going to threaten him. I have no desire to harm him."

Backlash against Griffin continues to grow with at least four theaters announcing that they had canceled her performances after the comedian posed with a likeness of President Donald Trump's severed head. Venues in New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania canceled shows.

Watch the full news conference below: