Kathy Griffin is extending a hand to Ryan Seacrest’s accuser.
“Hey Suzie Hardy,” she began on Twitter, “I will do for you that which no one did for me after May 30. After you were brave enough to speak out I’m happy to offer you a job as my stylist to dress me this week for ‘Jimmy Kimmel’ and ‘Real Time’ & I’ll PAY you. What ya think?”
Hardy, a stylist who worked with Seacrest during his time at E!, claimed in a Variety interview that Seacrest grabbed her genitals and slapped her backside so hard that it left a mark.
Seacrest, 43, has denied the allegation.
“This person who has accused me of horrible things offered, on multiple occasions, to withdraw her claims if I paid her millions of dollars. I refused,” Seacrest said in a statement. “I have worked extremely hard to achieve my success and I don’t take my opportunities for granted. I don’t want to accuse anyone of not telling the truth but in this case, I have no choice but to again deny the claims against me, remind people that I was recused of any wrongdoing, and put the matter to rest.”
An anonymous source who claimed to have witnessed the alleged harassment backed up Hardy’s story in an interview with the “Today” show.
Seacrest attorney Andrew Baum told ABC News that that source had been interviewed by E!’s counsel during its investigation.
“He was interviewed and his claims were fully evaluated, as were the claims of everyone else in involved in this matter. At its conclusion, the investigation cleared Ryan’s name,” Baum said. “The bottom line remains that this entire matter was created by someone who wanted to be paid $15 million and Mr. Seacrest’s decision to fight back against what was essentially an extortion attempt.”
Hardy has denied that claim.
In her tweet, Griffin refers to a short video of herself holding a decapitated likeness of President Donald Trump’s head.
The photo that Griffin, 57, posted sparked an immediate and widespread backlash as well as condemnation from the president, who called her actions “sick” in a tweet.
ABC News reached out to reps for Seacrest and Griffin for comment but didn’t immediately hear back.
Ryan Seacrest is the co-host of “Live With Kelly and Ryan,” which is produced by WABC-TV, a station owned and operated by Disney, ABC News’ parent company. He is also the host of ABC’s upcoming “American Idol.”
