Comedian Kathy Griffin has claimed Donald Trump is using the furore around a photo in which she appeared with a likeness of his severed head to divert attention from the FBI investigation into Russian meddling in the US election.

At a news conference on Friday, Griffin tearfully predicted her career was over and revealed she was the subject of a Secret Service investigation and fears being arrested after the release of the photo.

The image is posted at the end of this article to avoid offending those who may find it too gory.

But the 56-year-old comedian insisted she will continue to make jokes about Mr Trump as she accused him, First Lady Melania and his children of "personally trying to ruin my life forever".

"What's happening to me has never happened ever in the history of this great country, which is that a sitting President of the United States and his grown children and the First Lady are personally trying to ruin my life forever," she said.


Image: Griffin (R) says the Trumps are trying to ruin her life

"They are using me as the shiny object so that nobody is talking about his FBI investigation.

"It's quite clear they are trying to use me as a distraction and I'm not going to be collateral damage for this fool."

She also dismissed the claim that Mr Trump's son Barron, 11, was traumatised by the photo.

President Trump responded to the work by tweeting that the comedian "should be ashamed of herself".

"My children, especially my 11-year-old son, Barron, are having a hard time with this. Sick!," he wrote.

Image: Griffin was fired from CNN's New Year's Eve special over the stunt

The stunt also received a strong backlash from both ends of the political spectrum.

Within hours of the photo being published, Griffin apologised and asked photographer Tyler Shields to remove it and a behind-the-scenes video explaining the work from his blog.

Despite the apology, she was fired from her job co-hosting CNN's New Year's Eve special and has had at least four comedy shows cancelled.

I am sorry. I went too far. I was wrong. pic.twitter.com/LBKvqf9xFB — Kathy Griffin (@kathygriffin) May 30, 2017

Speaking on Friday, Griffin insisted it was a parody meant to address Mr Trump's remark last year that former Fox News presenter Megyn Kelly had "blood coming out of her eyes, blood coming out of wherever".

She added she has received death threats over the stunt, which involved a mask mounted on a Styrofoam wig mould.

She said: "I'm not laying down for this guy. I'm going to keep making jokes about this guy."