Kathy Griffin said she “accidentally” fell in love with a man more than 40 years her junior.
The 65-year-old comedian revealed her secret romance with a 23-year-old man following her divorce from second husband Randy Bick.
Griffin said she felt her much younger boyfriend saw her as she was.
“I happened to fall in love with a 23-year-old man. Because of his age, he didn’t have the sexism, misogyny, and prejudice that men my age tend to have,” she wrote in an essay for the Cut published Wednesday.
Griffin said she felt very comfortable around him, even if it sounded “corny” and “tacky.”
“I was happy to know that I still felt that way in my heart even in my 60s, and I was happy that the universe showed me a man that I was truly inspired by but also respected,” she said.
“I thought he was a smart guy,” she added. “I thought he could bounce around in different worlds. It sounds cliché, and maybe he was an old soul, but I don’t know. We just hit it off.”
Still, Griffin knew their romance wouldn’t last and felt she had too much “baggage.”
Even though her husband told her he didn’t want children and that they could be together forever, she said she needed to “let him go.”
“I really loved him,” she emphasized. “He touched my heart.”
“We just tried. We both continued for a while, but it was time to go,” she continued. “He made me feel sexy and special and smart and funny, all the ingredients that I think would make for a genuine and long-lasting relationship.”
Griffin candidly admitted that she is a “cougar” and revealed that she has never dated a man her own age since she was in her 30s.
“I’ve only ever been asked out by young men,” she explained. “I’m a cougar in a sense. This means you have the freedom to choose who you want, as opposed to the age group that society tells you is your only choice.”
Griffin said she has always been honest about her age on dating apps.
“I put 64 on my profile, went on dates, and everyone was at least 20 years younger,” she said. “What should I do? I can’t let this fragile body go to waste.”
Griffin settled her divorce with Vic, who is 18 years her junior, in January.
Last October, the “My Life on the D-List” star exclusively told Page Six that the breakup devastated her.
“Divorce is something that’s taking a toll on me mentally,” she said at the time. “I thought I would be with this person forever. It’s really heartbreaking, I admit that.”
She further added, “I never expected to be alone at this stage of the game, but, well, it’s my responsibility. And I think I obviously have to take full responsibility.”
