Comedian Kathy Griffin broke down in tears a few times at a Friday press conference with her lawyer, in an event meant to defend a photo Griffin made that appeared to show her raising President Trump's bloody, severed head.

"He broke me," she said through tears.

"I've had everybody turn on me," she said earlier as she teared up.



Griffin and her lawyer, Lisa Bloom, defended her video several times as "edgy" and "in your face" comedy, and said it's not fair that Trump bullied her.

Bloom said the video was meant to mock Trump's campaign comment when he said there was "blood coming out of her eyes, blood coming out of her wherever" in response to Megyn Kelly, who was then at Fox News.

"It was a parody of Trump's own sexist remarks, taken to an extreme, absurdist visual," Bloom said.

"The message is clear: criticize the president, lose your job," Bloom added. "And that's what happened to Kathy."

Griffin stressed that she was not taking back her apology for making the video. The comedian faced swift backlash for the photo from both Democrats and Republicans, and Trump, first lady Melania Trump and other members of the Trump family criticized Griffin on social media.

As a result, Bloom said Griffin has received death threats and even heard from the Secret Service. Griffin subsequently retained a criminal lawyer.

In response to the criticism from the president and his family, Bloom said it marked the "first time in history the president of the United States and his family are personally attempting to ruin a comedian."

"This has been a living nightmare for Kathy," Bloom said.

Griffin, too, said the response she received was unprecedented.

"What's happening to me has never happened, ever, in the history of this great country," Griffin said, "which is that a sitting president of the United States, his grown children, and the first lady are personally, I feel, personally trying to ruin my life forever. Forever."

During the press conference, Bloom said a double standard exists for male artists who post violent images of Trump and females artists.

The lawyer singled out singer Marilyn Manson and the band Municipal Waste as two who have created "more disturbing imagery," yet never received any backlash.

"Unlike these male artists, Kathy apologized," Bloom said. "Unlike these male artists, Kathy has endured the most powerful man in America and his family using their power to target her and her employers after she apologized."

Griffin, though, said she doesn't plan to back down.

"I'm not afraid of Donald Trump. He's a bully," Griffin said.