Pop Culture
Kathy Griffin’s 22-Year-Old Boyfriend Hard Launch Was a ‘Sociological Experiment’
The comedian posted a photo holding hands with an unidentified younger man on July 9, waited for the internet to react, then revealed the whole thing was a deliberate test of age-gap double standards
ByJade Gomez
July 12, 2026
Kathy Griffin’s surprising hard launch was short-lived, revealing the whole thing was to shed a light on double stabdar
On July 9, the 65-year-old comedian posted a photo on Instagram holding hands with an unidentified man, captioned simply: “He’s 22. Have at it, internet.” The reactions poured in fast. Griffin responded to the flood of comments with: “I AM DYING AT THESE COMMENTS.”
Then, the next day, she pulled back the curtain. The man in the photo was not a romantic partner at all — he was part of her security personnel
“You Guys! 😂 Thanks to all those who participated in my social media sociological experiment! No, I’m not dating this 22 year-old. He was helping me with security during my trip to NYC. But …what if I were? The reactions were fascinating,” Griffin wrote in her follow-up post
The results of her experiment split sharply by platform. On Instagram, she said, comments ran “mostly positive,” with fans writing things like “Get it, gurllll!” and “He’s so 🔥 good for you!” On Threads, the reception was considerably colder. Griffin said she encountered “a whole lot more slut-shaming, accusations of ‘grooming,’ and debates about how ‘gross’ it would be for a 65-year-old woman to date a younger man.”
That contrast seemed to be exactly what she was after. One commenter on the reveal post put it plainly: “I love the double standard…If it’s a man and his third wife is 30 years his junior not a word is said.”
Griffin made the same point herself, invoking a list of well-known age-gap couples to underscore it. “Older men have been dating younger women since the beginning of time…just ask Luke Wilson, 54, who just had a beautiful baby with his 24 year-old girlfriend or Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones, Harrison Ford and Calista Flockhart, Jay-Z and Beyonce…some of the most long-lasting beautiful relationships in my beloved (though ageist and sexist) industry,” she wrote
The stunt lands with some personal context behind it. In an essay published in The Cut last December, Griffin disclosed that she had “accidentally fell in love with a 23-year-old” following her split from ex Randy Bick
“Because of his age, he didn’t have the usual sexism, misogyny, and biases that guys my age tend to have,” she wrote. “He seemed to see me.” She ultimately ended the relationship because she felt he was too young to know what he truly wanted for the future
She closed out her reveal post with a note of reassurance: “Relax… just a little harmless fun with you guys with an IG post.”
Related Stories
Pop Culture
Girlfriend of Red Hot Chili Peppers Singer Defends Their 33-Year Age Gap
‘My own boyfriend is more than twice my age, which is either alarming or impressive, depending on who you ask,’ she said
Holly Riordan75 days ago
Pop Culture
Jennette McCurdy Says Her Teen Relationship With an Older Man Was ‘Addictive’
The former ‘iCarly’ star says she was 17 when she began dating a man in his mid-30s
Bernadette Giacomazzo186 days ago
Sports
Joy Taylor Explains Why She’s Open to Dating Elderly Men: ‘I’m Doing This for All of Us’
Taylor called younger men “aggressive” while older men are financially stable
Jaelani Turner-Williams432 days ago
Trending
1StyleKAWS x MLB Collection to Launch This Month: What to Know
2SportsThe 25 Best UFC Fighters of All Time
3MusicFans Outside Jay-Z’s Yankee Stadium Residency Debate ‘Reasonable Doubt’ vs. ‘The Blueprint’
4SportsWhy the USMNT Keeps Falling Short While the USWNT Became a Global Soccer Power
5MusicJay-Z’s Set Lists From Each Night of His Yankee Stadium Shows
6MusicNas Curated a 31-Song Jay-Z TIDAL Playlist, Then Showed Up Live at Yankee Stadium
Editor’s Pick
MusicThe Best Albums Of 2026 (So Far)
StyleHow to Style Soccer Jerseys
MusicThe 15 Best Rap Verses Of 2026 (So Far)
MusicHip-Hop Media Power Ranking: The 2026 Edition
SneakersEvery Air Jordan Releasing in 2026
