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Maggie Griffin, impish mother of comedian Kathy, dies at 99

LOS ANGELES (AP) - The mother of comedian Kathy Griffin, who inspired many of the jokes in her famous daughter's standup routines, has died. Maggie Griffin was 99.

'œMy Mom, the one and only, Maggie Griffin, passed away" Tuesday, Kathy Griffin tweeted. 'œI am gutted. My best friend. I'm shaking. I won't ever be prepared.'ť

The sweet, impish and quick-tongued Maggie Griffin was a frequent presence in her daughter's reality show, 'œKathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List," in the early 2000s. More often than not, she was holding a glass of wine.

Addressing her fans, the comedian said in her tweet: "I'm so grateful you guys got to be part of her life. You knew her. You loved her. She knew it.

'œOh, and OF COURSE she went on St Patrick's Day,'ť Griffin went on, followed by three broken-heart emojis.

Griffin revealed on Twitter in January 2019 that her mother had 'œrapidly fallen into the throes of dementia.'ť

"This is never easy for any child, I know this is a reality that millions of people deal with every year," the comedian wrote. 'œBut when it comes to my mom this is particularly hard because her sharp mind was everything.'ť

Kathy Griffin's father and Maggie's husband, John, died in 2007.

FILE - In this Aug. 29, 2010 file photo, Kathy Griffin and her mother Maggie Griffin arrive at the 62nd Primetime Emmy Awards in Los Angeles. Maggie Griffin, the mother of comedian Kathy Griffin, who inspired many of the jokes in her famous daughter's standup routines, died Tuesday, March 17, 2020. She was 99. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello, File) The Associated Press
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